So if your periods -- you're bleeding in the middle of the month. If you're bleeding all month and just spotting. If your periods are much heavier than they should be on average, those are things that fit under the definition of abnormal uterine bleeding.
LINDA BRADLEY, MD: There is also bleeding that would interfere with your lifestyle -- athletic activities, sexual activities, sports, work. Most women who have their menstrual cycles are able to work and not miss activities because of bleeding -- because of being embarrassed, because of soiling through clothing, being humiliated because of accidents. Most women on the average will use about -- if their using tampons -- will change a tampon maybe four or five times a day. Some may change it more often for hygienic reasons, but not because they're soiling or saturating through. If you're a pad user, the same number of pads per day. So anything up and beyond that, I think you should come and see your doctor.
KEITH ISAACSON, MD: You should also understand that if a women is in menopause and she's had no period for a year and she's not on any hormone replacement therapy, then any bleeding whatsoever that's vaginal is abnormal and needs to be evaluated. Because in that patient population, you do need to rule out serious disease such as cancer.
GRACE JANIK, MD: It's also helpful for the patient to keep track of when in their cycle this bleeding is happening and have some documented information when they go to their doctor. Many of the diagnoses can be narrowed down by a bleeding calendar -- whether it's ovulatory, preovulatory, menstrual and how long.
