Why Periods Are Irregular Or Late In Women And How To Deal With It?

Many women faces irregular periods problem in their life. It greatly affects their daily life and routine. The Period or menstrual cycle in a woman's body is a hormonal process to prepare for a possible pregnancy. If menstrual periods are regular between puberty and menopause then it is a sign that your body is working normally. 

But if periods are irregular or heavy and painful then it is a sign that woman's body is not working normally. Due to irregular periods problem, many women also get premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms (like bloating, headaches and moodiness). If you are having this problem, you must talk to your doctor or nurse for the treatments as per your condition.

Regular periods or menstruation cycles are a sign that your body is working normally. You should have regular periods unless you are pregnant, breastfeeding, postmenopausal, or have a medical condition that causes your periods to stop. Your irregular, painful, or heavy periods may be signs of a serious health problems. Irregular periods also can make it harder to get pregnant. 

Most women’s menstrual cycles range between 21 to 35 days, or up to 45 days for teens. Bleeding usually lasts between three to seven days. It is important for women to get to know their own pattern because every woman's body is different.

CAUSES OF IRREGULAR PERIODS

Menstrual irregularities can have a variety of causes, including pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, infections, diseases, trauma, and certain medications.

1. Perimenopause (generally in the late 40s and early 50s)

2. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) -

It is a reproductive health problems that occurs when a woman's ovaries stop working normally before she is 40. POI is not the same as early menopause. Some women with POI still get a period now and then. But ovulation problems can make getting pregnant hard for women with POI.

3. Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa or bulimia),

4. Excessive exercise,

5. Thyroid dysfunction (too much or too little thyroid hormone),

6. Elevated levels of the hormone prolactin, which is made by the pituitary gland to help the body produce milk,

7. Uncontrolled diabetes,

8. Cushing's syndrome (elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, used in the body's response to stress),

9. Late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia (problem with the adrenal gland),

10. Hormonal birth control (birth control pills, injections, or implants),

11. Hormone-containing intrauterine devices (IUDs),

12. Scarring within the uterine cavity (Asherman's syndrome),

13. Medications, such as those to treat epilepsy or mental health problems,

14. Obesity,

COMMON TREATMENTS FOR IRREGULAR PERIODS

There are some common treatments available to treat irregular period problem. These treatments can be different and based on type of irregularity and lifestyle factors.

Treatment for menstrual irregularities that are due to an ovulatory bleeding (absent periods, infrequent periods, and irregular periods) include:

1. Oral contraceptives
2. Cyclic progestin
3. Treatments for an underlying disorder that is causing the menstrual problem, such as counseling and nutritional therapy for an eating disorder

Treatment for menstrual irregularities that are due to ovulatory bleeding (heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding) include:

1. Insertion of a hormone-releasing intrauterine device
2. Use of various medications (such as those containing progestin or tranexamic acid) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications

If the cause is structural or if medical management is ineffective, then the following may be considered:

1. Surgical removal of polyps or uterine fibroids
2. Uterine artery embolization, a procedure to block blood flow to the uterus
3. Endometrial ablation, a procedure to cauterize (remove or close off by burning) blood vessels in the endometrial lining of the uterus
4. Hysterectomy

Treatment for dysmenorrhea (painful periods) include:

1. Applying a heating pad to the abdomen
2. Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications
3. Taking contraceptives, including injectable hormone therapy or birth control pills, using varied or less common treatment regimens

BOTTOM LINE:

Various studies have been conducted to understand and treatment for irregular periods. Result form a study showed that smoking status, pack-year, obesity, and perceived level of stress were significantly associated with irregular menstruation among premenopausal women. Hormonal changes greatly affect woman's body during period time. You must visit to your doctor or nurse if you have irregular period problem. At your end, you should eat good food rich in iron, calcium and vitamins. Avoid food which causes bloating. Sleep and take rest. 

Reference:

1. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/

2. https://www.womenshealth.gov/

3. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/

Best Tips To Live Well During Your Menstruation Cycle

Women has so much to worry about in their life. Menstrual cycle is one of them. Don't get confused with menstrual and menstruation, both are same. Menstruation cycle a general problem bur may come with pain. The menstrual cycle is a hormonal process occurs inside a women body.

WHAT IS IT?

Menstruation is the cyclic, orderly sloughing of the uterine lining, in response to the interactions of hormones produced by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries. The menstrual cycle may be divided into two phases: 

(1) follicular or proliferative phase, and 

(2) the luteal or secretory phase.

