You Have Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease is a condition caused by sexually transmitted bacteria, like that from gonorrhea and chlamydia, traveling from the cervix into the fallopian tube. PID can cause bleeding that is heavier than normal, spotting between menstrual cycles or spotting after sex.
If you have abnormal bleeding and pain, get a pelvic exam and get tested for sexually transmitted infections, says Dr. Horton. They can be treated with medication, which will stop the progression of PID too. Left untreated though, and PID can cause lasting issues with fertility.
What Is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding is when your periods are extremely heavy or prolonged. “Heavy” means that your period lasts longer than seven days or that you lose more blood than is typical during menstruation. You may bleed so much that you have to change your tampon or pad every hour for several hours back-to-back. You may pass blood clots the size of a quarter or even larger.
Menstrual bleeding that’s so heavy that it interferes with your daily life is never normal. Your provider can recommend treatments to manage heavy blood flow.
The Effects Of Birth Control And Menopause
Variousforms of birth control can affect the frequency and duration of your period.The birth control pill tends to produce a regular period that occurs everymonth and lasts for three to five days. A hormonal IUD usually results in alighter period or noperiod at all. Most women experience spotting for the first fewmonths after getting the IUD.
A copper IUD may have no effect on bleeding patterns or may cause heavier and longer periods for some women. Progestin-only methods like the injection, medroxyprogesterone acetate , and the implant, etonogestrel are associated with irregular spotting as well, but most women report lighter and shorter periods.
Periods can become longer and more irregular as women approach menopause. Its important to discuss cycle characteristics with your doctor, especially women over the age of 45, as the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer increases with age.
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Factors That Can Affect Menstruation Length And Heaviness
- How long does a period last? It can change month-to-month and as you age, modify your diet and change birth control. There are healthy guidelines for menstruation, but everybody is different. Your cycle and your friends will most likely differ.
- Birth control is one of the leading factors that may affect menstrual cycle changes. For instance, hormonal birth control may shorten it, while a copper IUD may do the opposite.
- A certain level of irregularity is normal. One study published in Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology found that between 14% and 25% of women have irregular cycles. This can mean a shorter period or heavier/lighter flow between months.
My Period Only Lasted Two Days What Does That Mean
I really need help and im really scared. My period only lasted two days. It was light too. What does this mean? I am sexaully active but I use protection. Im so scared. Please help!
When you first start menstruating, it may take a while for your body to get things going smoothly and regularly. Your periods may not always last the same number of days, or be the same number of days apart. You might have a light flow one month and a heavy flow the next. Your periods and cycles will probably become much more regular as you get older. Many people have irregular periods at one time or another, or even throughout their lives.
There are a lot of other reasons why your menstrual cycle might be acting funny, including illness, stress, weight changes, medicine, and travel. Learn more about your menstrual cycle and what can affect it. If you had unprotected sex since youre last period, or may have made a mistake with your birth control, pregnancy is possible.
While its not possible to get a period if youre pregnant, some light bleeding/spotting can happen. So if youre worried about pregnancy, the only way to know for sure is to take a pregnancy test. You can take a home pregnancy test, or get one from a nurse or doctor, like the ones at your local Planned Parenthood health center.
Tags:period, irregular periods, menstrual cycle
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Cervical Or Uterine Cancer
Gynecological cancers, including cervical and uterine cancer, are forms of cancer affecting female reproductive organs.
Anyone with female reproductive organs is at risk for gynecological cancer, and risk increases with age.
The HPV vaccine is recommended to help protect against cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.
Abnormal bleeding, including heavy bleeding and irregular discharge, is a common symptom of cervical, ovarian, uterine, and vaginal cancer.
Pelvic pain or pressure is another symptom of uterine cancer.
Treatments for gynecological cancers include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Symptoms of gynecological cancers vary both by location of cancer and the person experiencing it. Heavy bleeding can be a symptom of many disorders, so this symptom alone doesnt indicate cancer.
Can Excessive Menstruation Be Treated
If your doctor finds stress or birth control pills as the cause of your excessive menstruation, you will be advised or other contraceptive methods used. Also, vaginal infections and other causes will require further testing. Vaginal infections gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be treated with antibiotics. If your bleeding is due to a polyp, a curettage or polyp forceps is used with good success rate.
Also, vaginal infections and other causes will require further testing. Vaginal infections gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be treated with antibiotics. If your bleeding is due to a polyp, a curettage or polyp forceps is used with good success rate.
Wondering why My period wont stop? Let us know.
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Why Is My Period Lasting So Long
When it comes to the menstrual cycle, AKA your period, there is a lot of variability in what is considered to be normal. Periods can last a few days and be very light, or they could last a week with heavy bleeding. However, up to 14% of people experience heavy, painful, or irregular periods.
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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What Causes Prolonged Menstrual Bleeding
While irregular menstrual periods can be bothersome, many are caused by hormonal changes, which are common and rarely mean something serious. Younger girls just entering puberty and older women approaching menopause are most likely to experience these hormonally based prolonged or irregular periods.
Usually, a changing level of estrogen is to blame. Estrogen helps build up the uterine lining, called the endometrium, which if it is fertilized will support a pregnancy. If no pregnancy happens that month, the lining is shed as a menstrual period. Doctors use the term dysfunctional uterine bleeding when a hormone imbalance is the cause of the bleeding.
