Irregular Periods - Symptom, Treatment And Causes
Last Updated: Nov 02, 2021
Irregular periods might be a problem and may exist if:
- The duration between the periods starts changing.
- There is decreased or increased loss of blood during a period.
- The duration of a period is much longer than usual.
Here are the different kinds of irregularities in periods:
- Irregular Menstrual-Bleeding: Bleeding that lasts over 20 days in an individual cycle and extends for more than a year.
- Absent Menstrual-Bleeding: Absence of bleeding for over 90 days.
- Heavy Menstrual-Bleeding: An excess of blood loss that can hamper a woman’s emotional, material, physical and social quality of living and can be independent or may occur along with other symptoms.
- Prolonged and Heavy Menstrual-Bleeding: It is uncommon.
- Light Menstrual-Bleeding- It is dependent on the patient’s complaint.
Irregular periods need to be looked into depending upon the desire of having children later on. Many diverse things can cause irregular periods. Changes in the hormonal levels of progesterone and estrogen might disrupt the usual period patterns. That is the reason young pubescent girls and older women nearing menopause usually are affected by irregular periods.
What are the signs of Irregular Periods?
An irregular period refers to any disturbance in the normal menstrual cycle. It is accompanied by some signs which may include excessive bleeding from the uterus, occurrence of bleeding or spotting between two menstrual cycles, abnormal bleeding i.e excessive and heavy blood loss during periods, evidence of bleeding during sexual intercourse, bleeding after menopause, and the length of menstrual bleeding being longer than the normal.
Some other reasons for having irregular periods are:
- Change of birth-control pills
- Change in other medications
- Breastfeeding or pregnancy
- Over exercising
- Use of an IUD
- Stress
- Uterine fibroids
- Hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid
- Uterine lining polyps
Treatment:
Generally, treatment isn’t required for menopause or puberty induced irregular periods, until the time they become bothersome or excessive. Periods also normally stop during pregnancy.
- Correcting or treating underlying disease
- Changing your type of birth control
- Lifestyle changes, including weight loss
- Hormone therapy
- Surgery
Call your doctor if you have had regular, monthly periods and the pattern changes. Your doctor may perform a physical exam and order tests to rule out pregnancy or a health problem.
Should I be concerned about Irregular Periods?
Irregular Periods may be an indication of some of the abnormal conditions in the body such as hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovarian syndrome, uterine fibroids, thyroid problems, excessive weight loss, stress, excessive exercise, overweight, certain medications, and cervical and endometrial cancer. In such conditions, there is a need for consultation with a doctor. Hence, Irregular Periods should be considered a matter of concern.
Can I get pregnant with Irregular Periods?
Irregular Periods may occur due to conditions like hormonal imbalances. But the condition is completely curable. It requires proper diagnosis, followed by consultation with a doctor. Though irregular menstrual cycles may offer some problems in the case of being pregnant, it is not a big issue nowadays when the medical sciences are too developed to tackle any such abnormalities.
Which exercise is best for Irregular Periods?
Exercises are one of the most effective ways to regulate any irregularities in the menstrual cycles. Among all exercises, yoga is the best one to keep away the symptoms associated with abnormal periods such as abdominal cramps and Irregular Periods. Some of the yoga poses that help may include bow pose i.e dhanurasana, camel pose i.e ustrasana, cobra pose i.e bhujangasana, garland pose, and butterfly pose.
Does walking regulate periods?
Any disturbance in the normal menstrual cycle refers to Irregular Periods. It includes either an increase or decrease in the length of the menstrual bleeding phase. It can be affected by some changes in lifestyle as well as diet. Lifestyle changes may include exercises such as walking. Walking is one of the common exercises that may regulate periods. Exercise leads to an improvement in the symptoms such as menstrual cramps.
Summary: Irregular Periods may be an indication of some of the abnormal conditions in the body such as hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovarian syndrome, uterine fibroids, thyroid problems, excessive weight loss, stress, excessive exercise, overweight, certain medications, and cervical and endometrial cancer. In such conditions, there is a need for consultation with a doctor. Other preventive measures include doing adequate exercises or physical activities on a regular basis.
References
- Vaginal or uterine bleeding - overview- Medline Plus, Medical Encyclopedia, NIH, U.S. National Library of Medicine [Internet]. medlineplus.gov 2019 [Cited 05 August 2019]. Available from:
- Absence of Menstrual Periods- Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. merckmanuals.com 2017 [Cited 09 August 2019]. Available from:
- What are menstrual irregularities?- NIH, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [Internet]. nichd.nih.gov 2017 [Cited 05 August 2019]. Available from:
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