What Is Period And Why Do They Occur
Periods or menstruation are cyclical vaginal bleeding that may be regular or irregular. It occurs due to hormone changes in women.
Before age 10 16 years, its okay if you dont get periods. However, if you are older than 16 years with no period, then its abnormal.
During puberty, your body hormones, estrogen, and progesterone regulate how your period comes out.
They are both responsible for maturation and thickening of the lining covering your womb .
If fertilization and implantation occurs, then your period stops due to pregnancy. However, if implantation does not take place, your endometrium is washed out as period. You may also have some signs of period coming cramps, low back pain during period, sleepless night or acne before period.
How Long Is A Period And What Is Normal
These are great questions to ask — especially if you’re speaking with your gynecologist. There are a number of reasons for a long period, including an underlying medical condition or a menstruation-related condition. The best way to understand what’s normal and what isn’t is to have a record of past periods: Is this a long period or normal for me? The best course of action is to take that knowledge with you to the doctor’s office.
How Is Bleeding Between Periods Treated
If you have not yet discussed your vaginal bleeding with your doctor, its important you make an appointment to do so, as vaginal bleeding cannot be treated without knowing the cause.
If your doctor has diagnosed the cause of your bleeding, you can treat the bleeding by following their advice, such as by taking a course of antibiotics if you have an infection, or by changing to a different form of contraception if the bleeding is caused by the contraception you have been taking. If the bleeding is light and isnt bothering you, and a serious cause of the bleeding has been ruled out, it may not be necessary to do anything at all.
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How Long Does Period Last In Girls
Normal period last 2 to 7 days. However, most women usually stop menstruating on the 5th day. If your period last for 3 days or 7 days, then you dont have to worry about it.
When should i worry? Your period last more than 7 days or less than 2 days. Period lasting more than 7 days is prolonged and abnormal.
You Have Undiagnosed Cervical Cancer
Abnormal vaginal bleedingsuch as bleeding after vaginal sex or bleeding and spotting between periodscan be a sign of cervical cancer.
Because cervical abnormalities can be detected through Pap and HPV tests, make sure you stay on top of those, and always tell your doctor about your family history of female cancers.
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How Long Is Too Long For A Period During Perimenopause
The road to menopause comes with many changes. Night sweats, hormonal imbalances, and vaginal dryness are a few of the well-known symptoms of perimenopause. Heavy, painful periods are also a symptom thats quite common roughly 25 percent of women report experiencing them. Read on to learn the basics of perimenopause bleeding and how to manage extended perimenopause periods.
How Do I Test My Cervical Mucus
Watching the changes in the amount and consistency of your cervical mucus can help you understand your cycle. Heres how it works: check your secretions before and after urinating by wiping with toilet paper. Alternatively you can insert a clean finger into your vagina to obtain a sample of mucus. Observe the consistency of the mucus, and use this chart to identify where you are in your cycle. Your mucus can be cloudy, white, yellowish, or clear. It can have either a sticky or stretchy consistency. Use your thumb and forefinger to see if the mucus stretches.
| Cycle timing | |
| No noticeable mucus | Not fertile |
You are most fertile on the days when you have abundant, stretchy mucus. This is not a foolproof method to prevent pregnancy.
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Youre Medically Overweight Or Obese
Obesity can affect your menstrual cycle, says Dr. Horton, because larger bodies produce excess estrogen, which can affect how often you have your periods and eventually cause you to stop ovulating regularly. When you stop having periods every month, the lining of the uterus will become thick, and eventually shed, resulting in very heavy and prolonged bleeding.
Losing weight can help you regulate your periods, she says. Your doctor may also prescribe birth control pills or progesterone to help with the prolonged heaving bleeding.
How Long Should Your Period Be
In my experience, a 3-day period is the norm for many women. Ideally, I like to see a period that is about 4-5 days long. This signifies that you had adequate estrogen building up your uterine lining earlier in your cycle.
Some women have 6-7 day periods and that is fine too, but a period that is 8 days or longer is too long and can set you up for anemia. Also, abnormal uterine bleeding can cause anemia too this is bleeding during your cycle when you know youre not having your period.
Note: Every woman is different. I am not saying you are abnormal if you have a 2 day period, I am just saying that you may want to first confirm that you are ovulating, and then further explore whether there is an underlying hormonal imbalance.
