Why Are My Periods Irregular?

Common Causes of Changes in Your Menstrual Cycle

If you’ve noticed that you’re getting your period less frequently or it’s changed in some way, you may be feeling concerned. While everyone’s cycle is different and it’s normal to have slight variations in your period, you’re probably wondering what caused the change. Many different factors can be behind changes in your period, including fluctuating hormone levels, some health conditions or medications, stress, and more.

Normal menstrual periods can last between four to seven days and usually occur every twenty-eight days, with the average cycle being 29 days. An irregular period would occur fewer than twenty-one days or more than thirty-five days apart. Your period is also considered irregular if it’s much heavier or lighter than usual or if you miss three or more periods in a row. Bleeding or spotting between periods, after sex, or after menopause is also considered irregular. Now that we’ve defined what an “irregular” period is, we can explain the causes behind it.

What Causes Irregular Periods?

Perimenopause

During perimenopause, the transitional phase leading to menopause, women between 40 and 50 will experience hormonal changes that could include irregular periods. During perimenopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate from month to month, which can cause your cycle to change. Your periods can be heavier or lighter than usual or longer or shorter than usual. You could also experience longer times between cycles, and you could skip a cycle altogether.

Lifestyle and Stress

Stress and changes to your lifestyle can affect your cycle at any age. If you suffer from a great deal of stress, your period can become irregular. Losing or gaining a large amount of weight can also affect your cycle, as can extreme exercise that results in low body fat.

Medications and Health Conditions

If you’ve been using birth control pills but then stop, you may have irregular periods for up to six months afterwards. Some medications such as blood thinners or steroids, can also affect your period. If you’re breastfeeding or have had a miscarriage, these can affect your cycle as well.

Medical Conditions

Medical conditions that cause irregular periods include endometriosis, where endometrial tissue grows outside of your uterus; pelvic inflammatory disease, a bacterial infection; polycystic ovary syndrome, when your ovaries produce hormones that prevent or delay ovulation; thyroid or pituitary gland disorders; and uterine or ovarian cancer. That’s why it’s important to consult a medical professional if you notice changes to your cycle.

Contact Us Today

While you may feel unsettled by an irregular period, there are lots of things you can do to feel better and help get your cycle back on track. At Panacea Health Haven, we provide personalized care for women experiencing perimenopause symptoms and menopause symptoms, with customized treatment plans designed to restore your balance, energy, and confidence.

Our telehealth medicine and other services, including HRT therapy, are available to those in Panama City, FL; Niceville, FL; Crestview, FL; Miramar Beach, FL; Pensacola, FL; and everywhere in the state of Florida. Contact us today to learn more.