Why Do I Have Period For 2 Weeks
A normal period is between 2 days and a week. If your period lasts more than a week, then its abnormal. Also, if you continue to see your periods for two weeks, then it is prolonged. Inform your doctor. Common causes of prolonged bleeding depend on your age. A uterine fibroid is common in young women while endometrial hyperplasia and cancer are common in older women.
What Is Normal Period Length And Menstrual Flow
In women, period occurs due to regular cyclic shredding of the endometrium covering the uterus. This is due to hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle.
What is menstrual cycle? Menstrual cycle is the time difference between 2 of your periods. It varies from women to women but usually last 21 to 35 days.
How long do your period last? Normal girls period last for 2 to 7 days. Period flow may be heavy during the first days of menstruation. However as your period progresses, it becomes lighter with less pain during period
How does period occur? During your cycle, estrogen and progesterone play a crucial role to ensure the thickening and maturation of the endometrium. After ovulation occurs and if the egg released is fertilized by the sperm, it is implanted into the endometrium.
Before ovulation, estrogen is the dominant type of hormone produced by the growing follicles. However, after ovulation, the ruptured follicle forms the corpus luteum which increases production of progesterone.
If your egg released is not fertilized and implanted into the uterus, it causes the corpus luteum to breakdown. This will result to decreased hormones and shredding of your endometrium as period.
When is period said to be prolonged?
Long or prolonged periods is when your menstruation last more than the usual 7 days.
How To Treat Heavy Periods
1. Medications
There are multiple medications that your doctor may suggest if you have menorrhagia, or heavy periods. Ibuprofen, naproxen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help with pain and reduce blood loss. Hormone therapies can stabilize your uterine lining, correct hormonal imbalances, or regulate your cycle. Your doctor may also suggest a hormone secreting IUD or tranexamic acid , which is a non-hormonal medication promoting blood clotting.
2. Surgeries
In some cases, your doctor may suggest a surgical procedure to treat your heavy period. There are several possible recommendations:
- Dilation and curettage, known as D& C which involves dilating your cervix and then scraping your uterine lining.
- A hysteroscopy involves inserting a long and thin scope into the uterus via your vagina and cervix. The procedure lets your doctor see then remove any uterine masses in your uterine lining that may cause bleeding. It can also be used to evaluate your uterine lining.
- Endometrial ablation or resection involves destroying or removing the lining of your uterus. It isn’t possible to have a baby after this procedure.
- A hysterectomy involves surgically removing your cervix and uterus. It also makes it impossible to have a child.
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Youre Using Hormonal Birth Control
One of the most common reasons for a lighter period is going on hormonal birth control some doctors even prescribe it to women with very heavy periods for that exact reason. So if youve recently started the pill, are using the patch or the ring, or gotten a hormonal IUD, and your periods have lightened up, its normal to have light cycles, to completely skip cycles, or have small amounts of dark or light blood.
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.
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Diagnosis And Treatment For Abnormal Bleeding
Treatment of menorrhagia is possible once your doctor is aware of the condition.
Your doctor will most definitely ask of your medical history if you are an adult. This is most likely because if it were an adolescent, his or her first guess would be anovulation due to her age.
He or she may recommend you for some test procedures after he or she must have told you to keep tabs on your menstrual cycle. These tabs or notes will now help the doctor during diagnosis.
Some test which might help to diagnose menorrhagia include:
- Ultrasound or laparoscopy. These tests due to its imaging abilities help to show the image of your uterus, pelvis and ovaries using sound waves/ direct visualization and so can help detect abnormalities if spotted.
- Pap smear/test. This test works with the collection of cells from your cervix. These cells are tested to look out for inflammation or an infection around the cervix which may be cancerous and so lead to heavy bleeding when you menstruate or irregularly.
- Blood tests. Your doctor takes your blood sample and checks if there is a case of iron deficiency in your blood due to Anemia and some other problems like blood-clotting anomalies and thyroid disorder .
- Endometrial biopsy. A tissue sample of your uterine wall might be taken to a pathologist by your doctor in order to know why it keeps shedding blood.
- Further tests such as hysteroscopy, sonohysterography, etc. depending on what the previous set of tests would show.
Why Is My Period So Heavy
Heavy periods have a wide range of causes, most commonly, theyre due to hormone imbalances, particularly high estrogen levels or not ovulating, but they can be due to a variety of underlying causes from PCOS to an uncommon but not completely rare genetic bleeding disorder that can cause heavy periods .
You can read about the causes below and see if you can identify whether any of these sound similar to what youre experiencing in addition to your heavy flow. The underlying cause will help you to find the best strategy for reducing your heavy flow once and for all. Depending on the cause, self-care strategies may be all you need or you may need to pay a visit to your favorite medical provider to help you sort out a diagnosis and the next best steps.
Lets start with the most common causes of heavy periods and then Ill walk you through what you can do both natural options and some conventional medical ones, too. Then you can decide whats best for you!
High Estrogen Levels
Estrogen is a marvelous hormone. At the right levels it plays a central role in our reproductive, brain, bone, and heart health. During the first half of each menstrual cycle, called the proliferative phase, your uterine lining naturally builds up under the influence of estrogen. This lining is then shed with each menstrual cycle, leading to our menstrual flow. Heavy periods can be a sign that this layer has been building up too thickly as a result of estrogen levels that might be too high.
