Most women with menorrhagia don't know that heavy bleeding is not normal. It is a recognized medical condition for which they can seek treatment. Many women think that bleeding heavily for 4 to 5 days or changing their pad every hour is something they have to live with. Others are afraid that the only options are hormones or a hysterectomy.

Heavy menstrual bleeding can be treated simply, safely and successfully. You and your doctor can come to a treatment decision by assessing the amount and frequency of your bleeding and by looking at how your periods affect your life. Several factors will be important to your decision, including whether or not you plan to have children in the future and whether you want ongoing therapy or a one time treatment.

Treatment options include endometrial ablation, hormone therapy, hormone releasing (IUD), dilation and curettage (D&C), and hysterectomy.

Hormones may be minimally effective for some women. In fact, clinical studies show high levels of treatment failure with hormones often resulting in a hysterectomy. D&C works for only a short period of time. Hysterectomy is a surgery that requires significant recovery time and may have potential for complications. However, all of these procedures should be reviewed with your physician and a decision made to which is more suited to you.

Now with the one-time endometrial ablation, women can finally find reliable relief from heavy menstrual bleeding safely without the side effects of hormones or a hysterectomy. This procedure lets women take control of their lives and return to their normal routines quickly.