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Severe vaginal bleeding

When reviewing the following guidelines, take into account how heavy your normal menstrual flow is. Abnormal vaginal bleeding varies depending on what is normal for a particular woman.

Severe bleeding: You are passing clots of blood and soaking through your usual pads or tampons every hour for 2 or more hours.
Moderate bleeding: You soak more than 1 pad or tampon in 3 hours.
Mild bleeding: You soak less than 1 pad or tampon in more than 3 hours.
Minimal bleeding: You have "spotting" or just a few drops of blood from the vagina.

Note:

Vaginal bleeding refers to bleeding from inside the vagina, not from a cut or scrape near the vagina.

For most women, soaking more than 2 maxi pads, super pads, or super tampons in 2 hours is not normal and is severe bleeding. This is more serious if you have the following symptoms:

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New lightheadedness or feeling as if you may pass out
Lightheadedness or fainting when you change position
Passage of several blood clots that are larger than a quarter

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Specialist Medical Reviewer	William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine
Last Revised	July 2, 2009

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: July 02, 2009

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.