Cervical Polyps Or Cancer
Cervical polyps are growth that hangs into your cervix. This can cause bleeding in women during intercourse and may be confused with period. Also, women with cancer of the cervix can have vaginal bleeding.
If you are more than 40 years and notice irregular bleeding, then it may not be period. Inform your doctor ASAP as it may be due to endometrial cancer.
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.
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.
Recommended Reading: Usaa Grace Period Auto Insurance
Track Your Menstrual Cycle In A Journal Or App
If you suspect youre bleeding at irregular intervals, its a really good idea to start tracking your cycle in a journal or app. This can help you understand the rhythms of your own body and communicate any concerns to your doctor.
But even if your periods are regular, it’s still good practice to track them so you know when your next one is likely to start and when you’re ovulating. Remember, everybody has their own cycle and flow, and it may be affected by many factorsboth internal and external.
Whats A Normal Menstrual Cycle
Your menstrual cycle lasts from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period. The average menstrual cycle is about 25-30 days, but it can be as short as 21 days or longer than 35 its different from person to person. The number of days in your cycle may also vary from month to month. When you get your period, its normal to bleed anywhere from 2 to 7 days.
The average person loses anywhere between 1-6 tablespoons of menstrual fluid during each period. It can be thin or clumpy, and varies in color from dark red to brown or pink. If your period is so heavy that you have to change maxi pads or super tampons every hour, call your doctor or your local Planned Parenthood health center.
Everyones body is different, so their periods are different too whats normal varies from person to person, and can change over your lifetime. Some birth control methods or health conditions may also affect your period.
Read Also: Usaa Grace Period
Your Body’s Gearing Up For Menopause
Oh yes, simply getting older can mess with your period. Menopause, which technically means you’ve gone 12 or more months without a period, hits women around age 50. However, your body starts the natural decline in hormones that leads up to menopause as early as 35, says Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Womens Bodies, Womens Wisdom.
When this happens, you may notice your periods getting longer or shorter, your cycle becoming more random, and other slight changes in your menstruation.
If you’ve ruled out everything else, and you’re in your mid- to late-30s, your prolonged periods might simply be due to the natural process of aging. There is, however, such a thing as early menopause, which can affect women even in their twenties. So talk to your doctor if this runs in your family or if you’re showing other signs of menopause, like a low sex drive or insomnia.
What Causes Periods Every Two Weeks
Frequent menstruation can have a number of underlying roots, including hormonal and other causes. They include the following:
Hormonal Causes
Getting a period every two weeks is commonly caused by imbalanced levels of estrogen and progesterone. This frequently occurs during menopause as the ovaries transition into their non-fertile stage, causing drastic fluctuations of key reproductive hormones.
Other Causes
Polymenorrhea can also be caused by various medical conditions as well as certain lifestyle habits, such as the following:
-
Drastic weight loss
-
Going off or starting a new type of hormonal contraception
-
Obesity, especially if related to polycystic ovary syndrome
-
Benign uterine abnormalities, such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids
-
Certain types of cancer
You May Like: Usaa Insurance Payment Grace Period
Treatments For Periods Every Two Weeks
A woman can approach her periods occurring every two weeks with a variety of treatments, ranging from natural to more conventional ones.
Naturally and effectively treating irregular periods revolves around fixing the hormonal imbalance largely at fault for their occurrences, starting with an optimized diet rich in the plant-based estrogens as well as iron to replenish what’s been lost from the extra bleeding.
For improved results, pair lifestyle changes with alternative medicine proven to work with the body to equilibrate reproductive hormones.
Conventional methods, on the other hand, often involve birth control prescriptions to solve getting a period every other week quickly. However, their usage should first be discussed with a doctor as they are considered more risky than natural measures, and symptoms may prove more hindersome.
Click on the following link to find out how to effectively treat irregular periods every two weeks to be able to finally enjoy a hormonally balanced life.
- ACOG. . Abnormal uterine bleeding. Retrieved January 14, 2020 from
- https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Abnormal-Uterine-Bleeding?IsMobileSet=false
Reaction To Birth Control
Hormonal birth control introduces hormones into your body. This can affect your menstrual cycle. You may need to try a few different types of birth control to find one that works for you. It also takes a few months for your body to adjust to a new method of birth control.
Talk to your doctor about what you should expect when starting a new birth control method.
Don’t Miss: Nationwide New Car Grace Period
You’re Super Stressed Out
Stress can affect your menstrual cycle in pretty much every way possible. It can sometimes lead your period to stop altogether. But other times, it can make your period longer or heavier or lead to mid-cycle bleeding. If you’ve noticed any changes in your period during a breakup, the death of a loved one, or another stressful event, talking to a mental health professional may be helpful.
You Have An Underlying Blood Disorder
It’s rare, but it’s possible that extra-long periods are a sign of an underlying illness, like a hematologic disease, says Dr. Toth. Some of the underlying diseases associated with bleeding, like hemophilia or Von Willebrand disease, are genetic, so if you have this you likely already know about it.
Still, if your periods are lasting a super-long time, and you’ve already been cleared for other conditions, it’s worth checking in with your doctor about tests to rule out a blood disorder that you might not be aware of.
Don’t Miss: 90 Day Probationary Period Policy Examples
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.
