Why Do I Have Two Periods In One Month

Age And Frequent Periods

Period frequency, how many days it lasts, and how much you bleed are all influenced by your bodys hormone levels. These levels fluctuate throughout your life.

During your teen years, cycles are often irregular because of all the hormone changes that are taking place.

Your cycles may normalize in your 20s or 30s only to once again become irregular in your 40s and early 50s as you make the transition to menopause.

Two Menstrual Periods In One Month

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Getting your period twice in one month can be surprising, not to mention annoying and uncomfortable. And if youve never experienced this before, you also might find yourself worried that something concerning is going on in your body.

Getting two periods in one month isnt always a cause for concernyour body may be following its normal menstrual cycle, which can range in length between 24 and 38 days. So, if your cycle is less than a month long and you have your period at the beginning of the month, you may see it appear again toward the end of the month.

But aside from the length of your cycle, there are many other reasons why you might experience bleeding twice in a month. In some cases, you may be experiencing bleeding tied to a health condition rather than actually getting your period twice. Here are some of the common causes:

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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You Have A Short Menstrual Cycle

Indeed, you can get your period twice in a month. And for some people, a bimonthly flow is totally typical.

Here’s why: “A normal menstrual period may last between 21 and 35 days, so many with normal menses may still have more than one period per month,” Dr. Verma says.

In other words, if you have a shorter cycle, you can bleed twice in the span of 30 days.

Your Thyroid Isn’t Working Properly

An underactive or overactive thyroid gland can cause your period to come twice in one month. The thyroid gland is regulated by hormones produced and regulated in the same area of the brainthe pituitary and hypothalamusas the hormones that control menstruation and ovulation, explains Dweck. When one is off, the other might be affected.

If you have hyperthyroidism , you may also lose weight unexpectedly, feel nervous or anxious, have a rapid heartbeat, or have trouble sleeping. Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain, constipation, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to cold, among other symptoms.

Your risk of developing a thyroid disease could vary by race, potentially due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. According to a 2014 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder often at the root of hyperthyroidism, is more common in Black, Asian, and Pacific Islander women compared to white women. On the other hand, Hashimotos disease, which often causes hypothyroidism, is more common in white women.

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You’re In The Early Stages Of Menopause

Menopause typically occurs at 51.4 years of age, says Dr. Chrisomalis-Valasiadis, but perimenopause, the period directly before menopause, can start at as early as 46 to 48 years old. “You can actually have your period every two weeks, or you can have your period every two or three months. You start getting irregular,” she explains.

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It can also lead to periods that are heavier than usual, adds Dr. Masterson. Other symptoms to watch out for include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and sleep problems.

Why Do I Have Two Periods In A Month

The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long but can vary from 24 to 38 days. If a menstrual cycle is shorter, a person can have a period more than once a month.

While occasional changes in the menstrual cycle are not unusual, frequently experiencing two periods in a month may indicate an underlying issue.

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Second Period Vs Vaginal Bleeding

It may be difficult to tell whether the bleeding you are experiencing between menstrual cycles is a second period or unexpected vaginal bleeding.

A 2016 research article describes the differences as follows:

Is It Ok To Get My Period Twice In One Month

Is it bad if I get my period twice in one month? Why does this happen? Shoshanna*

It’s often normal during the teen years to have irregular periods. When a girl’s period is irregular, it might come more than once a month or only come every few months. Some girls find they get their period more than once some months, then they might not have another for several months. This is the body’s natural way of adjusting to the changes that come with growing up.

Your cycle should settle down within a couple of years of getting your first period. A period-tracking app on your phone is a great way to see if you period is still adjusting. The more often you use it, the better it is at finding a pattern in your periods. If your periods are heavy, often come more than once a month, or if you’ve had sex, check in with your doctor or or visit a local health clinic. Some clotting problems, hormone problems, and sexually transmitted infections can cause girls to bleed more.

A checkup can help find out if you need any medicine or treatment such as iron supplements to prevent anemia or antibiotics for an infection. Best of all, getting checked out can put your mind at ease and give you a chance to learn more about your body.

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.

