Diseases

Dub (Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding)

Back

Abnormal uterine bleeding (formerly, dysfunctional uterine bleeding [dub] ) is irregular uterine bleeding that occurs in the absence of recognizable pelvic pathology, general medical disease, or pregnancy. It reflects a disruption in the normal cyclic pattern of ovulatory hormonal stimulation to the endometrial lining.

SYMPTOMS

The most common symptom of dub is bleeding outside of your normal periods. It can also occur within your menstrual cycle.

In this case, it might include:

heavy menstrual bleeding
bleeding that contains many clots or large clots
bleeding that lasts more than seven days
bleeding that occurs less than 21 days from the last cycle

Other common dub symptoms are:

spotting
bleeding between periods
breast tenderness
bloating

If you experience any of the following severe dub symptoms, contact your doctor immediately:

dizziness
fainting
weakness
low blood pressure
increased heart rate
pale skin
pain
passing large clots
soaking a pad every hour

CAUSES

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (dub) is a condition that affects nearly every woman at some point in her life. Also called abnormal uterine bleeding (aub), dub is a condition that causes vaginal bleeding to occur outside of the regular menstrual cycle. According to the american society for reproductive medicine, it is most common during puberty and menopause, but can occur any time that hormones are imbalanced. Certain hormonal conditions and medications may also trigger dub.
The main cause of dysfunctional uterine bleeding is an imbalance in the sex hormones. Girls experiencing puberty and women entering menopause can have imbalanced hormone levels for months or even years. This causes sporadic bleeding, heavy bleeding, and/or spotting. Spotting is bleeding that is lighter than a normal menstrual period. It often appears brown, pink, or light red.
The hormonal imbalances that cause dub can also be side effects of medical conditions or of medications themselves.