I Am Still On My Period And It Has Been Two Weeks Is That Normal
Posted
No. Normal menstrual periods last 3 to 7 days. Longer than normal periods can occur because of stress, a hormone imbalance, pregnancy, infection, a thyroid condition, and other causes. You should make an appointment with your health care provider. Be prepared to tell him/her the date of when your period started, how many pads or tampons you use in 24 hours, and if you have had sex, and if you have other medical problems or are taking medications.
Also Check: New Hire 90 Day-probationary Period Template
Is It Normal To Bleed A Week After Your Period
It is also known as spotting, metrorrhagia or inter-menstrual bleeding. experience an irregular menstrual cycle. Keep in mind that, any menstrual bleeding between the menstrual cycles, regardless if it is just a light spotting is not normal. There are many different causes that can lead to inter-menstrual bleeding.
Long Periods And The Menstrual Cycle
How does the menstrual cycle determine how long a period lasts? Definitive answers are best left to doctors. However, before determining what constitutes a “long period,” is important that she develop a baseline understanding of what is normal menstruation for her. That means paying attention to:
Keeping track of these may help someone determine if a period is long and whether they’re experiencing unusual symptoms. If you believe that either is the case, speak with a gynecologist.
Don’t Miss: Can You Donate Blood While Menstruating
What Underlying Conditions May Cause Prolonged Menstrual Bleeding
A visit with your gynecologist or other healthcare professional is the first step in determining the cause of your prolonged menstrual bleeding. Your doctor will make a diagnosis after performing a series of tests.
Depending on your age and other symptoms, your doctor may test your blood for pregnancy, hormone levels, and thyroid function. Other diagnostic tests may include Pap smears, endometrial biopsies, ultrasounds, and other procedures.
Medical conditions that could be the cause of abnormal menstrual bleeding include:
How Long Does A Period Typically Last
There’s a pretty big range of normal when it comes to period length. “Usually, it can last anywhere between five to seven days,” says Jessica Shepherd, MD, a minimally invasive gynecologist in Dallas. “But there are times at which it can be a few days longer or shorter.”
Here’s a little Menstrual Cycle 101: During each cycle, your body’s sending hormones to thicken the lining of the uterus to make it a nice little home for a potentially fertilized egg. About midway through your cycle, one of your ovaries releases an egg, which then travels down the fallopian tubes to this newly plush uterus where, if it’s not fertilized by a sperm, it flows out of the body, along with the uterine lining that built up.
While this process is the same for nearly every woman, the length of their periods might differ depending on their specific hormonal shifts over the course of their cycle, which affects the endometrium development, and in turn, the number of days it takes for it to shed, Dr. Shepherd explains.
So, if your period is a day or two longer or shorter than your usual period length and you don’t notice any other symptoms or issues that seem unusual for you , it’s probably not a reason to be concerned.
You May Like: Usaa Car Insurance Grace Period
When Should You See A Healthcare Professional For A Long Menstrual Period
If you have a long period for only one month, theres probably no need to worry. But if you notice a change for two or three cycles, thats the time to seek out your doctor, Thielen says.
Any significant bleeding between periods without an explanation such as a recently placed IUD should be evaluated. And a woman past menopause should have no bleeding at all and so should see her doctor immediately if she does.
When To See Your Doctor
As discussed earlier, it is not abnormal to get periods every two weeks, but sometimes you may need to consult your health care provider:
- Sharp stabbing pelvic pain which causes discomfort in walking, wait for a couple of days, if it persists, you need to seek medical attention.
- Heavy discharge during menstrual periods which may lead to enormous loss of blood and can make you anemic.
- More and frequent urination which can be a sign of urinary tract infection and is likely to cause bleeding.
- Having painful or uncomfortable sexual intercourse.
- Experiencing cramps during menstruation,
- Keep an eye on menstrual flow, sometimes, dark clots which appear can be a sign of infection or something serious in the uterus.
Read Also: Employee Probationary Period Template
How Do You Know If You Have Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding interferes with your quality of life. Many people with heavy periods assume that periods are supposed to be inconvenient and uncomfortable. They may have watched people in their families live with heavy periods without seeking care and followed their example. But periods should never cause you to restrict activities or accept inconvenience.
During your period, you should be able to:
- Wear a standard pad or tampon every three to four hours without changing it.
- Wear a single menstrual product without having to double-up at any point.
- Leave your home without having to pack extra bags of pads or clothing changes.
- Live your life as usual, without missing work, avoiding going out in public, or skipping activities you enjoy.
If your periods are disrupting your life, it’s time to see your provider.
You’re Being Exposed To Environmental Estrogens
Long periods typically occur due to a dominance of estrogen over progesterone in the body, explains physician Lorraine Maita, M.D. But estrogens outside your body, like those found in plastics, pesticides, and meat with added hormones, can have the same effect. To curb the effects of environmental estrogens, eat a diet high in fiber, which prevents excess estrogen from being absorbed, and go for produce without pesticides and hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat and dairy when possible.
If you’re still wondering, Why is my period so damn long? Dr. Maita recommends downloading a period-tracking app so you’re aware of what’s normal for you. If you spot anything off, it’s most likely not a serious problem, but it still can’t hurt to get it checked out. Even if there’s no underlying issue, the blood loss can leads to anemia or exhaustion, says Dr. Ross, so it’s important to make whatever adjustments are necessary.
You May Like: How To Clean Period Blood Out Of Sheets