An abnormally heavy and prolonged menstrual period is called what?

• A. Menorrhagia
• B. Dysmenorrhea
• C. Metrorrhagia
• D. Polymenorrhea

Answer: (A)

Heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding is called menorrhagia. This term specifically describes menses that are excessive in volume or extended in duration beyond what is typical. In practice, many clinicians think of it as blood loss around 80 mL per cycle or lasting more than about 7 days, though patient experience and phrasing matter clinically. This distinguishes it from other patterns: dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain, metrorrhagia is bleeding at irregular intervals between periods, and polymenorrhea refers to very frequent periods with shorter intervals. Recognizing menorrhagia is important because it raises concern for anemia and prompts evaluation for potential causes like uterine fibroids, hormonal imbalances, or coagulation disorders.