Menstrual Cycle/Irregular Periods

Is there such a thing as a regular period? This is a tricky question because no one is completely regular.  Our cycles vary from 26 to 35 days. Normally if your cycle comes around the same time each month, then you are regular.  When we reach a certain age, the cycles will start to change considerably, making them very difficult to keep track of them. A good thing to do is keep a journal or chart.  This will be very useful when talking to your doctor.  The reason our cycles are becoming irregular is because our bodies are not releasing an egg like it use too.  When this happens, our body has no signal to cause a period.  We as women respond differently to things. Our periods take on different habits too.  We all are different and what is normal for you may not be for someone else.

What are irregular periods? Any type of bleeding that is abnormal when compared to your usual period. This does include a late period, periods too early and in between periods. It can also appear as particularly heavy bleeding (mennoraghia).  This is what I suffered with. Women who are in the premenopausal and menopause stage will experience irregular periods. This will result from the imbalance of our estrogen and progesterone. One way to to deal with irregular periods is to balance our hormone levels. Here are some causes of irregular periods:
• Weight gain and loss
• Increased exercise- common in athletes
• Fatigue
• Stress, job related
• Illness
• Travel
• Hormone levels
• Drug use
• Problem with pelvic organs
• Breast-feeding

The physical cause is hormones like estrogen and progesterone.  They both have a real definite effect on our menstrual cycle and regulate the ovulation during our cycle. When our hormones are not at a balanced level they do not operate properly. If this irregular bleeding last long, the body starts to shed the uterine lining in a manner that may alarm you and will lead to prolonged bleeding.  Sometimes this long period can correct itself by the next cycle.  The most frustrating change is the unpredictable aspect of perimenopause and menopause.  Here are some things to consider when dealing with irregular periods. You may want to make some lifestyle changes and try some natural alternatives. You can try different approaches and see what works best for each person.