Irregular menstruation causes many troubles for women in daily life. In addition, it also significantly affects the health and ability of mothers. Therefore, women need to understand what menstrual irregularities are so that they can have reasonable treatment for themselves. Let’s explore what causes irregular periods in this article!
Contents
What is considered irregular menstruation?
If your period does not follow a certain cycle, may come early, come late, or even amenorrhea, it is an irregular period.
Menstrual irregularities are common at what age?
Irregular menstruation is common in girls at puberty due to hormonal and ovarian dysfunction. However, it only appears during the first 2-3 years of menstruation.
In women of reproductive age, irregular menstruation that lasts for many days can be a sign of gynecological diseases such as cervicitis, endometritis, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts eggs. These diseases can affect the health and fertility of women.
Symptoms of menstrual irregularity
Normally, a menstrual period will last about 28-30 days, it can be 3-5 days faster or slower. Menstruation lasts 3-5 days. Symptoms of irregular periods include:
Menstrual cycle less than 21 days or more than 35 days
Menstrual duration is shorter than 3 days or longer than 7 days
The amount of menstrual blood lost can be too much or too little
Menstrual blood has an abnormal color, black blood, mixed with blood clots
There are signs of bleeding between 2 periods
The period between two periods can last for a few months or just a few days. The amount of menstrual blood is sometimes a lot, sometimes a little
Menstruation is stopped for 6 months or more (secondary amenorrhea) or never menstruated (primary amenorrhea)
Severe abdominal pain, back pain, fatigue during menstruation
Forms of irregular menstruation
Early menstruation: Menstruation can come 3 days early, sometimes 7 days, or even menstruation occurs twice a month.
Missed period: Usually, women often delay their period for 3-4 days, but if their period is 10 days late and they have had sexual activity before, they should think about being pregnant.
Menorrhagia: Menstruation lasts > 7 days. The amount of blood ejected more or less depends on the cause.
Menstrual cycle: It means you are 2 months late, 3 months, or 5 months apart.
Amenorrhea: This means you have not had a period for more than 6 months or 1 year.
Effects of irregular menstruation
Irregular menstruation changes female hormones, making women’s beauty change, especially those over 30 years old.
Pale, rough skin, prone to pigmentation, freckles, large pores, acne, and premature aging.
The body is often tired, and angry, memory is reduced, prone to bone and joint diseases.
A prolonged menstrual cycle causes a lot of blood loss, making people tired, pale skin, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.
Irregular menstruation is a manifestation of some gynecological diseases such as Polycystic ovary, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and ovarian cancer.
Decreased fertility due to irregular periods leads to altered ovarian function. Therefore, the follicles cannot ripen and release at the correct cycle.
Risk of infertility: Irregular menstruation due to gynecological diseases if not supported in time can lead to infertility.
Causes of irregular periods
Pregnant
Pregnancy causes missed periods or a little bleeding. If you notice a missed period or changes in your period after you had sex without using birth control, you can check to see if you are pregnant.
Hormonal contraceptive pills
Hormonal birth control pills can cause irregular bleeding between periods leading to much fewer menstrual periods. Birth control pills cause irregular periods.
Breastfeeding
Breast milk contains a lot of prolactin which inhibits reproductive hormones resulting in very little or no menstruation during lactation. Menstruation will return to regularity once the mother weaned her baby.
Premenopausal
Usually begins at age 40 or earlier. Fluctuating estrogen levels during this time can make periods longer or shorter.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Irregular periods are the most prominent feature of polycystic ovary syndrome because increased levels of androgens can cause amenorrhea or increased bleeding during menstruation.
Thyroid disease
Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland can cause periods to be longer, heavier, and more painful. Hyperthyroidism will make your period shorter and less frequent.
Fibroids
Fibroids are muscle tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus. Fibroids can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, and anemia.
Endometrial optimism
The prevalence of endometriosis occurs in 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. Endometriosis causes severe abdominal pain during menstruation, prolonged menstruation, heavy bleeding, and bleeding between periods.
Overweight
Being overweight affects hormones, and insulin levels affecting the menstrual cycle. Obesity causes irregular periods. Rapid weight gain also causes menstrual irregularities. Weight gain and irregular periods are common signs of polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothyroidism.
Eating disorders and rapid weight loss
Losing too much weight too quickly can cause amenorrhea. In addition, your body will feel fatigued, headache, and hair loss. Not eating enough calories can also interfere with the production of hormones that affect ovulation.
Exercising too much
Heavy or strenuous exercise interferes with the hormones responsible for menstruation. Reducing exercise intensity and increasing calorie intake can help restore menstruation.
Stress
Stress affects the area of the brain that controls pituitary hormones, making the process of secretion and ovulation unstable, and causing irregular menstruation. Menstruation will return to normal once the stress is gone.
Side effects of medications
Some medications that affect the menstrual cycle include:
- Thyroid medication
- Anticoagulants
- Antidepressants
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Epilepsy drugs
- Aspirin and ibuprofen
- Hormone replacement therapy
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer will cause heavy bleeding between periods or periods. Bleeding during or after intercourse and abnormal discharge are other signs and symptoms of this condition.
How to treat irregular periods?
Irregular menstruation affects many parts of the body. Therefore, you need to know how to take care of yourself.
Daily menu changes
You should create a suitable diet, supplement with essential vitamins and minerals, add vegetables and fruits and eat a variety of foods. This helps to increase resistance and stabilize hormones in the body.
Increase exercise
Daily exercise that is suitable for you, not over-exercising helps you have a good circulatory and metabolic system to help eliminate endocrine disorders.
Drink a lot of water
This is extremely important to help the body work smoothly and keep blood sugar stable, helping effectively to treat irregular periods. Add 2 liters of water per day.
Avoid using stimulants
Avoid drinking alcohol, and smoking. Because these are harmful to health, making menstrual irregularities. Thus, irregular menstruation affects both the health and fertility of women. When seeing irregularities in their menstrual period, women should go to the hospital as well as specialized medical facilities for timely examination and treatment when there is an illness.
Final thought
Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about what causes irregular periods and know how to take care of yourself!
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