Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a clinical description, not a diagnosis. It means that menstrual frequency, regularity, duration, or volume has changed beyond the person’s normal physiological pattern. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common AUB presentation. A clinical definition is menstrual loss greater than 80 mL per cycle or the need for at least five tampons or pads per day for consecutive days. In practice, patients rarely measure millilitres, so the nurse asks about saturation, flooding, clots, overnight changes, double protection, and how the bleeding affects daily activity. A patient who is changing products frequently and feeling exhausted may have clinically significant blood loss even when the exact volume is unknown. Repeated blood loss can deplete iron stores and eventually reduce oxygen-carrying capacity. Fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, and headache may reflect anemia rather than a local uterine problem alone. The amount of bleeding matters, but the patient’s circulation and symptoms determine immediate priority. Bleeding with a current or possible pregnancy should not be labelled idiopathic AUB until pregnancy-related causes have been assessed. Pregnancy testing changes...