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You Have Uterine Or Cervical Polyps Or Fibroids

Uterine issues like polyps or fibroidsbenign lesions or tumors that can grow in the uterusare very common and may be related to hormonal issues. Uterine polyps can cause bleeding in between periods, says Dr. Dweck, especially if they are touched, like during sex, and fibroids can cause pain, back pain, abdominal bloating, anemia, pain with intercourse, and spontaneous bleeding because theyre not associated with the menstrual cycle, explains Dr. Richardson.

While fibroids can affect women of any age or race, Black women are about three times more likely to develop them compared to white women, and their symptoms tend to emerge at an earlier age with greater severity. Its unclear why exactly Black women are disproportionately impacted by fibroids, but some studies suggest that greater exposure to racial discrimination or genetics could play a role.

As the Black Womens Health Imperative notes, heavy, painful periods may seem like a fact of life since theyre so commonand many women wait years to seek treatment for fibroidsbut you dont have to needlessly suffer.

Can Stress Cause Periods Twice A Month

Stress could be a prime reason for irregular bleeding or spotting between regular periods. Stress, mental or physical, causes fluctuations in the bodys hormone levels. During mental stress testosterone levels rise. Such fluctuations in the hormones eventually affect the hormones controlling the menstrual cycle. Thus, stress can lead to increased menstruation in terms of both number of days or frequency.

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When To Call Your Provider

While some of the causes of frequent periods are not serious and don’t need treatment, dont assume thats the case if you have two periods in one month.

• Your period becomes irregular, especially if its sudden or without an obvious cause
• Your periods are less than 21 days apart
• You have a period that lasts more than seven days
• You have an unusually heavy or painful period
• You bleed between periods
• You bleed at all after menopause

Two Periods In One Month: Are Multiple Periods A Reason To Worry

Normal menstrual cycles range from 21 to 35 days . However, its not uncommon to experience monthly variations in menstrual cycles. Some cycles may be shorter and others longer, which means its possible to have 2 periods in a month.

In most cases, getting a period twice a month has a simple explanation. If it happens repeatedly, however, its important to take notice of any signs and symptoms. Read on to learn why two periods may happen in the same month.

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When To See A Gp

You don’t need to get medical advice if you have always had slightly irregular periods or you’re still going through puberty.

But see a GP if:

• your periods suddenly become irregular and you’re under 45
• you have periods more often than every 21 days or less often than every 35 days
• your periods last longer than 7 days
• there’s a big difference between your shortest and longest menstrual cycle
• you have irregular periods and you’re struggling to get pregnant

There might not be anything wrong, but it’s a good idea to get checked out to see what the cause might be.

You might be referred to a specialist called a gynaecologist if you need any tests or treatment.

What Causes Menstruation Twice A Month

Two periods in one month can be caused by having a shorter menstrual cycle or by an underlying health condition that causes vaginal bleeding.

Reasons your menstrual cycle may suddenly become shorter include stress, illness, extreme weight loss or gain, reacting to hormonal birth control and a failure in the egg releasing from your ovary .

In young girls, puberty can cause shorter menstrual cycles, while in older women, this can occur due to menopause.

Health conditions that cause more frequent periods

Health conditions that can cause sudden, shorter menstrual cycles include:

• Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
• Miscarriage if you are pregnant, a miscarriage can cause heavy bleeding contact your doctor or midwife urgently if this occurs
• Pregnancy early pregnancy can cause spotting, however, you should still tell your doctor or midwife
• Sexually transmitted infections STIs can cause vaginal bleeding and discharge

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Not Sure What To Do Next

If you are still concerned about bleeding between periods, check your symptoms with healthdirectâs online Symptom Checker to get advice on when to seek medical attention.

The Symptom checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether its self-care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero .

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Two Periods In One Month For The First Time

People with short menstrual cycles frequently have periods at the beginning and the end of a month. For someone with a typical menstrual cycle usually about 28 days or so having a period twice a month may be a bit surprising and seem unusual. Its important to remember that irregular bleeding can indicate a medical concern, and its easy to mistake for a period. In some cases, bleeding could indicate one of the following:

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You Forgot To Take Your Birth Control

Duh, right? Missing birth control pills or forgetting your Depo-Provera shot will always cause irregular bleeding, says Dr. Richardson. Anytime you fail to take a birth control method correctly, you will bleed because you have an abrupt withdrawal of hormones. This kind of bleeding, though, is not an emergency.

