Periods And Pregnancy: An Odd Couple
You might be pregnant if you experience these symptoms:
- extreme tiredness
- heartburn
- weight gain or loss
It can be pretty confusing if you have those pregnancy signs and a little bit of bleeding.
If youre pregnant, the bleeding isnt actually a period. It may be implantation bleeding. When a fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall, slight bleeding and cramping can occur.
If you suspect pregnancy and your regular period is a no-show, take a home pregnancy test. If its negative but you still have weird symptoms and no flow, test again or follow up with your doctor.
You Have Thyroid Issues
One in eight women will suffer from low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, at some point in their lives, according to the OWH.
Your thyroid is a little butterfly-shaped gland that controls the hormones that regulate many systems in your body, including how fast you burn calories, how fast your heart beats, and yes, menstruation. Having too little thyroid hormone can cause your period to be super long and heavy, the OWH explains.
Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, and hair loss, so if you’re experiencing any of those, along with longer-than-normal periods, bring it up to your doctor, says Dr. Ross.
Exercise But Not Too Much
When women spend more energy exercising than they take in through diet, reproductive, bone, and cardiovascular health can suffer.
This phenomenon has been recognized in participants of sports that emphasize smaller body size, lean body composition, and endurance .
Not just elite athletes are at risk, though. Any woman who significantly increases her energy expenditure can notice menstrual changes such as lighter periods.
Here are other signs you might be overexercising:
- feeling more tired than usual
- depression, anxiety, or irritability
If symptoms dont improve after a few weeks of rest, see a doctor.
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Uterine Polyps Or Fibroids
Uterine polyps happen when endometrial tissue grows on the lining of the uterus. Fibroids, similarly, are growths of fibrous tissue and muscle in the wall of the uterus.
Both fibroids and polyps can cause periods to be heavy, full of clots, and last longer than a week.
These tend to occur in people around 35 to 50 years old, or who are in perimenopause.
Other symptoms of fibroids include:
- pelvic pressure
- infertility
- fatigue
Most cases of endometriosis can be diagnosed with an ultrasound. If you think you might have endometriosis, set up an appointment with your doctor for further evaluation.
Is It Normal To Have Longer And Heavier Periods During Perimenopause
Excessive bleeding and long periods are fairly common during perimenopause. Many women experience an increased flow and extended perimenopause periods before entering menopause.
In fact, one in four women say that their periods are heavy enough to interfere with day-to-day activities, such as going to work or attending social events. According to University of Michigan researchers, 91 percent of women aged 4252 surveyed reported heavy menstruation for 10 or more days during their transition to menopause. This phenomenon occurred one to three times within a three-year period.
There are various other health factors which come into play, including body mass index , use of hormones, and the presence of uterine fibroids.
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Estimating The Volume Of Your Period
It is difficult to figure out how much menstrual fluid leaves your body every cycle. If you use a menstrual cup, these often have volume measurements indicated on the side of the menstrual cup to help you estimate how much fluid you have lost.
In general, the amount of fluid lost can be estimated when using pads or tampons, depending on the size and soaking amount of the menstrual product. A fully saturated light tampon can hold up to 3 mL of fluid, while a fully saturated super tampon may hold up to 12 mL . A regular daytime fully soaked pad may hold around 5 ml of fluid, and fully soaked overnight pad may hold 10-15 mL .
If you are repeatedly soaking through a tampon or pad every two hours, this is considered heavy menstrual bleeding and should be brought to your healthcare providerâs attention.
When To See A Doctor
If your period lasts longer than a week, consider calling a doctor for advice. Depending on your symptoms, they may suggest setting up an in-person appointment for a physical exam.
On the other hand, if you think youre showing symptoms of a rare cause or if youre pregnant, see a doctor immediately.
If you experience severe heavy bleeding and youre soaking through four or more pads and tampons in a 2-hour period, go to an emergency room right away.
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Risk Factors And Causes
When injury occurs in a blood vessel, small fragments inside a type of blood cell called platelets normally clump together to plug the wound and stem the bleeding.
vWF, which carries clotting factor VIII, helps platelets stick together to form a clot. Clotting factor VIII is either missing or faulty in people with the most common form of hemophilia.
