Menstrual Irregularities
Typical menstrual periods last four to seven days, and occur every 21 to 35 days. Women experiencing anything different than that are experiencing menstrual irregularities. Some common irregularities include having a much heavier or lighter menstrual flow, periods occurring less than 21 or more than 35 days apart, and missing three or more periods in a row (without pregnancy).
Heavy periods are also a common complaint from women. This can be caused by an imbalance of the estrogen and progesterone hormones. During a normal menstrual cycle estrogen levels rise, causing the uterine lining to proliferate. Then progesterone levels rise, stabilizing the growing uterine lining. The lining sloughs when both estrogen/progesterone levels drop, followed by the menses/period stage of the cycle. If your body is not making enough estrogen and subsequent progesterone hormones, this lining will destabilize and begin to shed early, commonly causing the bleeding to be heavy.
There are many occurrences that can be linked to causing abnormal menstruation:
- Stress & lifestyle factors.
- Birth Control Contraceptives.
- Medical Conditions.
- Uterine Polyps or Fibroids (non-cancerous growths).
- Endometriosis.
- Bleeding & clotting disorders.
- Thyroid or pituitary gland disorders (disrupting hormones).
- Premature ovarian insufficiency.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
- Uterine or Cervical Cancers.
- Some STDs.
- Cancer therapies (chemo and radiation).
- Miscarriages or Ectopic pregnancies.
- Medications like blood thinners or steroids.
