several blank pages added when opening MSWord .doc file

Whenever I open a MSWord .doc file, extra blank pages are added at the end of the document. I am able to temporarily remove the blank pages via utilizing SHOW NON PRINTING CHARACTERS (Ctrl + F10). However when I save the ‘fixed’ document and re-open it, all the blank pages return. Is there any way to permanently remove the blank pages? This only happens with the .doc extension. Also why is the ‘fix’ not saving when I re-save the document?

Thank you for your assistance!