What is characterized by heavy menstrual flow that lasts longer than the typical duration?

Menorrhagia is characterized by heavy menstrual flow that lasts longer than the typical duration. This condition involves excessive bleeding during menstruation, both in volume and duration, which may significantly disrupt a woman's daily life and well-being. It is defined by menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than seven days or involves soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours.

In contrast, oligomenorrhea refers to infrequent menstrual periods, metrorrhagia describes bleeding that occurs between menstrual periods (irregular bleeding), and hypomenorrhea denotes unusually light menstrual flow. These conditions do not meet the criteria of excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding associated with menorrhagia. Understanding these terms allows for more accurate diagnosis and management of menstrual disorders.