Irregular periods (2024)

FAQs

Irregular periods? ›

A woman's periods are irregular if the gap between them is less than 21 days or more than 35 days. Irregular periods can affect anyone who has periods. It's more likely for your periods to be irregular when they first start during puberty, and when you're nearing menopause.

Kaufman says if your periods are consistently irregular, they'd recommend seeing your doctor or gynecologist. Here is what to watch for: Consistently having periods closer than 24 days apart. Consistently having periods longer than seven days.

Normal menstrual cycles range from 21 to 35 days long, with an average of 28 days. Periods usually last from 3 to 7 days. If you always have approximately the same number of days between periods, your menstrual cycle is regular. If your periods don't follow a pattern, they are irregular.

Irregular periods are caused by ovulation problems that can result in infertility. The primary ways a woman's periods can be irregular are having no period (amenorrhea) and having them infrequently (oligomenorrhea).

Various international studies demonstrate that women with irregular period cycles and cycles longer than 35 days usually have Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D helps in regulating the hormones affecting the ovarian functions.

Making lifestyle changes to reduce or manage stress and maintain a healthy body weight may help regulate periods. Meditation and yoga are effective stress management methods. Regular exercise and a healthful diet can help people manage their weight. Getting enough vitamin D may also support a healthy menstrual cycle.

1: Ginger tea

Ginger is beneficial for different diseases and symptoms, including irregular periods. Regular consumption of raw ginger can help to regulate your periods. Ginger contains gingerol that helps lower inflammation in the body. It helps in contracting the uterine muscles and facilitates hormonal balance.

Depending on the underlying cause of your irregular cycles, your doctor may suggest one or more of the following treatments: Prescription medication. Losing or gaining weight (if irregularities are caused by weight-related issues). Hormonal therapies include but are not limited to, birth control.

Irregular periods are more common when you first begin menstruating (around age 9 to 14) or during perimenopause (around age 50 or just before menopause).

What do irregular periods look like? ›

Signs of irregular periods can include: the number of days in between each of your periods is different and keeps changing. the amount of menstrual blood changes from one period to the next. your periods come closer together – less than 25 days from the start of one to the start of the next one.

If a woman is of reproductive age, any other change in her usual pattern by a week or more either way is abnormal, says Scher. Heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods -- including light "spotting" -- and missing a period should all be reported to a doctor, he advises.

LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) produced by pituitary gland stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen and progesterone and will cause the release of the egg. When there are fluctuations in LH, FSH, estrogen, and progesterone, the menstruation cycle gets irregular.

Blood Tests for Late Periods

The blood tests include testing the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin, cortisol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and DHEA. The fluctuations in the levels of these hormones can lead to irregular periods.

Body weight changes, exercise, and stress can all alter menstrual flow, causing light periods. Periods that are lighter than usual are not normally a cause for concern. People often find that their menstrual flow varies from month to month, and some months are simply lighter than others.