Missing out on your periods or irregular periods once in a while is common. However, the problem arises when irregular periods become every month s story. The irregularity can be an amalgamation of a host of factors. Ignoring the same for long will only complicate things further. For women of reproductive age, the problem can give rise to deleterious consequences, including difficulties in conceiving. In this article, we will discuss some of the common triggers that result in irregular periods and when to seek medical help.

What causes Irregular Periods?
The hormonal balance plays a significant role in the proper functioning of the vital organs of the body. More than often, irregular periods are found to be a manifestation of hormonal imbalance. Some of the conditions that trigger the hormonal imbalance include

PCO is a common medical condition that affects women of reproductive age. PCOS is characterized by the formation of cysts in the ovary (one or both) that affects the ovulation process. In PCOS, there is an increased production of Androgen, especially Testosterone that can cause irregular periods, hair fall, facial hair, weight gain etc.

Time and again doctors and health professionals emphasize the importance of leading a stress-free life. Research suggests stress and anxiety often interfere with the functioning of the Hypothalamus. As a result, the pituitary glands that control and regulate the activities of the ovaries, adrenal glands, and thyroid glands may be affected. These can also trigger a hormonal imbalance giving rise to menstrual problems such as Irregular periods. In case of extreme stress, there may be a short-term cessation of periods (Secondary Amenorrhea).

The hormonal imbalance and irregular periods can also be an outcome of other medical conditions such as endometriosis, a cancer affecting the reproductive organs, fibroids, obesity, diabetes, hyperprolactinemia (characterized by elevated level of prolactin) or even thyroid disorders.

Women who indulge in strict dieting can also suffer from irregular periods. Strict dieting (especially the ones that are without a proper nutritional guidance) can rob the body of the essential nutrients disrupting the hormonal balance.

Irregular periods are normal in women who are nearing their menopause.

When to seek medical assistance?
Irregular periods can be indicative of a severe health problem. Consult a gynecologist

If your regular cycles get delayed by more than 7 days.

There is spotting or bleeding in between the periods.

Your periods last for more than ten days or less than two days.

There is excruciating pain during periods.

The gap between two successive menstrual cycles is more than 35 days or less than 21 days.

Your periods are heavy and unmanageable, affecting your daily routine.

Irregular Periods - When To See A Gynaecologist?

What Causes Light Periods in Women?

Light periods refer to menstrual periods that have very light flow and are characterized by a lesser number of days than usual. Although the menstrual cycles vary from a woman to another, the duration for a normal period is around every 28 days. Each period lasts for approximately four to seven days. The amount of blood loss in a normal period is around 20 ml to 80 ml. However, loss of blood below 20 ml can be considered as light periods.

The causes of light periods can vary for different woman. Some of them are:

- An imbalance in hormone levels in the body like PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease).

- Light periods are most common in women who are approaching menopause. This is because, at this time, women tend to produce less estrogen, a hormone responsible for regulating menstrual periods.

- Light periods can be common in girls who have just started to menstruate.

- Excessive bouts of exercise, a thyroid condition or an eating disorder can be also responsible for light periods in women.

- Women who use hormonal or oral contraceptives may also have a chance of experiencing light periods.

- An important cause of scanty menses is implantation bleeding. That means sometimes, despite being pregnant, little amount of bleeding can happen at the expected time of menses in the first three months of Pregnancy. So it's important to rule out pregnancy at the earliest.

Certain symptoms usually follow light periods. These symptoms vary according to the underlying causes of this condition.

Some of the common symptoms which accompany light periods are:

- Abdominal pain
- Frequent infections, namely yeast and other fungal infections
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Missed periods

In some cases, light periods might turn out to be a sign of a fatal condition that should be immediately administered to. An example of such would be an ectopic pregnancy, which can cause light or heavy bleeding. Although light periods are rarely due to serious diseases, neglect can lead to heightened complications and irreversible damage.

Some of the complications can are:

- Serious discomfort and pain
- Difficulty in conception or infertility
- Osteoporosis and osteopenia



What causes light periods in women?