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How Heavy Should Your Menstrual Flow Be
Menstrual fluid is more than blood alone it also includes endometrial tissue and vaginal secretions. A woman will lose up to 60 ml of menstrual fluid over the course of one normal period. If you lose between 60 and 100 ml, your menstrual flow is classified as “moderately heavy”, while anything over 100 ml is considered excessive.
It is, however, pretty hard to accurately estimate the volume of your menstrual fluids unless you choose to use a reusable menstrual cup as your sanitary method. These cups contain measurements and those women who are interested in finding out how much fluid they really lose during a period can make a note of the volume present in the cup every time they empty it.
Use Of Hormonal Contraception
Bleeding between periods often happens when you start to take hormonal contraceptives. This is because your hormone levels drop. It is also called breakthrough bleeding, and usually happens about 2 weeks after your last period.
Breakthrough bleeding should stop after 1 or 2 months. Your periods will usually become more regular within 6 months. Bleeding between periods can also happen if you forget to take one of your oral contraceptive pills.
However, if bleeding occurs at other points during your menstrual cycle, you should consult your doctor in order to rule out the possibility of other conditions.
Hormonal contraceptives such as hormone containing intra-uterine devices contraceptive injections or rods can also cause breakthrough bleeding or irregular periods. Sometimes this may be because the device isnt inserted properly, especially if its also painful. Check with your doctor as they may be able to give you medicine to control the bleeding and rule out other causes, like an infection.
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How Often Are Periods Suppose To Come
Normal period last between 2 7 days. Between each period is your menstrual cycle. For example, if the first day of your last period is 22nd of October and your next period started on the 21st of November, then your menstrual cycle is about 30 days
Whats normal?
The normal menstrual cycle should last between 21 and 35 days. If your period comes every 21 days or every 35 days then it okay.
In women who are having their period for the first time, menstrual cycle may be between 21 and 45 days. It may get regular and shorter as you grow older.
About The Menstrual Cycle
Learn all about the menstrual cycle, what happens during a cycle, how long a menstrual cycle usually is and when you should seek help.
Topics on this page
The video below is a fantastic resource for girls and women of all ages and cultures, covering the changes that come with puberty and giving educational insight into why the period occurs and what they can expect when it does.
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Symptoms Of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
Symptoms include:
- bleeding for more than eight days
- heavy blood loss during the menstrual period for example, soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row
- needing to change your pad or tampon during the night
- have to change or restrict your daily activities due to your heavy bleeding
- bleeding or spotting between periods
- cramping and pain in the lower abdomen
- fatigue
- any vaginal bleeding after menopause.
If you think you may be experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding, you may find it useful to keep a pictorial blood loss assessment chart this can help you give your doctor an idea of how heavy your period is.
As You Wait For Your First Period You May Have Lots Of Questions About What Will Happen What Will It Feel Like What Do I Need To Do To Prepare How Do I Use A Tampon
Getting your first period is an important milestone in a young womans life. It signals the beginning of a long phase of life that you may be fertile. This means that if you have sexual contact, you might get pregnant. While you may have learned about menstruation in school, you probably have questions about what to expect. This section is designed to provide you with all the information you need as you approach getting your period for the first time.
Explore Your First Period:
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General Overview Of The Menstrual Cycle:
The menstrual cycle includes several phases. The exact timing of the phases of the cycle is a little bit different for every woman and can change over time.
| Cycle days | |
|
The first day of menstrual bleeding is considered Day 1 of the cycle. Your period can last anywhere from 3 to 8 days, but 5 days is average. Bleeding is usually heaviest on the first 2 days. |
|
| Days 6-14 |
Once the bleeding stops, the uterine lining begins to prepare for the possibility of a pregnancy. The uterine lining becomes thicker and enriched in blood and nutrients. |
| Day 14-25 |
Somewhere around day 14, an egg is released from one of the ovaries and begins its journey down the fallopian tubes to the uterus. If sperm are present in the fallopian tube at this time, fertilization can occur. In this case the fertilized egg will travel to the uterus and attempt to implant in the uterine wall. |
| Days 25-28 |
If the egg was not fertilized or implantation does not occur, hormonal changes signal the uterus to prepare to shed its lining, and the egg breaks down and is shed along with lining. The cycle begins again on Day 1 menstrual bleeding. |
Question: My First Period Only Came A Few Months Ago And Its Really Infrequent Is Has Not Come For 2 Months And I Was Wondering If That’s Normal Or If That Means I Might Have An Infection Thanks For Your Help Emily
Dr. Farah Kroman:The average gap between the start of each period is 28 days but this can vary a lot between girls and between months. Don’t panic, periods are usually irregular for the first year or so. Make sure you note the start dates on your calendar. There are a couple of phone apps to track periods you might like to try.