The length of a menstrual cycle is the number of days between the first day of menstrual bleeding of one cycle to the onset of menses of the next cycle. The median duration of a menstrual cycle is 28 days with most cycle lengths between 25 to 30 days.
The menstrual cycle is the hormonal process a woman’s body goes through each month to prepare for a possible pregnancy. Regular menstrual periods in the years between puberty and menopause are usually a sign that your body is working normally. 

Irregular or heavy, painful periods are not normal. Many women also get premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. You can take steps at home and talk to your doctor or nurse about ways to treat your period problems and PMS.

WHAT IS OVULATION? 

Ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg so it can be fertilized by a sperm in order to make a baby. A woman is most likely to get pregnant if she has sex without birth control in the three days before and up to the day of ovulation (since the sperm are already in place and ready to fertilize the egg as soon as it is released). 

A man’s sperm can live for 3 to 5 days in a woman’s reproductive organs, but a woman’s egg lives for just 12 to 24 hours after ovulation.

Each woman’s cycle length may be different, and the time between ovulation and when the next period starts can be anywhere from one week (7 days) to more than 2 weeks (19 days).

At different times in a woman’s life, ovulation may or may not happen:

Women who are pregnant do not ovulate.

Women who are breastfeeding may or may not ovulate. Women who are breastfeeding should talk to their doctor about birth control methods if they do not want to get pregnant. During perimenopause, the transition to menopause, you may not ovulate every month.

After menopause you do not ovulate.

WHEN A GIRL GETS HER FIRST PERIOD?

The average age for a girl to get her first period is 12. This does not mean that all girls start at the same age. Every girls has different physiology.

A girl may start her period anytime between 8 and 15. The first period normally starts about two years after breasts first start to develop and pubic hair begins to grow. The age at which a girl’s mother started her period can help predict when a girl may start her period.

IS AGE MATTERS?

Women who are above 50 may not get menstrual cycles. On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life. Most women have regular periods until perimenopause, the time when your body begins the change to menopause. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years. During this time, your period may not come regularly. 

Menopause happens when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row. For most women, this happens between the ages of 45 and 55. 

Periods also stop during pregnancy and may not come back right away if you breastfeed.

But if you don’t have a period for 90 days (three months), and you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will check for pregnancy or a health problem that can cause periods to stop or become irregular.

You can live healthy and hygienically during your menstrual days. There are some easy tips to treat yourself good.

KEEPING TRACK OF MC

It is good to track your menstrual cycle because it affects your health. If your periods are regular, tracking them will help you know when you ovulate, when you are most likely to get pregnant, and when to expect your next period to start.

If you have period pain or bleeding that causes you to miss school or work, tracking these period symptoms will help you and your doctor or nurse find treatments that work for you. Severe pain or bleeding that causes you to miss regular activities is not normal and can be treated.

If your periods are not regular, tracking them can help you share any problems with your doctor or nurse.

BLEEDING HAPPENS

The average woman loses about two to three tablespoons of blood during her period. Your periods may be lighter or heavier than the average amount. What is normal for you may not be the same for someone else. Also, the flow may be lighter or heavier from month to month.

Your periods may also change as you get older. Some women have heavy bleeding during perimenopause, the transition to menopause. 

Take care of yourself because bleeding may weakens you.

MAINTAIN YOUR PERSONAL HYGIENE

Your personal hygiene is most important. Most women change their pads every few hours. Follow the instructions that came with your period product. Try to change or rinse your feminine hygiene product before it becomes soaked through or full.

A tampon (blood absorbent) should not be worn for more than 8 hours because of the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). 

Menstrual cups and sponges may only need to be rinsed once or twice a day.

Period panties (underwear with washable menstrual pads sewn in) can usually last about a day, depending on the style and your flow.

Use a product appropriate in size and absorbency for your menstrual bleeding. The amount of menstrual blood usually changes during a period. Some women use different products on different days of their period, depending on how heavy or light the bleeding is.

EAT HEALTHY

During menstrual period your mood swings happen often. You may crave for foods. Without proper knowledge, you can eat wrong food. Eating right food during you menstrual helps you to live well and healthy. 

Eat protein, calcium, magnesium rich foods like eggs, paneer, glass of warm milk, leafy greens etc. These foods provides energy and nutrients to your body. Omega-3 fatty acid found helpful to fight PMS (premenstrual syndrome.

Your menstrual pain is natural and you can handle this. Just understand your body and treat it with utmost important. Eat healthy and maintain your personal hygiene.

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