A Sudden Change In Menstrual Cycle Length? What's The Cause?

Overview

Your menstrual cycle is the result of complex bodily processes. Over time, your cycle will evolve and change. This can be attributed to normal age-related hormonal changes or to other factors, including lifestyle, stress, medications, and certain medical conditions.

Your cycle can change abruptly at times. It can be difficult to determine whether or not you should be concerned.

Here's everything you need to know about a dramatic shift in menstrual cycle duration, such as the different kinds of changes, the most frequent reason and when you should see your doctor.

What Is the Menstrual Cycle?

The menstrual cycle is the monthly series of hormonal shifts that a female body goes through in order to prepare for pregnancy. Ovulation is the act through which one of the ovaries develops an egg each month. Hormonal fluctuations also condition the uterus for conception.

What Is The Typical Length Of A Menstrual Cycle?

Menstrual cycles will begin roughly every month when you reach puberty, which is usually between the ages of 10 and 16. Your menstrual cycle differs in length, but the moment between the onset of one period and the onset of the next is basically twenty-eight days. The average length of your menstrual cycle is three to five days, but anything between one to eight days is considered okay.

Except when you are pregnant or lactating, your cycles must be regular. This process continues until menopause, which commonly happens around the age of 50. A natural drop in oestrogen levels causes menopause.

How To Track Menstrual Cycle?

Begin tracking your menstrual cycle on a calendar to determine what is normal for you. To evaluate the regularity of your periods, start by keeping track of your start date each month for several months.

If you're worried about your periods, record the following:

• End Date. Is your cycle taking the same amount of time as usual? Or has it ended earlier than normal?
• Bleeding. Are you bleeding between periods?
• Flow. How heavy is your flow? You can determine this by noting how often you need to change your napkins or sanitary protection items (tampons, Diva cups, etc.)
• Pain. Evaluate any period pain you are experiencing. Is the pain getting worse than normal?

Other changes should be noted as well. 

What Causes Irregular Menstrual Cycle?

Are you worried about a missed menstruation but confident you are not pregnant? There are several causes other than pregnancy for late or skipped periods. From hormone abnormalities to major medical conditions, there are several common causes.

Your period is also likely to be irregular at two other times: when it first starts and when the menopause transition starts. As your body goes through these shifts, your cycle may become irregular.

Most women who have not been in the menopausal stage have it every 28 days. Contrarily, a typical menstrual cycle might last anywhere between 21 and 40 days. Your period may be outside of these limits for one of the factors listed below:

• Being Overweight

In addition to hormonal changes caused by being underweight, being overweight can also result in abnormalities. Obesity can generate an excess of oestrogen. Excessive oestrogen can disrupt your cycle and even cause your periods to stop completely.

If your doctor determines that obesity is a contributing factor to your irregular or missed periods, they might advise you to lose weight through changes in your lifestyle, such as eating more nutrient-dense foods and exercising.

• Stress

This may interfere with your hormones, your everyday schedule, and even the portion of your brain that controls your monthly cycle (hypothalamus). Your cycle may be disrupted by stress-related illnesses or fast weight gain or reduction.

If you assume that stress is going to interfere with your period, try relaxation exercises and make lifestyle changes.

Chronic stress can have an influence on other medical problems, so dealing with it on your own or with the assistance of a medical expert is an essential part of caring for your overall well-being.

• Low Body Weight

Individuals with eating disorders may experience irregular periods. Excessive weight loss can cause irregular periods and even the withdrawal of your cycle. This is due to the fact that a lack of body fat can induce ovulation to be postponed.

You may be able to lengthen your cycle by getting treatment for your eating issue and restoring your ideal body fat. Marathon runners and other extreme athletes may also experience irregular cycles.

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Your body starts to produce more androgen as a result of this. On the ovaries, cysts develop as a result of hormonal imbalance. This may cause ovulation to become erratic or cease altogether.

PCOS causes more androgen hormones, causing a hormonal imbalance, which produces a cyst on the ovaries.

Other hormones, including insulin, may become unbalanced as well. This is owing to the frequent correlation between PCOS and insulin resistance. Symptom alleviation is the main goal of PCOS treatment. Your doctor might prescribe birth control or another drug to help you manage your cycle.

• Chronic Diseases

Two types of chronic diseases that can impact your menstrual cycle include celiac disease and diabetes. Because blood sugar variations are connected to hormonal changes, uncontrolled diabetes may cause irregular periods.

Celiac disease causes small intestine inflammation, which may help stop your body from absorbing essential nutrients. This may result in an irregular or missed period.

Other chronic conditions that can cause irregular cycle patterns are the following:

- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

- Asherman’s syndrome

- Cushing syndrome

• Contraceptive Pills

Your cycle may change if you begin or stop using birth control. The hormones oestrogen and progestin used in birth control supplements prevent your ovaries from generating eggs. It may take up to three months after stopping the medication for your cycle to become normal. Other implanted or intravenously administered forms of contraception may also result in missed cycles.

• Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

For people with vaginas, menopause often starts between the ages of 40 and 50. Early natural menopause, sometimes referred to as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), may be the cause of symptoms that begin at the age of 40 or earlier.

In the United States, 1% of women are affected by POI. While surgical removal procedures of the ovaries can cause this issue, other reasons include genetic disorders and autoimmune conditions.

Consult your doctor about POI testing and treatment if you're under 40 and suffering missed periods.

• Thyroid Issues

A thyroid gland that is hyperactive or underactive may be the cause of missed or delayed periods. Hormone levels can be impacted since the thyroid controls your body's metabolism. Medication is typically effective in treating thyroid issues. After treatment, your menstruation will probably resume as normal.

What Can You Do To Avoid Menstrual Irregularities?

There are numerous factors that some women might use to control their menstrual periods. It may be beneficial to receive treatment for any underlying conditions, including an eating disorder. But certain menstrual irregularities are unavoidable.

Consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Your periods have abruptly stopped for more than 90 days — and you are not pregnant.
• You've been bleeding for more than 6 days.
• You experience excruciating pain during your period.
• Your cycles are less than 21 days apart or more than 35 days apart.
• Your periods become erratic after being regular.
• You bleed more or use more than one pad or tampon every hour or two.

When Should You See Your Doctor?

There are a lot of potential diseases and causes, so you should consult a doctor right immediately if your cycles are erratic or you've missed a period but are certain you are not pregnant.

Your doctor will be able to diagnose the cause of your missed or late period correctly and will discuss your treatment options with you. Keep track of any changes to your cycle, as well as any other health changes. This will help them make a precise diagnosis.

If you are suffering any of the following signs, see a healthcare provider right away:

• Severe pain
• Bleeding
• Vomiting and nausea
• Bleeding lasting more than seven days
• bleeding after entering menopause and not having periods for at least a year

Take Away

Every menstrual cycle is unique, just like every individual. Although cycles typically last 28 days, they can last anywhere from 28 to 39 days. Numerous factors, such as persistent stress, weight gain or reduction, and stopping or starting birth control, can cause cycle irregularities.

Consult your healthcare practitioner immediately away if you've discovered that your cycle has been unreliable or if you missed a period and are certain you are not pregnant. You can begin working on re-regulating your cycle as soon as a diagnosis is made.

If you’re looking for menstruation pain relief, you may try products at Welzo.com, such as Ibuprofen, Biofreeze pain relief gel, and Nurofen.

Want to learn more about the menstrual cycle? Read our articles below!

- Phases of the menstrual cycle

- Why does progesterone increase after ovulation?

- Why do I have serious period pain on the first day?

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