Keeping track of your cycle probably doesn't sound that interesting or important, but you can benefit a lot by doing that. There are changes that your body goes through and there are specific times when you are ovulating; knowing all these would make your life a lot easier, which is only possible by tracking your period.

1.   Know about your body: Getting your period every 28 days has always been considered normal but only 15% of women get their periods on the clock. Many factors such as stress, illness, exercise, etc. can cause delay in  your period. This is where tracking your cycle can help you find the pattern that is specific to your body condition. During your cycle there are lots of changes happening in your body. The hormones cause a change in the fluid produced from your cervix and also lead the basal temperature of your body to increase. Monitoring these changes through tracking your cycle is known as the symptothermal method. By this way you know about how fascinatingly your body works.

2.   Desire to get pregnant: Tracking your cycle will help you get pregnant. During your cycle, there is a specific time which heightens the possibility of conceiving. The fluid production from the cervix due to hormonal change is the cause of such possibility. Knowing your cycle can take out the stress from trying to get pregnant and it can also help determine any abnormalities that are preventing your pregnancy.

3. Avoid pregnancy: If you know the time when you are most likely to get pregnant through tracking, you obviously know when not to have sex, if you are trying to avoid pregnancy. Using symptothermal method for the purpose of birth control has proven to be 99.6% effective, which is higher than birth control medications.

4. Health benefits: You can reap a lot of health benefits by tracking your cycle. Conditions like fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis are quite common in women, which can be detected by tracking your period. If anything is wrong in your reproductive system, the cycle will indicate it.

4 Reasons To Keep Track Of Your Periods

The amount of emotional upheaval that periods, or no periods (for that matter) can cause, is something that every woman is aware of. It's normal to miss your period for different reasons occasionally, but it is a matter of concern if this absence persists over a period of time. The condition is then termed as a case of secondary amenorrhea. Although most people are quick to consider pregnancy while dealing with the various reasons for missed periods, there are a number of possibilities which are seldom mulled over, but should be considered in order to take effective precautions and seek proper medical care:

1. Weight
Body weight is responsible for affecting hypothalamus and this may, in turn, upset your menstrual cycle. BMI level under 18-19 may result in triggering irregularities since enough estrogen will not be created. This is also why underweight women, who suffer from bulimia or anorexia, tend to miss their periods frequently. 

On the other hand, overweight women may stop ovulating due to increase in the production of estrogen and therefore, have heavy, infrequent periods. Therefore, it is essential that body weight be regulated to avoid any disappointment at 'the time of the month.'

2. Stress
Any type of physical or emotional stress is bound to affect your cycle. This is because, the production of stress hormones in the body increases and an elevated level of adrenaline and cortisol may impair the functioning of the reproductive system. Under stressful situations, the body employs its amino acids to assist the neurotransmitters to produce stress hormones over sex hormones. As a consequence, the chances of missing your periods increase.

3. Exercising Too Much
While regular workout is indispensable for battling a sedentary lifestyle, overdoing it might cause your body to produce lesser estrogen and delay your periods. Women, who are into athletics and gymnastics, are more likely to suffer from amenorrhea. In fact, other aspects of over-exercising, like sleeping less, fasting, and infections also contribute to such irregularities.

4. Breastfeeding
Prolactin is the hormone that aids in milk production and may also repress ovulation for a while. Many breastfeeding moms may not get their periods for a month or more as a result. But this doesn't do away with your chances of getting pregnant. A span of three months is expected to pass before the abnormalities are done away with.

5. Food Allergies
Celiac disease or untreated gluten allergy can directly harm hormone production. They are directly related to your gut health and your adrenal glands which is why they can influence the sex hormone creation.


5 Reasons For Absent Periods

Most women attain menopause between the ages of late 40s and early 60s, the average age being about 51. This is an important milestone in a women's gynecological history. One major change is altered female hormone levels, and this leads to a lot of physiological changes. From hot flashes to mood swings, there is also increased predisposition to osteoporosis and uterine cancer.

