Irregular Menstrual Periods: Causes & Treatments

 
Menstruation is the time of month when the womb (uterus) sheds its lining and vaginal bleeding occurs. This is known as a menstrual period.

Periods vary widely from woman to woman. Some periods are punctual, some are unpredictable. On average, a woman gets her period every 21 to 35 days. A period usually lasts about three to five days. Irregular periods may require treatment.

An irregular period means variations in the interval length between periods. The amount of blood lost, as well as the duration of bleeding may also vary. The causes of irregular periods vary, and treatment options are based on the actual causes.
There are different names for different types of irregular periods:

   * Oligomenorrhea refers to infrequent periods. The time between periods is typically 35 days or more. Women with oligomenorrhea have fewer than six to eight periods a year.
   * Metrorrhagia refers to irregular but frequent periods.
   * Menometrorrhagia refers to longer or heavier periods that are irregular but frequent.
   * Amenorrhea refers to an absence of periods for three to six months or longer.

The following could cause irregular periods:

1.  Breastfeeding

2.  Caffeine consumption

3.  Chemotherapy

4.  Childbirth

5.  Gaining or losing lots of weight

6.  Medications

7.  Eating disorders

8.  Exercising too much

9.  Hormone imbalance

10. Miscarriage

11. Nutritional factors - sometimes a diet that is too high in carbohydrates

12. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

13. Smoking

14. Too much stress

15. Uterine fibroids, cysts, polyps, and endometriosis

Treatment Of Irregular Periods

Usually, no treatment is needed for irregular periods caused by puberty and menopause unless they are excessive or bothersome. It is also normal for your period to stop when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Other causes may require treatment.

Treating underlying disease.
  Irregular periods may be caused by some underlying diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hypothyroidism.  It is important to treat any of such diseases to correct the abnormality.

Changing your method of contraception.
  Some women develop irregular periods when using an IUD.  Such people should discuss changing to another method of contraception with their doctors

Lifestyle changes.
  Stress leads to many body changes, including irregular periods. Relaxation techniques, stress management or counselling may be helpful.

Extreme changes in weight can affect your periods.
   Weight gain can interfere with the body's ability to ovulate, which controls your menstrual cycle. Losing weight may help resolve irregular periods. Extreme sudden weight loss can also lead to infrequent or irregular periods.

Oral Contraceptives.
   Oral contraceptives often containing the hormones estrogen and progesterone are commonly prescribed to help control irregular periods, which is as a result of hormonal imbalance.

Surgery.
  Irregular periods that are caused by scarring or structural problems in the uterus (womb) or fallopian tube can be corrected by surgery.



Sources:

WebMD.com

NHS.uk