What to do about it

If you resume your birth control by following the instructions, the bleeding will subside, she says. Just make sure to use a backup method of birth control to prevent pregnancy until your next period.

Why Did My Period Come Early

Now, if youve known your cycle to be pretty regular, suddenly getting a period every two weeks can feel alarming. If this is not common for you, the reason for extra bleeding might be some medical conditions. Whats more, some of the following conditions are known to cause vaginal bleeding, which can then be mistaken for a menstrual flow, such as

spotting during pregnancy, irregular periods, and pregnancy are more common than one may think, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Of course, while some light spotting is nothing unusual, you should always seek medical attention if youre dealing with heavier bleeding while pregnant.

If you believe youre pregnant and you suddenly start bleeding heavier than what could be considered mere spotting, it might be a miscarriage, which is why its necessary to call your doctor quickly.

Aside from irregular periods and pregnancy, a change in the menstrual cycle is also associated with polycystic ovary syndrome . In this case, you might also notice some outward changes such as skin issues like acne, unusual hair growth on the face and body, hair loss on the head, etc.

Sexually transmitted infections are often accompanied by unusual vaginal bleeding and discharge. If youve had unprotected sex with a new partner relatively recently before suddenly getting a period twice a month or noticing vaginal discharge of strange color and odor, make sure to schedule an appointment with your gynecologist as soon as possible.

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Irregular Periods May Occur After Miscarriage Pregnancy Loss

Also referred to as a spontaneous abortion, a miscarriage happens when an embryo or fetus dies before the 20th week of pregnancy. After 20 weeks, pregnancy loss is considered a stillbirth. After these events, it can take a couple of months before you will start having regular periods again, says Lynn.

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Can This Condition Be Treated

The treatment for heavy bleeding and shorter menstrual cycles will depend on the cause. Again, if shorter cycles are regular for you or youre a teen whos just started menstruating, the treatment may not be necessary at all. Iron supplements can manage the symptoms of anemia as well. And if some other condition triggers heavier and more frequent bleeding, such as thyroid issues, fibroids, hormonal imbalance, etc., the doctor will prescribe adequate treatment for that condition in particular.

Stress can only make things worse, so if you notice spotting in between periods or get a period too fast than whats normal for you, do your best not to panic. Schedule an appointment with your doctor, and theyll be able to identify the cause of a shorter cycle and provide you with the proper treatment. If youre looking for a professional and experienced gynecologist whom you can fully trust and feel comfortable with, dont hesitate to reach out to Dr. Krinsky at Gynecology and Womens Wellness.

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Summing Up On Periods After 15 Days Again

Instead of worrying about why your period comes two or three times a month, look for the reason behind this. Irregular periods can result from comprehensive factors, including some medical circumstances. Most reasons for irregular periods are not severe, but some are. You must visit a doctor to determine the cause and periods after 15 days again treatment or other approaches.

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Heads Up Ladies If You Have Been Getting Your Period Twice In A Month Your Hormones Could Be To Blame Here’s What A Gynae Has To Say On The Matter

Imagine a situation where your periods have just ended and within a span of just 10 days, you start bleeding again. Yes, we are talking about getting your periods twice in a month. Dont be alarmed because this situation is quite rare.

In fact, when we asked Dr Bilsi Mittal, a gynaecologist at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai, whether a woman can get her periods twice in a month, she promptly replied YES.

But, she also added that Nowadays it is a little normal due to many factors but if it continues to happen for months altogether, then you must get yourself checked as this could be an indication of a bigger problem.

According to Dr Mittal, there are multiple reasons that can lead to this problem and the age of the woman also has a major role to play. No points for guessing, hormones are the biggest culprits here. Here are 10 reasons why you might be getting your period twice in one month:

1. You might be pregnant If the woman is in her reproductive age then there are high chances that she might be bleeding because she is pregnant. Intermittent bleeding happens in pregnancy and it is quite normal, says Dr Mittal.

3. You might have polyps or fibroids issues Dr Mittal suggests that fibroids can play a major role here. When either polyps or fibroids form along the uterus lining, then it can impact the period cycle.