Women’s health · 6 min read
Your period should not be running your whole month
Heavy bleeding, severe cramps or a cycle that suddenly changes are worth talking about—especially when work, school or sleep is suffering.
A period problem deserves assessment when bleeding soaks through products quickly, pain limits daily life, cycles change suddenly, bleeding happens between periods or after sex, or pregnancy is possible.
“It is just a period” is not always a useful answer
Periods vary, but you know when yours is making ordinary life difficult. Heavy bleeding may mean changing pads very often, using two products together, passing large clots, bleeding for more than a week or waking at night to change. Pain that keeps you from work, class, sleep or caring for your family also deserves attention.
Track a few details—not your whole life
Write down the first day of bleeding, roughly how heavy it is, the pain level and any bleeding between periods or after sex. Note medicines, contraception and any chance of pregnancy. A phone note is enough. This information helps a clinician see a pattern and decide whether a pregnancy test, blood test, examination or ultrasound would be useful.
There are many possible causes
Stress, pregnancy, contraception, fibroids, endometriosis, hormonal conditions and other health problems can affect bleeding or pain. Heavy periods can also cause anaemia, leaving you tired, weak or short of breath. The right treatment depends on the cause and on what matters to you, including your plans for pregnancy.
Do not wait if the bleeding feels unsafe
Seek urgent care for very heavy bleeding with fainting, severe weakness, chest pain or difficulty breathing. Severe one-sided pelvic pain, or bleeding with a positive pregnancy test—especially with dizziness or shoulder pain—also needs urgent assessment.
Come with the real version of the story
You do not need to make the problem sound neat or medical. Tell the clinician what the worst day is like and what you are missing because of it. At Penda, the goal is a clear explanation and a plan that works in your actual life.
Health information sources
These sources support the general information on this page.
Updated 27 July 2026. Penda adapts public-health guidance for a Kenyan patient audience; this page does not replace a personal consultation.