If you have not had your menstrual cycles for close to 12 months, chances are you are into menopause. So, that means absolutely no vaginal bleeding anymore whatsoever. However, if you experience bleeding, even spotting, be on the alert. It is not normal and needs to be examined, and if required, diagnosed and treated.

Postmenopausal bleeding or PMB, as it is popularly called, can be due to a variety of reasons. While it could be something as trivial as inflammation of the uterine or vaginal lining, it could also be an indication of more severe issues like cancer.

Atrophic vaginitis: Decreasing hormonal levels lead to increased dryness and therefore inflammation of the vaginal and uterine tissue. This is one of the common causes of bleeding after menopause.

Endometrial atrophy: Also caused by lower hormone levels, the lining of the body of the uterus gradually thins down and can get inflamed.
Polyps: Noncancerous growths in the uterus, cervix, vulva, or vagina can also lead to bleeding.

Infections: General infection of any area along the uterine tract could lead to occasional bleeding.

Cancers: Though only 1 in 10 PMB cases turn out to be cancers, the prognosis improves with early diagnosis and intervention.

Diagnosis: As repeated above, reach out to your doctor if you notice postmenopausal bleeding.  

Diagnostic methods could include the following:
1. Physical exam
2. Transvaginal ultrasound
3. Endometrial biopsy
4. Hysteroscopy
5. Dilatation and Curettage

Treatment: Needless to say, this would depend on the diagnosis. For very minor cases with diagnosis like altered hormone levels, no treatment may be required other than modification of the hormone replacement therapy. For endometrial atrophy and atrophic vaginitis, use of estrogen creams and pessaries would be sufficient. Polyps would require removal followed by cauterization (application of slight heat) to stop the bleeding.

Cancer: This would depend on the type and location and require a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.  Removal of the uterus also may be required in some cases. So, if you have had bleeding of any sort after a year of menopause, do not ignore it. 


Is Postmenopausal Bleeding Normal?

7 causes of heavy menstrual bleeding you must know about

Heavy menstrual bleeding, also known as Menorrhagia, refers to the state of abnormally heavy bleeding during periods. It's common for women at the premenopausal stage of their life to experience heavy bleeding during periods; but if you are not among them, heavy menstrual bleeding is a matter of severe concern.

If you normally lose a lot of blood during your periods or experience severe cramps that prevent you from leading your normal lifestyle, you must first identify the cause of it.

Here are some of the most common conditions that are responsible for causing Menorrhagia.

Disturbed hormonal balance: Menstruation involves the shedding of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), whose build-up is generally controlled by the balance between oestrogen and progesterone, the two significant hormones of your body. It sometimes happens that there is excess endometrium generation due to disturbed hormonal balance, which results in heavy menstrual bleeding.

Polyps: Sometimes heavy menstrual bleeding occurs due to the occurrence of uterine polyps, which are tiny growths appearing on the uterus lining. This condition is mostly prevalent among women of child-bearing age caused due to raised levels of hormones.

Intrauterine device (IUD): People who use birth control methods like intrauterine device or IUD are likely to experience certain side effects which include heavy menstrual bleeding. If the cause behind your menorrhagia is an IUD, you might need to remove it to get relief from the condition.

Pregnancy complications: If you experience your period later than usual and it is associated with excessive bleeding, it may be caused by a miscarriage. Moreover, you might also experience menorrhagia incase of an ectopic pregnancy, a condition when the fertilized egg is implanted within the fallopian tube in place of the uterus.

Uterine fibroids: Women of reproductive age may develop noncancerous (benign) tumours in the uterus known as uterine fibroids. These fibroids can be responsible for giving you periods lasting longer than usual accompanied with excessive bleeding.

Cancer: Though it is a rare case, sometimes the reason behind heavy menstrual bleeding may be uterine cancer, cervical cancer or ovarian cancer.

Medications: consumption of certain prescription drugs such as anticoagulants and anti-inflammatory medicines may lead to prolonged or excessive menstrual bleeding.





7 Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding You Must Know About

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