Getting your period may not be your favorite event of the month, but you shouldn’t dread it. For women with abnormally heavy bleeding, periods are more than just a minor inconvenience. At Interior Women’s Health in Fairbanks, Alaska, some treatments can lighten your period and improve your quality of life.
Karl Baurick, MD, and Doris Heilman, MD, love partnering with local women to help them find solutions to women’s health challenges, including heavy menstrual bleeding. When you’re ready to explore your options, set up a time to come in and get started.
Every woman has a unique experience with menstruation, and your periods can also change over time. In general, heavy bleeding is when your periods last for more than seven days, or when you have to change tampons or pads within an hour.
Some women also experience significant clotting during their periods or have painful cramping that makes it hard to take care of routine tasks and obligations. Heavy bleeding can also interfere with your sleep if you have to wake to change your pads or tampons throughout the night.
Years of heavy bleeding can also leave you with anemia. Left untreated, anemia can threaten your overall health and heart health.
There’s no wrong time to reach out for help with heavy bleeding. If your periods are getting in the way of your normal daily routines, let the Interior Women’s Health team know.
NovaSure® is an innovative treatment for women with abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding. It’s a type of endometrial ablation, meaning it works by altering the lining of cells inside your uterus that thicken and shed during your period.
NovaSure uses radiofrequency energy to damage a portion of your uterine lining. It doesn’t harm adjacent tissues or organs, and the results are permanent.
It’s important to note that endometrial ablation with NovaSure is only a good fit for women who are absolutely sure they do not want to become pregnant in the future. Once your uterine lining is altered, a healthy pregnancy is no longer possible. That said, you’ll still need to use a birth control method that works for you, as NovaSure does not prevent fertilization.
The treatment process is simple and straightforward. As you recline on the treatment table with your feet in the stirrups, your practitioner guides the slim NovaSure device through your vagina and into your uterus. The device deploys an array inside the uterus. It looks like a net or balloon and opens to make contact with the inside surface of your uterus.
Once in place, the system sends radiofrequency energy into that array, treating all areas of the uterine lining at once. Advanced technology monitors the delivery of energy to ensure a safe and effective treatment. Gentle suction removes the treated tissue and any blood from the uterus.
This entire process takes just five minutes. There is no significant pain; any discomfort after the procedure can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
If you’d like to explore NovaSure in more detail, contact the team at Interior Women’s Health to set up a visit. During your consultation, you can ask questions and express concerns, as well as review other options for lightening your periods.
We are dedicated to helping you find the right solution for your unique needs. If abnormal menstrual bleeding is preventing you from easily completing your routines, there are options that can make things easier. When you’re ready, reach out online or by phone to get started.
