If you’re a woman experiencing a multitude of heavy bleeding days, you should do two things as soon as you can:
- Check out this website
- Talk to your doctor
According to Dr. Paula James, hematologist at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, because women’s lives “inherently involve bleeding” (menstruation and child birth, duh) they can be more greatly affected by bleeding disorders like hemophilia or Von Willebrand’s Disease, but are also less concerned when they first show signs of one.
That can make diagnosing hemophilia or Von Willebrand difficult… and could potentially lead to serious complications.
The website linked above – Dr. James’ self-assessment tool for women who think they may bleed more than their counterparts – is a valuable resource to get a process of diagnosis started.
It does not, however, take the part of speaking to your physician. If you have concerns about hemophilia or Von Willebrand’s Disease, even if the self-assessment says you’re fine you should follow up with a licensed provider who knows you and your medical history.
