The menstrual cycle is the transition in a woman’s body wherein the bleeding of the vagina is of a normal occurrence. This cycle primarily happens due to the unfertilized egg, which means that it needs to be let go off of the body by breaking down the lining in the womb making a period happen.

Do you know when was your last menstrual period or how long it lasted? Or is it your first time having your period? Whether you wonder about the first one or belongs to the second category, maybe it’s time to start paying attention to your menstruation period through tracking it down so that it can help you understand what’s normal for you and what’s not. Know more as we tackle the things that you need to know about the normality of your period.

So, What’s Normal?

First things first, the menstrual cycle clock start to tick from the moment of your day one period to the first day of the next. However, this is not the same for every woman out there since there might be instances that might differentiate you from the other women. With this being said, what is average for the menstruation cycle and what isn’t?

Your menstrual flow might occur every 21 to 35 days and would last 2 to seven days. But, for the first few years that your menstruation starts, there would be some women that might experience long cycles, which should not be of worry since this is common. However, take note that menstrual cycles tend to shorten and becomes regular as you grow older.

Now, there are two types of menstrual cycle, one is regular which is occurs about the same length in every month, and the other one is the irregular wherein it happens more frequently than every 21 days or would last longer than eight days. Early, missed, or late periods are considered an irregular cycle.

Keep in mind that some factors may cause to alter your menstrual cycles, such as uses of contraception, birth control pills, and IUDs or intrauterine devices. If you’re taking any of these medicines, then talk to your health care provider on what to expect on your period.

What Causes Menstrual Irregularity

In most cases, irregular periods are related to anovulation, which is a condition that means the ovulation has not taken place during the time of your menstrual cycle that is usually caused by severe hormonal imbalances.

Sometimes, an irregular period is caused by subtler hormone imbalances in which you may still be ovulating, but the timing of your ovulation varies month to month. Here are some factors that might influence your menstrual cycle:

Stress. Short-term anxiety or chronic stress about a particular problem may wreak havoc with your hormones, making it tip off and cause a missed period or irregular cycle.

Extreme Exercising or Dieting. Since hormones are everything for the menstrual cycle, exercising or dieting too much may throw off the timing of your period, it may even stop it sometimes. This kind of issue is common for endurance athletes. Additionally, women that have an eating disorder is dieting, having an extreme exercise or illness, can have the same effect.

Birth Control Pills. Pills disrupt your hormones. Taking birth control pills can make your periods lighter, or cause you to miss out a period or have less or more frequent menstruation bleeding. You might even experience not to have a period at all.

Other Illnesses. Thyroid disorders can cause irregular periods. In this case, the blood levels of the thyroid hormone are too low or too high, which interfered with the regular ovulation. Other health conditions that might cause irregular cycle includes diabetes, STDs, fibroids, and endometriosis.

When Should Your Irregular Period be of Concern?

An irregular period may be a clue that you have a condition that is in need of medical attention especially if you have a consistent irregular period since it might be possible for you to have PCOS or the polycystic ovary syndrome and should be evaluated for this.

Additionally, an irregular cycle makes indicate a difficulty in pregnancy, since this is ovulation that we are talking of. However, this does not necessarily mean that you are not able to get pregnant, it’s just that it might be difficult. Doctors will run tests for this and would prescribe fertility drugs to increase ovulation.

Takeaway

Tracking your period is one way to keep a lookout for any complications in regards to menstruation issues. Thus, you should start following down your period and keep watch of your lifestyle. Lastly, whether your cycle is regular or irregular, having a menstrual cup like the DaisyCup at hand should help you out in terms of having a healthy and comfortable period.