Should You Be Concerned If Your Period Is Irregular
A couple of irregular periods per year are usually nothing to worry about. Any more than that, and you should see a doctor to be sure an ovulation problem or health condition isnt the cause. If you are someone who’s not on contraceptives and not of age for perimenopause or menopause and your periods are irregular, you should alert your physician. For example, if you do have PCOS, an irregular cycle can increase your risk of uterine cancer, says Lynn.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Changes in your weight can affect your period. If youre in a larger body, losing weight could help regulate your periods .
Alternatively, extreme weight loss or being underweight can cause irregular menstruation. Thats why its important to maintain a moderate weight.
People who menstruate and have obesity are also more likely to have irregular periods and experience heavier bleeding and pain. This is due to the impact that fat cells have on hormones and insulin.
If you want to lose weight, talk with your doctor. They can help you identify a target weight and come up with a strategy of how to get there.
What Are Regular Periods
Most girls get their first period between the ages of 10 and 15, but some get it earlier and some later. The first period is known as menarche .
A girl’s monthly cycle is the number of days from the start of her period to the start of the next time she gets her period. You often hear this is a 28-day cycle. But 28 is just an average figure that doctors use. Cycle lengths vary some are 24 days, some are 34 days. And a girl may notice that her cycles are different lengths each month especially for the few years after she first starts getting her period.
Early in a girl’s cycle, her ovaries start preparing one egg. At the same time, the lining of the uterus becomes thick to prepare a nesting place for a fertilized egg in the event that the girl becomes pregnant.
About 2 weeks before a girl gets her period, the egg is released from the ovary . The egg travels through the fallopian tube into the uterus. If the egg isn’t fertilized by sperm, it starts to fall apart. Then the lining and egg leave a girl’s body as her period and the whole thing starts all over again that’s why we use the word “cycle.” The first day a girl’s period comes is Day 1 of her cycle.
It’s also normal for the number of days a girl has her period to vary. Sometimes a girl may bleed for 2 days, sometimes it may last a week. That’s because the level of hormones the body makes can be different from one cycle to the next, and this affects the amount and length of bleeding.
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How Is Abnormal Menstruation Treated
The treatment of abnormal menstruation depends on the underlying cause:
There are other procedural options which can help heavy menstrual bleeding. A five-year contraceptive intrauterine device , called Mirena®, has been approved to help lessen bleeding, and can be as effective as surgical procedures such as endometrial ablation. This is inserted in the doctors office with minimal discomfort, and also offers contraception. Endometrial ablation is another option. It uses heat or electrocautery to destroy the lining of the uterus. It is usually only used when other therapies have been tried and failed. This is because scars from the procedure can make monitoring the uterus more difficult if bleeding persists in the future.
How To Use A Home Pregnancy Test
Buy your pregnancy test from a trusted seller and check that the expiry date has not passed.
Carefully follow the instructionsâââthese can vary depending on the brand. A 1993 study of pregnant women found that only a third of users complied with all test kit instructions. The incidence of false-negative results in this study was 1 in 4 .
You can do a urine test at any time of the day, because hCG production does not change throughout the day .
If you drink large quantities of water or other fluids during the day, you might want to do the test first thing in the morning, as the accuracy of the test can be affected if the urine sample is extremely diluted .
Whether your home test is positive or negative, itâs wise to confirm the results with a healthcare provider, if you can. Home tests are not as sensitive as those done in a healthcare providerâs office, and thereâs also more chance for human error.
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How Are Irregular Periods Treated
If irregular periods are bothering you or making it difficult for you to conceive, speak to your doctor to find out if theres a way to get them back on track. It could be as easy as lowering your stress levels or cutting back on intense exercising .
If your irregular periods are hormone-related, your doctor may suggest treating an underlying thyroid condition or using hormone therapies like birth control pills or certain types of IUDs that regulate your menstrual cycle. If youre trying to get pregnant, sometimes getting on the right birth control for a little while can get your cycle back on track so that its easier to tell when youre ovulating, which is a big step in helping you conceive, although this may not be successful.
If none of those work and youre trying to get pregnant, your doctor may prescribe a fertility drug like letrozole , clomiphene or injectable fertility meds to induce ovulation, but you should have a complete fertility evaluation before starting any of these drugs.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When Youre Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
How Long Does It Take For A Period To Regulate
Young women just starting their period and those stopping hormonal birth control often find irregular periods can take up to six months or even longer to regulate. Its common to experience a little uncertainty during this time.