In some cases, birth control can impact the frequency, duration, and flow levels of menstrual periods. The copper IUD may cause extra bleeding, Thielen says. And while birth control pills usually shorten your periods, its possible some can have the opposite effect. Changing the type of birth control you use may help with this issue. But if you are on birth control pills you should not stop taking them or alter your birth control strategy without speaking to your physician.
Longer Periods Caused By Fibroids
Fibroids can cause heavy bleeding, making a period last longer. It can also cause spotting or bleeding in the middle of the cycle, which can make you feel like your period never ends.
Other symptoms of fibroids include:
If you experience these symptoms along with a longer period than average, you may want to see a doctor for a diagnosis.
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How Long Does The Average Menstrual Cycle Last
Your menstrual cycle is a very intricate process which requires your hormones to cooperate at just the right levels in order to trigger processes like ovulation and menstruation. Sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone are the main players in the menstrual cycle and each has an important role.
The average menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days, with the first day of your cycle corresponding with the day your period begins. On average, a period will last around 5 days. Then, on day 14 of your cycle, an egg is released from your ovaries and your body prepares for pregnancy. When this isnt fertilised, your next period will begin approximately 14 days later, thus restarting the cycle again.
While this is how the average menstrual cycle works, some women find that their cycle is slightly longer or shorter than this, which can be perfectly normal. However, if you experience a change in your personal routine and notice that your menstrual cycle has changed quite dramatically, there could be a few reasons why.
How Is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will ask a series of questions about your medical history and menstrual cycle to diagnose heavy menstrual bleeding.
Your provider may ask about:
- Your age when you got your first period.
- The number of days your period lasts.
- The number of days your period is heavy.
- Family members with a history of heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Your pregnancy history and current birth control methods.
- Current medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter ones.
Come prepared to talk about your quality of life, too. Your provider needs to know if you’ve been doubling up on menstrual products, avoiding activities or placing restrictions on your life in any way because of heavy periods.
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What To Do If You Experience Spotting
Its important to track when spotting is happening and any other symptoms to share with your clinician.
You can make a few notes in a calendar on your phone or in a planner. Write down if you notice any major changes in the bleeding pattern or if the spotting is associated with symptoms that affect your daily life.
See your Ob/Gyn or advanced practice provider if the irregular bleeding persists, gets worse, recurs, or if you experience any postmenopausal bleeding or bleeding after sex.
Also, if this irregular bleeding is associated with other symptoms, such as easy bruising, dizziness, fever, abnormal vaginal discharge or abdominal/pelvic pain, let your clinician know.
Your clinician may perform a pelvic exam, obtain cultures or order blood tests or imaging to take a closer look. They may also change your medication.
What To Do When A Period Is Longer Than Usual
If your period is lasting longer than usual, you should keep track of it each month. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average period length can last between two and seven days, with the length often getting shorter as you get older. However, whats normal for you may differ from the average, so its important to note changes. Observe if there is heavy bleeding, which means changing a pad or tampon every hour for several hours. If the longer period occurs for three cycles or more in a row, you should schedule a visit with your doctor. Ask them to run tests to determine if you have a medical issue, such as uterine fibroids.
You can ask them several important questions, such as Why is my period so long and heavy? and Why is my period lasting longer than usual? Once they have the results from the tests and exam, your doctor may be able to provide some insight into your questions.
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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.
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.
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Phases Of Your Menstrual Cycle
Though menstruation only happens once a month, there is a lot that happens within a woman’s body leading up to that point. The menstrual cyclethe duration between the first day of one cycle and the first day of the nextis divided into several phases.
On average, the menstrual cycle lasts 21 to 35 days, while bleeding will typically last between 2 and 7 days. However, the length of your cycle can vary, as can the length of vaginal bleeding.
Changes In Your Periods
Your periods can change for example, they may last longer or get lighter. This does not necessarily mean there’s a problem, but it does need to be investigated.
You can see your GP, or visit your nearest women’s clinic or contraceptive clinic.
Bleeding between periods, bleeding after having sex, or bleeding after the menopause needs to be checked by a doctor.
It might be caused by an infection, abnormalities in the neck of the womb or, in rare cases, it could be cancer.
You could be pregnant if you miss a period and you’ve had sex. See your GP if you’ve taken a pregnancy test and the result is negative and you’ve missed 3 consecutive periods.
They will investigate the cause and recommend any necessary treatment.
Read more about stopped or missed periods.
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When To Seek Help
Dont ignore a long period. Its important to see your doctor to discuss why you might be experiencing this symptom. Delaying your diagnosis and treatment could lead to a worsening of the underlying condition responsible for the extended bleeding.
You may want to seek immediate care with a long period if you spike a fever or are losing an abnormally heavy amount of blood or large blood clots. A sign that youre losing a lot of blood is if you need to change a pad or tampon one to two times per hour for several hours. You may also begin to feel lightheaded if youre losing a lot of blood.
There are many causes for a long period, so your doctor will likely begin your appointment by asking you some questions. These may include:
- when your period started
- how many pads and tampons youve used in the last day
- your sexual activity
Reasons Your Period Might Be Longer Than Usual According To Doctors
Waiting for your period to end can be the worst. I remember being in my teens aggressively sucking on lemons and trying every other bizarre home remedy in the book that promised to abruptly end my period in time for a highly anticipated date.
But impatiently checking for a cease to the bloodshed every time you hit the bathroom can be even more unnerving when your period has already been lingering longer than usual. Women usually menstruate for about the same number of days each month, so when a longer period pops up, it can feel like youll never stop bleeding.
What does it mean when you have an abnormally long period? We asked a bunch of gynecologists to clue us in.
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