Family history is the most common risk factor for von Willebrands disease. That said, the genetic content needed for each type to develop will differ.
For example, in types 1 and 2, only one gene is necessary to cause the condition. Also, the biological parents will likely have von Willebrands disease themselves.
In type 3, both parents need to pass on genes, and they will most likely be carrying the disease without actually having it.
Acquired von Willebrands disease can happen later in life, so advanced age is a factor.
Early diagnosis and treatment significantly increase the chances of living a normal and active life with von Willebrands disease.
Some people with type 1 or type 2 may not experience major bleeding problems. Therefore, they may not receive a diagnosis until they have surgery or a serious injury.
The diagnosis of type 3 usually occurs at an early age, because major bleeding will probably occur at some time during infancy or childhood.
A doctor will look at the persons medical history, carry out a physical exam, and run some diagnostic tests.
Blood tests can assess:
Other Medical Culprits For Light Periods
These other conditions can also cause period irregularities:
- Primary ovarian insufficiency. When a womans ovaries stop functioning before the age of 40.
- Thyroid dysfunction. Producing too much or too little of the hormones that regulates metabolism.
- Uncontrolled diabetes. Dysfunction of the bodys ability to use glucose in the blood.
- Cushings syndrome. An illness caused by overproduction of cortisol.
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. A rare genetic condition affecting the adrenal glands.
- Uterine scarring. Caused by intrauterine procedures, surgery, or inflammation.
Anyone can experience menstrual changes due to these and other causes. These factors make it more likely to happen:
- pregnancy and breastfeeding
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When Should You Seek Help From Your Healthcare Provider About Your Period Heaviness
If your period amount is regularly over 80 mL, your period is longer than 8 days in length, or if your menstrual flow is so heavy that you are repeatedly soaking through a pad or tampon every two hours, this is considered heavy menstrual bleeding, and should be discussed with your healthcare provider . This type of excessive menstrual bleeding can impact a personâs quality of life and can cause anemia . Heavy menstrual bleeding can have many potential causes including: fibroids , adenomyosis , problems with blood clotting , uterine polyps , and tumors .
If your period has stopped and you are not taking any form of hormonal contraceptive, you should also discuss this with your healthcare provider, as you could be pregnant.
Even if your period falls out of the âofficialâ typical range, itâs important to know what is ânormalâ for you. The majority of health research is conducted on populations from western industrialized countries, which may not reflect your own personal genetic background or environment. Everybody is different, just as everyone’s period is different. Speak to your healthcare provider if you are concerned about your period volume.
Let’s support one another.
Eating Disorders Affect Period Flow And Consistency
Various eating disorders can affect your menstrual cycle and interfere with menstrual flow and consistency resulting in thin light periods.
Various scientific studies have pointed to the relationship between eating disorders and menstrual abnormalities. For example, the journal Psychosomatic Medicine reported that eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia can result in menstrual dysfunction.15
Also, a report in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that binge eating can also cause issues with menstrual periods. It was found that around 50% of women with bulimia nervosa suffer from oligomenorrhea .16
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Birth Control Side Effects
If youre taking hormonal birth control and miss a dose, that can also affect your bleeding pattern, Dr. Conti says. For example, the pill might have you only bleeding one day each cycle, but if you miss doses, you might see that amount of bleeding increase.
You might also experience longer or irregular periods just after an IUD insertion or sometimes just in general with IUD use depending on the type youre using. A copper IUD is known to increase the length of bleeding and also can increase menstrual cramps in some women. Those are things that are very well associated with it, Dr. Gersh says. And the other thing is the IUD could be migrating. It could be moving around in the uterus. It could be coming out. So you really want to check that.
No Matter Which Period Problems Are Affecting You You Dont Have To Suffer In Silence
You have no reason to feel embarrassed about your periodor the many period problems that can come with it. Talk of menstrual cycle problems is becoming so much more common because, hey, sometimes theyre just the lot were dealt as people with vaginas. Celebrities are out here talking about menstruation) problems, too! Some pad commercials evengaspuse red blood, these days! What a time to be alive.