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Cancer Malignancy And Hyperplasia
Some women may develop an abnormally thick lining of the inside surface of their uterus. This condition is called endometrial hyperplasia and it may cause heavy menstrual bleeding, irregular bleeding or a bloodstained vaginal discharge. In some cases, endometrial hyperplasia may progress to endometrial cancer, a condition that is more common after menopause but can occur in younger women.
Women are at an increased risk of developing endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial cancer if they:
- are over the age of 45 years
- are over 90 kg in weight
- have never had children
- have a family history of endometrial, ovarian or bowel cancer
- have polycystic ovarian syndrome
- carry a gene that increases their cancer risk .
You’re Experiencing Very Heavy Bleeding
Heavy bleeding can be cause for concern, saysRachel Carlton Abrams, M.D., a board-certified physician and author of BodyWise: Discovering Your Body’s Intelligence for Lifelong Health and Healing. ” can be a sign of fibroids , hormonal imbalance , stress , thyroid dysfunction . If you’ve always had very heavy bleeding, it could be a sign of a clotting disorder.”
When everything is running smoothly, you’re probably going through anywhere from 3-6 tampons a day ” normal amount of blood is 4-12 teaspoons each cycle,” saysDr. Sherry, A. Ross, M.D., a women’s health expert and author ofShe-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. Period. “If your period lasts longer than 7 days and you’re changing tampons or pads more than every 2 hours each day, then this is a sign of a heavier than average flow,” says women’s health and functional nutrition coach Nicole Jardim. Needing both a pad and tampon to control your flow or having to change pads or tampons during the night are more red flags, she says.
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When Should You See A Doctor For Heavy Bleeding
You should call the attention of your doctor when you notice one or some of the following symptoms:
- Extremely heavy menstrual bleeding from the vagina which soaks one tampon at least within the space of two hours.
- Irregular vaginal bleeding. Always take note of when you begin to notice bleeding in between periods.
Causes Of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
While in many cases it is not possible to determine the exact cause, there are a number of reasons a woman may experience abnormal uterine bleeding. Some of the known causes of abnormal uterine bleeding include:
- spontaneous miscarriage in pregnancy
- ectopic pregnancy lodgement of the fertilised egg in the slender fallopian tube instead of the uterine lining
- hormonal disorders conditions such as hypothyroidism , polycystic ovarian syndrome and hyperprolactinemia can disrupt the menstrual cycle
- ovulatory dysfunction this is when the ovary does not release an egg each month. Most commonly, this occurs at either end of a woman’s reproductive years, either during puberty or at menopause
- endometriosis the cells lining the uterus can travel to, attach and grow elsewhere in the body, most commonly within the peritoneal cavity
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When To See A Healthcare Provider
- If your menstrual bleeding is heavy and requires you to change your tampon or pad every couple of hours
- If the bleeding lasts longer than seven days
- If blood clots are larger than a quarter
- If there is an excessive amount of blood clots
- If you have extreme abdominal pain with nausea or vomiting
- If you have bleeding or clots while pregnant
What Causes Heavy Painful Periods
If you have heavy painful periods, then its likely due to
- Endometriosis This is endometrial tissues found outside your uterus. It can cause painful and heavy periods. Analgesics like ibuprofen can subside the pain.
- Adenomyosis This is presence of endometrial tissues inside the wall of the uterus. It can be treated with analgesics or cured with removal of the uterus.
- Uterine fibroid
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Yes, this includes infections of the sexually transmitted variety. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, or any infection on the lining of the uterus can cause heavy bleeding, Wysocki says. So if you have been having unprotected sex and are noticing unusual menstruation, its a good idea to see a doctor ASAP. If you do have an STD, there are many medications that can help you out.
Period Lasting 2 3 4 Weeks With Brown Discharge
If you continue to see your period for 2 or 3 weeks, then its abnormal. Common causes are a miscarriage, uterine fibroid, vaginal infections or cancer. If you are above 40 or already stop seeing your period, then this type of bleeding may be due to cancer. However, in your
If you are above 40 or already stop seeing your period, then this type of bleeding may be attributable to cancer.
However, in young women, a miscarriage or fibroid is a common cause.
Why do I see brown discharge instead of period?
If your blood mixes with clear white discharge in your vagina, you will notice a dark or brown discharge.
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Youve Lost Or Gained A Ton Of Weight
Fluctuating weight can mess with your menstrual cycle, making your periods a lot shorter or lighter. Thats because when you gain weight, storing more fat in your body can affect your hormone levels and throw them out of balance. In a similar way, losing weight from restricting calories can put your body into stress mode and create an imbalance of hormones. Dr. Akopians notes that your body needs a healthy balance between protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins, to keep operating normally.
Uterine Polyps Or Cervical Polyps
Uterine polyps can be the cause of your prolonged menstrual flow. These are masses attached to the wall of the uterus and can sometimes extend down into the cervix. They cause irregular spotting between periods and can be visualized with a hysteroscope or ultrasound.
Uterine polyps are a common cause of bleeding after menopause. If you are below 4o years, then you may have pain and prolonged periods.
If your doctor finds uterine polyps as the cause of your prolonged periods, a D& C will be advised.
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Scar Tissue In Your Uterus Is Causing Issues
Most women who have gone through routine dilation and curettage procedures heal with zero complications, but sometimes severe scarring causes the walls of the uterus to stick to each other, causing whats known as Ashermans syndrome. If your period seems to have lightened up a lot after youve had a D& C, this might be your problem. You may need surgery to remove the scar tissue.