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What to Do If Your Period Is Irregular
Menstrual cycles tend to follow a fairly predictable pattern, with periods happening about every 29 days and lasting about seven days. Sometimes, though, this cycle changes — and while occasional irregularities usually aren’t anything to worry about, persistent or recurrent irregularities can be a sign of an underlying problem.
Feminine Urgicare is a top provider of comprehensive medical care for women of all ages, including on-site testing and ultrasound exams to help determine the cause of irregular bleeding. If your periods are abnormal, here’s what you need to know.
Defining irregular periods
During a period, most women lose a consistent amount of blood as the uterus sheds its lining.
Bleeding that falls outside of this cycle is considered irregular. That can include:
- Cycles shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days
- Periods that last longer than seven days
- Very heavy periods
- Very light periods
- Needing to change a pad or tampon every hour
- Skipping periods
- Bleeding or spotting between periods
- Severe cramps, nausea, or vomiting during your period
If the time between cycles varies — for instance, there are 22 days between cycles and then 30 days between cycles — that’s also considered irregular bleeding.
It’s important to know that periods don’t always happen like clockwork. It’s not unusual to have occasional irregularities in your flow or its timing.
These occasional irregularities typically are normal and nothing to worry about. If you develop a pattern of abnormal periods, it’s time to visit our team.
Why irregular periods happen
Abnormal periods happen for many reasons. During puberty, hormonal fluctuations often result in irregular periods until your body adjusts.
Menopause is another time when irregular periods are common and expected. In the years before menopause, it’s not unusual to have changes in your cycle or your flow. If you think you might be nearing menopause, you should schedule a visit to check your hormone levels and make sure those irregularities aren’t due to another underlying issue.
Many women experience extremely heavy periods with large clots — a condition called menorrhagia. If you have menorrhagia, you’ll need to change pads or tampons every hour or more often, even during the night. Because of the amount of blood loss, menorrhagia can lead to anemia.
Other potential causes of irregular periods include:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Sexually transmitted disease
- Benign growths called uterine polyps
- Benign tumors called uterine fibroids
- Strenuous exercise
- Extreme stress
- Eating disorder
- Hormonal birth control
- Issues affecting your hormones
- Irregular ovulation or lack of ovulation
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Clotting disorders
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Cancer
Sometimes, more than one issue contributes to irregular periods.
What to do if your period is irregular
Because there are many possible causes of irregular bleeding, there’s no way to “diagnose” the cause on your own. While a single irregular period is probably nothing to worry about, if symptoms persist, schedule an exam to find out what’s causing it.
During your office visit, we ask about your symptoms, lifestyle, and any medications you’re taking. We also review your medical history and perform a pelvic exam.
Depending on your symptoms, we might take a urine sample, prescribe blood tests, or schedule an on-site ultrasound to evaluate your reproductive organs.
Once we determine the cause of your bleeding, we can recommend appropriate care. For some women, that might mean changing birth control methods, taking contraceptives or other hormone products to regulate bleeding, or suggesting other tests or exams like a hysteroscopy to see inside your uterus or a biopsy to look for signs of cancer.
Don’t ignore irregular periods
While occasional irregularity is normal, persistent or recurrent symptoms usually indicate a need for treatment.
To learn what’s causing your abnormal period and how we can help, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Feminine Urgicare in Paramus, New Jersey, today.