If youre having period problems, see your doctor for help. If they arent committed to relieving your symptoms, thats a sign you should try to find a more sympathetic medical professional who can help you find the best treatment.
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Youre Taking Blood Thinners
Have you ever gone to get your ear pierced and forgotten to mention to the piercer that you took some Advil for pain? You probably encountered a LOT more blood than they were banking on.
It doesnt always clickand we arent always warnedof all the ways that new medication will impact our bodies, so you may have not realized that anticoagulants such as coumadin will indeed cause a heavier period than normal.
Anticoagulants and other anti-inflammatories prevent clots so that blood can flow more easily through your body which includes, you guessed ityour period.
Watery Period: What Does Thin Or Light Period Mean
Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer Health
Many women become worried and concerned if they start having a watery period. Watery period blood has a lighter consistency and color than what some women experience during their normal period. Although for many women a lighter blood flow sounds like a good thing, a light watery period could indicate that there are some health issues affecting the menstrual blood.
If you have a watery light period, it could be caused by hormonal fluctuations, stress, or using birth control. In some cases, a light irregular period could be the result of polycystic ovary syndrome or an eating disorder. Of course, each womans menstrual cycle is different, and for some women a light watery period is normal.
In this article, you will find out what it can mean if your menstrual period blood appears to be light and watery. You will also find out, in some cases, what you can do to if you have started having watery periods and when you should speak to a doctor about it.
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You Have Uterine Polyps Or Fibroids
“Uterine abnormalities, such as polyps or fibroids, can cause prolonged periods because they distort the endometrial cavity which can lead to increased blood flow,” Dr. Toth explains. Basically, your body senses something in your uterus that isn’t supposed to be there, and tries extra hard to get rid of it.
Polyps and fibroids sound scary, but they’re pretty commonup to 80 percent of women will have at least one before they’re 50, per the OWH. On their own, they don’t indicate a serious disease, like cancer. Important to note: Black women are two to three times more likely to have fibroids than white women, and the reasons for their increased risk are not well understood or well studied due to lack of representation of Black women in research, notes Dr. Horton. Black women are also more likely to be hospitalized due to fibroids due to heavy, prolonged vaginal bleeding, pain, and symptoms from anemia.
But for many people, these benign growths don’t have any symptoms, and if they do, it’s usually prolonged periods, says Dr. Toth. Most likely your doc will just recommend keeping an eye on them, but if they cause pain or grow very large they can be surgically removed.
Period Lasting Longer Than Usual
Not just annoying, theres something quite worrying with a period lasting longer than usual. A woman will become familiar with her menstrual cycles when its going to come, how long its going to last, what absorbency of towels or tampons to buy.
When something changes, its normal to be worried. Sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious but for the most part, a period lasting longer than usual is not something to be overly concerned about.
Every now and again your body will react in slightly different ways than what youre used to. If it has been put under any undue stress, it can have an effect on your period. When you dont eat enough or eat the wrong foods, it can have an effect on your period. There are a lot of things that can have an effect and it is probably one of these causing yours to hang around longer than it usually does.
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Somethings Growing In Or Around Your Uterus
Now were getting into the tougher stuff. Dr. Ghodsi recommends contacting a doctor right away if your period is sticking around longer than it usually does because it might be a symptom of structural problems with your uterus. These include uterine polyps , uterine fibroids , adenomyosis , and more.
Polyps, fibroids, and other types of abnormal growth around or within the uterus can trigger a longer periodthink of it like the body trying extra hard to expunge what it thinks are foreign objects or extra baggage in the uterus. It might also be that a uterine fibroid is growing in a particular position thats impacting on the uterine cavity, Dr. Gersh explains, which might change the type of bleeding, the quantity of bleeding, the length of bleeding, or otherwise mess with your period.
Many structural issues with the uterus will necessitate treatment: They can not only cause heavy, prolonged menses , but they can additionally impair fertility, pending their location, Dr. Gaither says.