Live Life Team
Menstruation in women starts at puberty or 10-16 years of age and goes on till menopause or till 45-55 years of age. One menstrual cycle can range between 24 to 35 days with the bleeding period lasting between 2 to 7 days. Once menstruation begins, it does take about two years for the menstrual cycle to regularize into a consistency of bleeding period and the length of time between two periods. However, in some women, the irregularities last much longer and they have large variations in the time between periods, extent of bleeding during periods and the number of days periods last.
Causes
There could myriad causes leading to irregularities in the pattern of menstrual cycle. It is common to have these irregularities for couple of years after puberty and just before menopause, as these times are prone to hormone imbalances. There can be changes in length of cycle between periods, in the length of periods or in the blood flow and normally do need treatment during these times. However, abnormal irregularities which appear much after puberty are the ones to be careful about. The causes include:
Stress – physical or psychological
Method of contraception – IUD or the pill may cause excessive bleeding during periods and some blood spotting between two periods. When beginning to use contraceptive pills, small or breakthrough bleeds may occur which are shorter and less heavy than normal bleeding during periods and disappears in few months.
Imbalance in the female hormones – oestrogen and progesterone – due to heavy physical exercise, emotional stress, unusual weight gain or loss or any other illness can be a possible cause of irregular menstrual cycle.
Bleeding irregularities can also be attributed to miscarriage or unexpected pregnancy or abnormal conditions in the ovaries or womb. An ultrasound and pregnancy test can determine the possible cause.
Malfunctioning of the thyroid gland causes imbalance in the hormone production and body’s metabolic system, thus affecting a women’s menstrual cycle.
Medical health history
Bleeding between periods and with intercourse can sometimes be indicative of cervix cancer and needs to be diagnosed with examination plus biopsy of cervix and vagina, tests like colposcopy, CT or MRI scan and pelvic scan.
Treatment
Treatment is always dependant on the cause of the condition or disorder. The various treatments include
If IUD is introduced recently and is causing irregularities in periods for longer than few months, the GP might advise to use an alternate contraception method. If recent use of a contraceptive pill seems to be the possible cause, your GP might suggest a replacement.
Hyperthyroidism (over activity of thyroid gland) can be treated through medication that reduces thyroid hormone production, by radioactive iodine treatment or by surgery which removes a part of the gland. Hypothyroidism (under activity of thyroid gland) can be tackled through medication, thyroxine. These treatments should work to bring the menstrual cycle back on track.
Physical or mental stress or unusual loss of weight can be discussed with the GP and can be taken care of through self-help and professional counseling like relaxation techniques, stress management.
If cancer is detected, the suitable treatment would depend on the type of tumor or cancer.
If irregular periods pose a problem in conception, synthetic hormone treatment can help to regularize ovulation.