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How Is The Cause Of Bleeding Between Periods Diagnosed
Your doctor may ask you about your general health and the nature of your normal periods and about the bleeding between your periods. They may also ask whether you could be pregnant.
Your doctor might feel your tummy, do an internal examination to check your vagina and look at your cervix using a medical device called a speculum. They may also swab your vagina to test for infections and take a cervical screening test to see if there are any changes in your cervix. You doctor may also ask you to do a blood test, a pregnancy test or go for an ultrasound.
Your doctor may also refer you to a gynaecologist, who is a medical doctor who specialises in womens health.
My Period Is Less Than 2 Days What Does It Mean
If you have a scanty period or a very light period, then it abnormal if its persistent years after menache. Period lasting less than 2 days is usually because your hormones are not well balanced.
This is common in young women who are just having period for the first time. In older women, it may be a sign of pregnancy or a sign of perimenopause.
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What Is The Typical Period Length For People On Hormonal Birth Control
Hormonal birth control options like the pill, vaginal ring, or patch control the release and regulation of hormones like estrogen and progesterone within your body. When used correctly, the hormones in your HBC prevent your ovaries from preparing and releasing eggs .
Your number of bleeding days and cycle length will depend on the type of HBC you use. Bleeding typically happens during your âno hormoneâ days . The bleeding you experience while using hormonal birth control is called withdrawal bleeding, and is not considered a menstrual period. Withdrawal bleeding is caused by the decline in reproductive hormones in your body during days when you get low or no hormones from your pill, patch, or ring .
Many people experience lighter bleeding and some donât bleed at all while using hormonal birth control . When affected by hormonal birth control, the lining of your uterus doesn’t thicken as much as it does without hormonal birth control. This typically results in lighter, shorter, or occasionally absent âperiods,â especially for people who have been using hormonal birth control for many months or years.
Some people also decide to skip any bleeding while using HBC, by skipping over the âno-hormoneâ days. Some hormonal birth control options have a cycle that mimics a typical cycle length , while other types of hormonal birth control are continuous, which limits bleeding to once every three months, or even once a year .
What Will My First Period Feel Like
You may find your first period comes and goes with very little in the way of symptoms, or you may find you experience quite a bit of discomfort. Common symptoms include:
- Cramping in the lower abdomen
- Breast tenderness
- Diarrhea or nausea
- Dizziness
Most of these symptoms do not last long, and can be treated with ibuprofen or other over-the-counter pain relief medications. A heating pad or hot water bottle on the abdomen or lower back can help ease pain in these areas. More details on menstrual pain and other symptoms can be found here .
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How Does My Menstrual Cycle Change As I Get Older
Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older. Often, periods are heavier when you are younger and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal.
- For a few years after your first period, menstrual cycles longer than 38 days are common. Girls usually get more regular cycles within three years of starting their periods. If longer or irregular cycles last beyond that, see your doctor or nurse to rule out a health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome .5
- In your 20s and 30s, your cycles are usually regular and can last anywhere from 24 to 38 days.
- In your 40s, as your body starts the transition to menopause, your cycles might become irregular. Your menstrual periods might stop for a month or a few months and then start again. They also might be shorter or last longer than usual, or be lighter or heavier than normal.
Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.
When Should You Call Your Doc About Long Periods
If your period lasts longer than seven days, or if it suddenly changes significantly in length for three or more cycles in a row, that warrants a call to your ob-gyn, says Tom Toth, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF. It’s also worth seeing your doc if you’re soaking a pad or tampon every hour for several hours or passing clots.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dealing with something serious, but you want to get to the root of your period problem sooner rather than later. That’s because once you’re north of seven days and still bleeding, you’re at an increased risk for menorrhagia.
Simply put, menorrhagia is when bleeding is too heavy and interferes with your quality of life or requires interventions like blood transfusions, iron transfusions, medications or surgical procedures, Dr. Shepherd explains. Menorrhagia can also lead to other issues, like anemia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Anemia can cause you to experience fatigue, weakness, and, in severe cases, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Taking iron supplements can help improve symptoms, but you need to see your doc to get an the cause of the heavy bleeding.
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