Causes And Risk Factors Of Irregular periods!

Are your periods irregular or missed? Almost all women have between 11 and 13 menstrual cycles each year.

Usually, periods are irregular in some women for few years after menstruation starts.

It takes few years for the hormones that control menstruation to reach balance.

Sometimes, periods are irregular when you are near to menopause stage.

The most common causes for irregular periods are pregnancy, miscarriage or recent child birth. If you are not pregnant, the other causes for irregular periods include:

Breast feeding: After pregnancy, breast feeding is the most common cause for irregular periods. Most women can not have their periods regular until they stop breastfeeding.

Hormonal problems: Changes in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which are responsible for menstruation can lead to irregular periods.

Health issues: Problems with your pelvic organs such as PCOS, imperforate hymen or Asherman’s syndrome.

Eating disorders: Bulimia or anorexia can cause irregular periods.

Usage of medications: Medicines such as hormonal birth control methods can cause lighter, more frequent, less frequent, skipped or no periods at all.

Increased physical activity: Doing strenuous exercises can cause irregular periods. Athletes most commonly experience irregular periods.

Excess weight gain or loss: Usually obesity is the most common cause for irregular periods and low body weight can also be cause.

Stress: This is also the most common cause of irregular periods. If you are worried, fatigued or anxious, hormones become unbalanced.

Diet: Poor diet can greatly affect your hormones and thus resulting in missed periods.

Other causes, which can lead to irregular periods include: irregular usage of drugs, travel, break in usual routine, and illness like thyroid conditions.

Usually, irregular periods are of two types. One is long-term irregularity and the other is sudden or short-term irregularity.

Long-term irregularity: Sometimes menstrual bleeding can last for several days. You can experience excessive bleeding for the entire month. If you have severe pain and prolonged periods, it is better to consult your gynecologist.

Sudden or short-term irregularity: This is due to various causes that are listed above. These irregularities are generally one off or sporadic occurrence. Usually, this is not cause of concern unless you experience any pain.

For most women, irregular periods are not a concern. If you experience irregular periods for a year, have severe cramping, heavy menstrual bleeding, nausea, dizziness, you should visit your doctor. Other risk factors that can cause irregular periods include:

Inflammatory bowel syndrome: Bowel disorders can cause inflammation of lower intestines, which again lead to period irregularity. Sometimes, it is accompanied by abdominal pain, weight loss, or diarrhea.

PCOS: 10% of women have PCOS in their lifetime. PCOS leads to the growth of cysts on your ovaries and disturbs ovulation. If PCOS left untreated, it can lead to severe complications like ovarian cancer, heart disease and endometriosis.

You will find few treatments that help in regulating your menstrual periods. They include:

Hormonal supplements: If you have high levels of testosterone hormone, usage of hormonal supplements can regulate your periods.

Hormonal contraceptives: You will find hormonal contraceptives in various forms such as oral, ring, patch, or injectable forms.