Symptoms:

Symptoms of dysfunctional uterine bleeding may include:

• Bleeding or spotting from the vagina between periods
• Periods that occur less than 28 days apart (more common) or more than 35 days apart
• Time between periods changes each month
• Heavier bleeding (such as passing large clots, needing to change protection during the night, soaking through a sanitary pad or tampon every hour for 2 - 3 hours in a row)
• Bleeding lasts for more days than normal or for more than 7 days

Other symptoms caused by changes in hormone levels may include:

• Excessive growth of body hair in a male pattern (hirsutism)
• Hot flashes
• Mood swings
• Tenderness and dryness of the vagina

A woman may feel tired or have fatigue if she is loses too much blood over time. This is a symptom of anemia.

Signs and tests:

The health care provider will do a pelvic examination and may perform a Pap smear. Tests that may be done include:

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Blood clotting profile
• Hormone tests
  • FSH
  • LH
  • Male hormone (androgen) levels
  • Prolactin
  • Progesterone
• Pregnancy test
• Thyroid function tests
• Pap smear and culture to look for infection

Your health care provider may recommend the following:

• Biopsy to look for infection, precancer, or cancer, or to help decide on hormone treatment
• Hysteroscopy, performed in the doctor's office, to look into the uterus through the vagina.
• Transvaginal ultrasound to look for problems in the uterus or pelvis