In Traditional Chinese Medicine, prolonged menstrual periods with excessive flow are referred to as "metrorrhagia and metrostaxis." This condition is often associated with spleen deficiency - when the spleen fails to govern blood, menstrual irregularities occur.

How should prolonged menstruation be addressed?

If the problem of prolonged menstrual bleeding occurs, it indicates an underlying constitutional imbalance, with the primary cause lying in spleen deficiency. Spleen deficiency can lead to kidney deficiency, as the body functions as an interconnected whole—health in one part supports the others, while weakness in one affects all. This situation is equivalent to having blockages in the menstrual pathway, where stagnant blood in the uterus cannot be completely expelled, resulting in persistent dripping or flooding.

Only by regulating the spleen can the qi and blood achieve harmony, and the meridians become unobstructed. Only then can menstruation return to normal. Based on successful experience, I generally adopt a three-step approach to address prolonged menstrual bleeding:

Step 1: Stop the bleeding

Prolonged menstrual bleeding primarily involves blood loss, especially when bright red menstrual blood is continuously discharged. If this persists for too long, it can lead to anemia, making stopping the bleeding the most urgent priority.

Step 2: Treat the Root Cause

This symptom arises from multiple causes. By targeting the specific reasons for metrorrhagia through kidney-tonifying, spleen-strengthening, heat-clearing, and qi-regulating methods, the chronic bleeding can be fundamentally treated.

Step 3: Regulation

Excessive blood loss inevitably damages liver yin and causes spleen deficiency. After achieving basic hemostasis and normal blood circulation, the focus shifts to nourishing the liver and spleen while replenishing blood qi, aiming to restore the patient's normal menstrual cycle.

Here are two hemostatic herbal teas for reference - simple and easy to prepare!

Recipe 1: Mugwort Boiled Eggs

Take two eggs and 30g of mugwort leaves. Wash them thoroughly and boil together. Eat one egg before bedtime with a bowl of mugwort water. Soak the second egg in the remaining mugwort water and consume it warm on an empty stomach the next morning. Typically effective after 2 servings, with more doses recommended for severe cases.

2. Hemostatic Tea

Wash and shell 10 longan fruits (keep the shells), wash and tear 6 jujubes, and prepare 3 lotus root joints. Add one beer bottle cap of sophora japonica buds. Combine all four ingredients with 2500ml of water, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium or low heat for 25 minutes.

But I must remind all ladies out there that this is only an emergency measure to help stop the bleeding temporarily and cannot replace proper treatment. When you notice heavy or prolonged menstrual flow, you must take it seriously and intervene promptly. Don’t wait until the bleeding becomes uncontrollable to regret it—make sure to seize the golden recovery period.