For someone else, and special topics

Periods, perimenopause, iron

Hea asks about heavy or irregular periods the way NICE asks a GP to, including hot flushes and night sweats, and writes a note so you're heard.

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Free in the beta · Works inside the AI you already use · Last reviewed 5 November 2026

Heavy periods, irregular cycles, hot flushes, exhaustion — too often put down to "just hormones". You've learned to plan your life around it. Getting it across in a ten-minute appointment is another matter.

How Hea helps

Periods and perimenopause symptoms Today

Hea asks about heavy, irregular or unexpected bleeding, including periods that change with hot flushes or night sweats. It follows the history NICE asks a GP to take: the bleeding, related symptoms and how it affects your life.

Urgent signs first, then where to go Today

Hea asks about urgent signs first, then shows where the NHS advises you to go, in its own words, and writes a note for your GP.

Tiredness and iron in your results Today

Tired too? Hea has questions about tiredness as well. Save a blood test report and Hea shows ferritin and haemoglobin as the lab printed them, with earlier results beside them and what each test measures.

Home blood tests Soon

Order an iron blood test to do at home.

What it looks like

Example · fictional data

Hea, help me with heavy periods and perimenopause symptoms

A note for your GP: heavy periods

What's happening (your words)Changing pads every 2 hours on heavy daysHow longAbout 8 monthsAlsoPeriods changing, with hot flushes and night sweatsEffect on daily life (your words)Missing work on the first 2 daysUrgent signs askedYou ticked noneWhere to go (NHS words)Book a GP appointment in the next few days

Fictional example. The note uses only your answers and names no condition.

What you’ll get

A note for your GP covering the bleeding, related symptoms and how it affects your life
Hot flushes, night sweats and changes in your periods, in one place
Ferritin and haemoglobin results side by side over time, as the lab printed them
Where the NHS says to go, in its own words

Safety first

See a GP if you bleed between periods or after sex.

Contact your GP if you have not had a period for 12 months or more and have any vaginal bleeding.

Questions people ask

What counts as a heavy period?

The NHS says you may have heavy periods if you need to change your pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, your periods last more than 7 days, or you pass clots larger than about 2.5cm (the size of a 10p coin).

When should I see a GP about heavy periods?

See a GP if heavy periods are affecting your life, or if you bleed between periods or after sex. NICE asks GPs to focus on how the bleeding affects your quality of life, not just the amount, and to do a full blood count for everyone with heavy periods.

Is there a test for perimenopause?

Usually not if you're 45 or over. NICE says perimenopause is identified without lab tests at 45 or over when hot flushes or sweats have recently started along with any change in your periods. A blood test (FSH) may be considered from 40 to 45 with symptoms, or under 40 if the menopause is suspected. Hea doesn't offer a perimenopause test.

What are the symptoms of perimenopause?

The NHS lists changes to your periods, hot flushes and night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, poor memory and brain fog, weight gain, vaginal problems and urine infections. NICE also notes that symptoms of a thyroid problem may be mistaken for the menopause.

Can heavy periods make you tired?

They can. The NHS says heavy periods are a very common cause of iron deficiency anaemia, and tiredness and lack of energy are among its symptoms. A GP usually checks with a blood test.