Your teenage daughter may come to you complaining of heavy periods that seem to last a long time. She may be missing school because of severe cramps or waking up at night because of period pain. She may also feel embarrassed because she has experienced leaking through her pads and wants to give up sport or hobbies because her periods are impacting on her enjoyment. This can make her feel anxious about her periods and her body. It’s not always easy to know what you can do to help her.

You may have questions about

• Whether her periods are heavier than normal? 
• What can she do for cramps?
• What can she do to protect against leakage?
• Should you take her to see the doctor?

While it can take a couple of years before a young girl’s periods settle into a pattern, it’s important not to put off seeing a doctor if you have concerns.

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

According to Jean Hailes for Women's Healthⁱ, a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the knowledge of women's health throughout the various stages of their lives; signs your daughter’s periods are heavy include

• Periods that last for more than 7 to 8 days
• Experiencing leaking
• Having to change her tampon or pad every hour or less
• Having to change her pad overnight
• Blood clots greater than 50 cent coins
• Negatively impacting on her quality of life

If she is experiencing heavy periods it can lead to low iron levels or anaemia with symptoms like fatigue, light-headedness and shortness of breath.

If your daughter is experiencing heavy bleeding, get her to track her period and non-period days including

• The level of pelvic discomfort she is experiencing 
• How many pads or tampons she has used and the size of them (e.g. super or mini)
• Any other symptoms such as constipation or nausea
• If she used any pain medicines

You can take this with you to see your doctor who can investigate further.

Period pain

Your community pharmacist is a great source of advice and support when it comes to strategies to alleviate period pain. They can talk to you about the medicines available, any side effects to watch out for, whether or not they need to be taken with food and the best time to take them. Other strategies to relieve period pain include

• A hot water bottle or heat pack for her tummy to help relax muscles 
• Walking or light exercise releases endorphins (feel-good hormones)
• A warm bath to help her relax

Protecting against leakage

In order to assist your daughter with managing leaks, you could suggest a number of strategies including

• Special menstrual underwear
• Combining a tampon with a pad
• If night-time leaking is an issue, she could try maternity pads
• Applicator tampons might help with positioning a tampon more effectively

If her periods are affecting her wellbeing, take your daughter to see a doctor. It is also an important life lesson for her to seek medical help when something does not feel right. You can also speak to the friendly team at Capital Chemist Garran for advice and support.

ⁱ https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/periods/heavy-bleeding