If you feel you need extra support, contact a qualified integrative womens health doctor to evaluate your individual cycle.
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Common Factors That May Lead To Irregular Periods
This most common female health issue as per scientific research has various factors behind it, most of which I will talk about here. However, you must consult your family doctor or a Gynecologist to know the factor that is affecting your monthly periods. Here are some of the known factors that may lead to irregular periods.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding
- Light menstrual bleeding
Now that you know about the various types and possible causes behind irregular periods, lets begin with the list of best foods that may help you get rid of irregular periods.
How To Spot An Irregular Periodtiming
- Cycle length – A cycle that takes place every 21 to 35 days with a period that lasts between 2 to 8 days is within the normal range. A cycle is the number of days between the first day of your period each month. So if your period started on January 1st and the next period started on January 27th your cycle would be 26 days .
- Cycle regularity – While some variation in the length of your cycle is normal if your period is 21 days one month and 35 days the next, that would be a cause for concern even though it’s within a “normal” range .
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Irregular Periods In Your 40s Is It Perimenopause Or Something Else
If youre in your mid- to late 40s and your periods are becoming irregular, you may be in the menopausal transition, or perimenopause. This is the natural stage your body goes through as you approach menopause.
This stage lasts about four years on average, although some women may experience only a few months or many more years of symptoms. It is characterized by fluctuations in hormones as your ovaries are nearly out of eggs. Your estrogen levels drop and you may have markedly irregular menstrual cycles. On top of irregular periods, hormonal changes can lead to weight gain, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and depression.
Perimenopause ends with menopause, at which point you have not had a period for 12 months.
Knowing When Ovulation Occurs Is Essential For Those Trying To Get Pregnant
Charting Your Cycle Even though your cycle is irregular, it is good to track it on a calendar for a few reasons. First, you may notice some clues that give you a pattern. Second, if you experience fertility problems, the data from your tracking efforts is valuable information to share with your gynecologist or fertility specialist.
Cervical Mucus Your cervical mucus changes when you ovulate. Cervical mucus during the first few days after your menstrual cycle will be dry. Your cervical mucus will begin to increase. As you approach ovulation, the cervical mucus will be plentiful, slippery, clear, and stretchy. Many women compare the consistency to that of egg whites.
Basal Body Temperatures Your body temperature fluctuates with the onset of ovulation. If you are tracking your basal body temperature, you will find a spike in temperature as ovulation occurs. This lets you know that ovulation is occurring.
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Youre Dealing With A Medical Condition
Several medical issues could be affecting your cycle:
- Thyroid disorder. This is a pretty common culprit. A 2016 study in 100 women found that 44 percent of those who had period irregularities also had thyroid disorders. Hypothyroidism may cause longer, heavier periods, while hyperthyroidism may cause shorter, lighter ones.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome . In the United States, 6 to 12 percent of people who menstruate have PCOS. It affects your ovaries and your hormones, so it can cause irregular periods and other symptoms. You may notice elevated testosterone levels, ovarian cysts, weight gain, acne, or hair loss.
- Uterine fibroids. These are noncancerous muscular tumors inside your uterus. These growths can affect your period, but they can also cause fertility issues, lower back pain, bloating, pain during sex, and a swollen abdomen.
- Endometriosis. This painful condition causes tissue similar to your uterine lining to grow outside your uterus. It affects about 10 percent of people who menstruate. It can cause long, heavy periods with spotting in between.
- Some cancers. Cervical, uterine, and endometrial cancers can all cause super long and heavy periods, bleeding between periods, and other symptoms.
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Causes Of Irregular Periods
There are many possible causes of irregular periods. Sometimes they may just be normal for you.
Common causes include:
- puberty your periods might be irregular for the first year or two
- the start of the menopause
- early pregnancy take a pregnancy test to rule this out
- some types of hormonal contraception such as the contraceptive pill or intrauterine system
- extreme weight loss or weight gain, excessive exercise or stress
- medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome or a problem with your thyroid
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Can I Have A Regular Period If I Have Pcos
If you have PCOS, you may experience missing or irregular periods. Its also not uncommon to have long cycles , or very light bleeding when you do have a period.
Despite this, it IS possible to address the underlying causes of PCOS to help regulate your cycle.
