It is usual for a person’s menstrual cycle to vary in length and result in an irregular period. The other causes of the irregular periods generally include stress, medications, and several other health conditions. If your menstrual cycle is shorter than 24 days or more than 38 days long or if the length varies from month to month, then they generally have an irregular period. In medical language, irregular periods meaning is oligomenorrhea.
It is pretty standard for the menstrual cycle length to depend from month to month, mainly if someone is suffering from puberty, breastfeeding, or approaching menopause. Many other factors will also affect the regularity of the period, like stress, medications, and mental or physical health conditions. In this article, we are going to talk about irregular periods, their causes, and irregular periods treatment.
What Causes Irregular Periods?
Irregular periods or oligomenorrhea generally occur due to several reasons. Lots of them will relate to the hormone levels. Estrogen, progesterone, and the follicle-stimulating hormone are the primary hormones responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle. If something disrupts or alters, these hormones rise and fall every cycle, including irregular periods.
Irregular periods are standard and are not a cause for concern either. The factors that may contribute to the irregular period generally include:
- Natural hormonal shifts
- Hormonal birth control
- Stress
- Endurance exercise
- Weight loss
The following section will look at some of the major causes of the irregular periods in more detail.
Natural Hormonal Changes
During puberty, the body will undergo significant changes. It may take several years for the hormones that will regular the periods to fall into the reliable pattern. At this time, it will become familiar to have irregular periods.
Oligomenorrhea mainly occurs after childbirth and during breastfeeding until the hormones get back to normal after giving birth to a baby. Breastfeeding will suppress the ovulation and cause a person’s period to stop. Medical terminology refers to it as amenorrhea.. The period becomes irregular during perimenopause, which is the first stage of menopause. During this time, hormone levels start falling, and periods will get further apart until a person stops having them altogether.
Starting Birth Control
Hormonal birth control mainly works by stopping the ovulation. It means a person doesn’t have the actual period while using it. Some people don’t have a period at all, and others have withdrawn the bleeding, which seems similar to the period.
When the person starts the pill, patch, and implant or the hormonal intrauterine device, they face irregular bleeding in begging for a few months. It may also become regular as time goes on or stop altogether.
Stopping Birth Control
When a person stops using hormonal birth control, it may also lead to irregular periods. It will usually take time for the body’s hormonal cycle to start working again. Generally, people have the withdrawal bleed 2-4 weeks after stopping the birth control pills. The next bleed is the period. The cycle may take up to 3 months to settle into the regular pattern.
Individuals who experienced irregular periods before using hormonal birth control may experience irregular cycles again after stopping the medicines.
Also Read: Choosing the Right Gynecologist for Pregnancy
How to Cure Irregular Periods Easily
Period irregularities are rather common and don’t require medical attention. Treatment is not necessary for the irregularity caused by puberty, also known as perimenopause or contraception. Also, you might need to speak with your doctor about it if:
- The irregularity is persistent and doesn’t appear to have any cause
- Irregular periods may be related to the medications or the health conditions
- Irregular periods mainly occur with other irregular period symptoms like pelvic pain
- The person wnats to get pregannt
If there is any cause we discussed above, a doctor can diagnose it quickly. The treatment will entirely depend upon the cause of the irregularity. Below, we are going to share the potential treatment recommendations which are:
- Hormone therapy: Birth control, which has the hormones estrogen and progesterone, will help to raise the hormone level and counteract the effects of not ovulating. It also makes bleeds regular and more straightforward to manage or reduce the symptoms of conditions like PCOS, which may also improve the quality of life.
- Reaching a moderate weight: Lack of body and excess fat will also impact menstruation. For those with PCOS who have a high weight of the body, maintaining a healthy weight will lower the insulin level. It also leads to a lower testosterone level and also increases the chances of ovulating as well.
- Nutritional Therapy: If the person wants to lose or gain weight or has an underlying condition affecting their nutrition, they can benefit from the dietitian. They also help a person understand the type of diet that helps them with their unique circumstances and supports hormone health.