The menstrual cycle is different for everyone who experiences it and what might be normal for one person may be unusual for another. If you have experienced an irregular period or a change in your menstrual cycle, you might become concerned for your health.
Fortunately, there are ways to manage your period so that you can live your life without having to worry about it.
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What Counts as an Irregular Period?
As already mentioned, an irregular period might be normal for one person and abnormal for another. The first step to determining whether your period is abnormal for you is to know what your normal menstrual cycle is like.
For example, does it last for a certain number of days? Do you get similar symptoms such as nausea or fatigue? Sometimes your period might be much heavier than usual or sometimes it might not come at all. Spotting between periods can also be a concern.
It’s important to pay attention to how your period behaves normally so that you are in a better position to identify when it has become irregular.
What causes irregular periods?
Having irregular periods have several reasons, some are concerned with your lifestyle and some are due to some health problems.
Let’s discuss the reasons that make you upset every time you get an irregular menstrual cycle.
Below are the reasons that cause irregular menstrual cycles.
Perimenopause
The transitional period between perimenopause and menopause is known as perimenopause. At this stage your body starts to produce hormones in very less amounts which could lead to an irregular period. This is the time where your reproductive system moves towards the end of reproductive years.
Anxiety and Stress
Your body releases a hormone called ‘cortisol’ when you are stressed. This hormone can deliver to an irregular period cycle or in some cases no periods for a longer time.
Extreme exercise
Extreme exercise is also related to hormonal changes, when you follow an extreme exercise routine your body releases and controls lots of hormones , one of them is cortisol which I discussed in the above point . This may lead to irregular periods or very light periods or no period at all for a long time.
Eating disorders, extreme dieting and weight loss
Eating disorders can impact your menstrual cycle, when you eat less and exercise a lot then your body doesn’t function in a proper way, which is a sign that your body needs nutrition, and you should not take it lightly.
Some people eat less or some people eat a lot both are considered as eating disorders. You need a proper balanced diet to maintain your physical or mental health and to regulate your body, also to improve your menstrual cycle.
Age
Age can be the factor of your irregular periods. Teens may have irregular periods in their initial years and it’s totally normal as your body needs time to start functioning in a normal way.
Women who reach near her mid age can also experience irregular periods as at this stage their body’s hormone level decreases and functions in an irregular way so it can lead to irregular periods.
Birth control
Birth control pills introduce different hormones into your body such as estrogen or progestin. Various pills are the fusion of both the hormones and a few contain only progestin.
Pills work to prevent pregnancy by keeping your ovaries from releasing eggs. So going on or off the pills may affect your period cycle.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes can delay your menstrual cycle or even sometimes it stops if you are a heavy smoker at the same time they feel severe pain during their cycle. It cuts down the length of the period.
Fibroids
Fibroids can cause capillary growth, which can lead to massive or irregular periods and spotting between periods.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a situation in which the tissue that usually covers the interior of the uterus develops outside of it, resulting in period pain and shorter cycle times. Endometriosis can however create severe menstrual bleeding in many cases. Study suggests.
Pelvic inflammatory disease
PID symptoms include heavier-than-normal bleeding or spotting between cycles.
Polycystic Ovary syndrome
PCOS is a hormonal issue that affects a large number of women of fertility age. Women suffering from PCOS may experience irregular or lengthy menstrual cycles, as well as elevated levels of male sex hormone (androgen).
Premature ovarian insufficiency
Many women naturally experience decreased fertility around the age of 40. As they approach menopause, they may experience irregular menstrual periods.
Women with POI have irregular periods and have lower fertility than before the age of 40. It can sometimes begin as early as adolescence.
There are numerous other causes of irregular periods, including breastfeeding a newborn. Also, Hinder in periods can occur due to miscarriage, pregnancy loss.
Should you be concerned about your missing periods?
Probably yes, if you are experiencing something odd. Most women have periods that last between 4 to 7 days. A woman’s period occurs every 28 days on average.
But according to doctors it has been confirmed that periods are considered a normal menstrual period if it happens within 21 day to 35 days.
Let me give you some examples that include problems faced by women during the menstrual cycle which is not normal.
- If your period starts before 21days or after 35days then consider it as abnormal.
- If you have discontinued periods or it didn’t occur for two to three months consecutively.
- If you lose your senses or feels excessively tired then you must see a doctor
- When you are beginning to experience severe pain throughout your menstrual cycle
- If it lasts longer than 7 days on regular basis
- If you get heavy bleeding flow or less bleeding flow during periods then it is not normal for a woman
What are the side effects that may occur due to irregular periods?
- Mood changes
- Weight gain or loss
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Irregular bleeding
These side effects may differ depending upon the level of estrogen and progesterone in the pill or device.
How can you manage it?
There are several ways to manage your irregular periods. I’ll give you some natural remedies that might work for you, in addition to other options.
Home remedies to cure delayed menstrual cycle
- Ginger Tea
- Unripe papaya
- Jaggery
- Turmeric
- Aloevera
- Apple cider vinegar
- Beet root
- Having well balanced diet
- Avoid sugar, dairy products, refined flour
- Control stressful situation and nerves
- Sufficient rest
- Regular exercise
- Cinnamon
- Meditate
- Including vitamin D in the diet can be the best decision
Including these ingredients in your diet and following the guidelines can show improvement in the menstrual cycle.
Note – Treatment to irregular periods are totally based on the cause of the menstrual disorder.
If the person has a case of defective ovulation then the treatment will be performed related to hormonal procedures.
Menstruation using hormonal contraceptives
Hormonal contraceptives such as pills or rings are used to regulate ovarian cycle. These pills are mainly given to those women who feel severe pain and face heavy bleeding during their periods.
These pills work to provide more stable and regular periods, but if you stop taking these pills for a long time then the issue may be more frequent. Women who suffer irregular periods and pain are being recommended for taking these pills.
When to See a Doctor
It is often better to be safe than sorry when it comes to noticing an irregular menstrual cycle. Contact your doctor if you are worried about a change in your period or have experienced any new symptoms.
When you are screened early, the chances of preventing or treating potentially serious illnesses are much higher.
If the cause of your changed period is not serious, the doctor can still make suggestions to help you manage it better.
Delay Your Period
If you are concerned by your periods being much heavier than you are used to, you might want to consider delaying them so that your body has a chance to recover from the loss of iron.
You can delay periods with norethisterone tablets to give you more control over your menstrual cycle and also how it affects your plans. A heavy or irregular period can make it more difficult to live your daily life so delaying it until you are happy to continue can be a sensible choice.
Of course, this kind of intervention should be discussed with a healthcare professional in advance.
Use Contraceptive Intervention
Depending on your health, your preferences and any other medications you might be taking, your doctor might recommend a type of contraceptive that can help to relieve some of the more uncomfortable symptoms of an irregular period.
Sometimes these can help to reset your body’s cycle and its recovery. You might not want to use this as a method of controlling a difficult period and it may take some time for different types to work, but it can be effective.
As you can see, there is no straightforward single solution to an irregular period. Visiting your doctor and taking into consideration your other medical circumstances will be key to finding a method of managing your menstrual cycle that works for you.