Learn more: What is PCOS? Integrative Therapies and Fertility
How Is Abnormal Menstruation Diagnosed
If any aspect of your menstrual cycle has changed, you should keep an accurate record of when your period begins and ends, including the amount of flow and whether you pass large blood clots. Keep track of any other symptoms, such as bleeding between periods and menstrual cramps or pain.
Your doctor will ask you about your menstrual cycle and medical history. He or she will perform a physical examination, including a pelvic exam and sometimes a Pap test. The doctor might also order certain tests, including the following:
- Blood tests to rule out anemia or other medical disorders.
- Vaginal cultures, to look for infections.
- A pelvic ultrasound exam to check for uterine fibroids, polyps or an ovarian cyst.
- An endometrial biopsy, in which a sample of tissue is removed from the lining of the uterus, to diagnose endometriosis, hormonal imbalance, or cancerous cells. Endometriosis or other conditions may also be diagnosed using a procedure called a laparoscopy, in which the doctor makes a tiny incision in the abdomen and then inserts a thin tube with a light attached to view the uterus and ovaries.
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Can You Get Pregnant If Your Period Is Irregular
Yes, you can still get pregnant even if your period is irregular. But having unpredictable periods or skipping periods makes it harder to track when you will be ovulating, which is when youre most fertile. Irregular periods also make it difficult to know if you are pregnant because you wont know when you should be getting your period.
What Are Considered Irregular Periods
Well, the average menstrual cycle occurs every 28 days. Cycles that are shorter or longer by more than 7 days are considered abnormal. In other words, cycles that are shorter or longer than every 21-35 days.
If your cycle length falls outside this range, you may not be ovulating each month, which will decrease your chances of getting pregnant. The medical term used to refer to this set of problems is anovulatory disorders. There are different causes for anovulation, and it is recommended that you talk with your gynecologist if this is a regular problem for you.
Some of the reasons that women can fail to ovulate are:
- an overactive or underactive thyroid
- extreme stress or exercise
- and in rare cases, benign or cancerous growths within the brain.
However, the most common reason for irregular periods and anovulation is a disorder called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome . PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects 5-10% of all females. Women are often unaware that they have this diagnosis until they start trying to conceive, since many of them are placed on birth control as teenagers to help regulate their periods.
The diagnosis of PCOS is made using 3 criteria: the inability of the ovaries to release an egg on a regular basis signs of increased male hormone levels such as acne or hair growth in certain areas and/or polycystic-appearing ovaries on ultrasound. If you have two out of three of these, you fit the diagnosis of PCOS.
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What Health Problems Can Irregular Periods Indicate
Two of the health problems mentioned above, thyroid disease and polycystic ovary syndrome , can cause irregular periods.
Another health problem that can cause irregular periods is uterine fibroids, which are benign lumps that grow on the uterus. Some of the symptoms of this illness are heavy periods, cramping, painful sex, and an urge to urinate.
When Should You See A Gynaecologist For Irregular Period
If you are under the age of 45 and have had regular periods up to this point but they suddenly become irregular, you may want to consult with your gynecologist to determine the cause of the problem. If you have your period less frequently than every 21 days or more frequently than every 35 days. In the event that your periods are unusually long and extend for more than a week.
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How To Manage Irregular Periods
Written by: Dr. Amy Beckley, PhD, Founder and Inventor of the Proov test the first and only FDA-cleared test to confirm successful ovulation at home.
Dr. Amy Beckley, PhD, Founder and Inventor of the Proov test the first and only FDA-cleared test to confirm successful ovulation at home.
Not only can irregular periods be annoying, but they can also be a sign of a greater health issue or hormonal imbalance.
Irregular periods can be annoying. If your periods arent regular, how are you supposed to prepare for Aunt Flos arrival? It can be downright frustrating!
Not only can irregular periods be annoying, but they can also be a sign of a greater health issue or hormonal imbalance. Keep reading to learn more about irregular periods and how to manage them.
Spice Things Up With Ginger
Ginger is used as a home remedy for treating irregular periods, but there isnt any scientific evidence to show that it works. However, ginger does seem to have other benefits related to menstruation, primarily related to relieving pain.
A 2014 clinical study of 92 women with heavy menstrual bleeding showed that daily ginger supplements may help reduce the amount of blood lost during menstruation.
Taking 750 to 2,000 mg of ginger powder during the first 3 or 4 days of your period has also been shown to be an effective treatment for painful periods.
demonstrated that 200 mg of ginger every six hours is effective in relieving pain in those with primary dysmenorrhea.
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