What to Know About Abnormal Periods?

What is Abnormal Menstruation?

Usually, the amount of time between menstrual periods is 7 days. However, women experiencing abnormal periods may face extra days with heavy bleeding or are more likely to experience menstruation twice within a month. Missing periods for more than 3 months or undergoing heavy or lighter menstruation are also considered abnormal menstruation (Valiaveettil, et al, 2019).

Some of the most common examples of abnormal periods include light or heavy menstrual flow, periods that do not last 7 days but more, periods associated with extreme cramps, pain, vomiting, or nausea, heavy blood clots every month, and menstruation that occur more than 35 days or less than 21 days. All these problems are associated with abnormal bleeding.

Other conditions may include

• Amenorrhea

In this condition, periods are completely stopped in females with the absence of periods for more than 3 months. If a woman is pregnant, experiences premenopause, or breastfeeds an infant, she has nothing to do with abnormal bleeding. However, a teenager or a young woman who has not gone through periods within 3 months is more prone to amenorrhea (Levy, et al, 1980).

• Oligomenorrhea

Women who have a menstrual cycle that varies from month to month and extend it to 42 days are known to have irregular periods. For instance, if a woman has one period cycle after 24 days, but the next menstruation occurs after 42 days, she might have irregular periods. This condition is often known as oligomenorrhea by physicians.

• Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is defined as a condition with painful menstrual cramps or severe pain. A little discomfort and cramps are normal during menstruation but severe are not.

Causes of Abnormal Periods

There are many factors contributing to abnormal menstruation, including

• Birth Control Pills

Generally, birth control pills have formulations of progestin and estrogen that impact regular menstruation. After discontinuing these medications, women often experience no periods for around 6 months. Women taking medications that contain progestin alone are more likely to undergo bleeding between periods.

• Lifestyle Factors

Changes in diet, losing or gaining weight instantly, workout changes, long-term illness, workload stress, travel, and other disruptions may lead to abnormal periods among women of any age (Farquhar, et al, 1999).

• Endometriosis

When the cells that are supposed to grow inside grow outside of the uterus, it is referred to as endometriosis. These endometrial tissues tend to be attached to fallopian tubes or ovaries. It ultimately causes severe cramps and pain before periods and leads to an abnormal menstrual cycle.

• PCOS

PCOS is the condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome where a large amount of androgen (male hormones) is made by the ovaries. Cysts are formed in the ovaries that seem like small fluid-filled sacs. Physicians investigate them through ultrasound. A woman experiencing PCOS are more prone to abnormal periods as they often undergo no menstruation or irregular periods.

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

PID is a bacterial infection that causes complications in the female reproductive system. Sexual contact increases the risk of bacterial entrance through the vagina that spread to the upper genital tract or uterus. It leads to pain in the pelvis and irregular periods.

Diagnosis

Women experiencing constant changes in their menstrual cycle should never ignore them and instead diagnose them. The track of the initial time of periods and end time should be recorded with the amount of flow. Also, symptoms should be noticed such as menstrual cramps or bleeding during periods. The doctors usually perform several tests, including blood tests, to inspect patients’ other medical conditions or anemia. They also perform vaginal cultures to investigate infections through the vagina. Another kind of diagnosis is performed through endometrial biopsy to diagnose endometriosis. The sample of tissue is taken from the uterus lining to analyze hormonal imbalance, endometriosis, or cancerous cells. Laparoscopy is performed to diagnose endometriosis in which a physician makes an incision in the patient’s abdomen and inserts a thin tube to analyze ovaries and the uterus. Also, a pelvic ultrasound is performed to examine ovarian cysts, polyps, or uterine fibroids (Telner, et al, 2007).

Treatment of Abnormal Periods

• Pain Control

Over-the-counter pain relievers, including acetaminophen or ibuprofen, are given to manage mild to moderate cramps or periods of pain. Aspirin is more likely to cause heavy bleeding (GOLDSMITH, et al, 1952).

• Cycle regulation

If a person experiences heavy bleeding, they have often suggested hormones such as progestin and estrogen to control bleeding.

• Endometriosis

There is no specific cure or treatment for endometriosis. However, physicians may prescribe pain relievers to decrease discomfort caused by abnormal periods. Hormone treatments, including birth control pills, are more inclined to inhibit the excessive growth of uterine tissues. In severe menstrual periods, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist might be used to stop abnormal periods for a while. Moreover, surgeries are recommended to remove extra endometrial tissue extending into the abdomen or pelvis in severe cases (Konkle, et al, 2022).

• Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are treated surgically or medically. If you are experiencing mild symptoms, you may take over-the-counter pain relievers. However, progestin injections (Depo-Provera®) or low-dose birth control pills are prescribed to control bleeding caused by fibroids.

The size of the fibroids can also be shrunk by using drugs known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. It may also assist in limiting heavy bleeding. The production of estrogen is reduced by these drugs that restrict menstruation for a while and provides convenience to women experiencing abnormal bleeding (Konkle, et al, 2022).

• Acupuncture Could be the Option to Improve Abnormal Periods

A conventional Chinese medicine treatment, acupuncture, inserting thin needles, could help cure many problems among men and women. It does not just involve needles, instead, there are different acupuncture, such as scalp acupuncture and electroacupuncture. It is widely famous among women due to its perks of relieving pain during abnormal periods. It is natural for women to feel minor pain during menstruation. However, those who experience abnormal periods, including oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea, or other problems, undergo severe pain. Acupuncture is proven to regulate reproductive issues, including irregular periods. It helps by thickening the endometrium, enhancing blood flow in the pelvic area, and decreasing stress on the body. Various evidence pieces have conducted its safety and efficacy without adverse effects. All you need to do is to get experts to help you deal with abnormal periods through functional medicine and acupuncture. You can book your appointment with us to entertain you and assist you with one of your biggest lifelong problems.

References

1. Valiaveettil, C., Loutfy, M., Kennedy, V. L., Caddy, S., Yudin, M., Conway, T., … & CHIWOS Research Team. (2019). High prevalence of abnormal menstruation among women living with HIV in Canada. PLoS One, 14(12), e0226992.

2. Levy, C., Robel, P., Gautray, J. P., De Brux, J., Verma, U., Descomps, B., & Baulieu, E. E. (1980). Estradiol and progesterone receptors in human endometrium: normal and abnormal menstrual cycles and early pregnancy. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 136(5), 646-651.

3. Farquhar, C. M., Lethaby, A., Sowter, M., Verry, J., & Baranyai, J. (1999). An evaluation of risk factors for endometrial hyperplasia in premenopausal women with abnormal menstrual bleeding. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 181(3), 525-529.

4. Telner, D. E., & Jakubovicz, D. (2007). Approach to diagnosis and management of abnormal uterine bleeding. Canadian Family Physician, 53(1), 58-64.

5. GOLDSMITH, R. E., STURGIS, S. H., JACOB, L., & STANBURY, J. B. (1952). The menstrual pattern in thyroid disease. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 12(7), 846-855.

6. Konkle, B. A. (2022). The burden of heavy menstrual bleeding. Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 140(16), 1747-1748.