Irregular Periods: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Irregular Periods: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Date 04 Apr 2024  

Girls who are hit by first-time menstruation often feel confused and have anxiety because their bodies experience different biological changes. For some females, periods can be painful as they have abdominal cramps, loss of motion, weakness, leg pains, and vomiting.

Periods, also known as menstruation or menses, is a biological process wherein the vagina bleeds because of the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium) when there is no attachment of embryo on it. It is a sign of failure in pregnancy.    

The onset of periods is in girls aged between 10 to 15 years. It is a normal biological activity called menarche suggesting that the female body is having normal growth and development of the reproductive system.

Every month females belonging to childbearing age have periods as their bodies prepare for pregnancy. They completely stop having periods when they come to an age of around 45 to 55 years.

If one is experiencing irregular periods, it could be a sign of underlying health issues. In such cases, consider consulting a gynaecologist in Hyderabad at Eternelle Aesthetics. It's important to seek help from a qualified gynaecologist or a nearby lady doctor to address and treat the condition.

What are Irregular Periods?

A complex interaction of hormones: follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and the female se-x hormones (estr-ogen and progeste-rone) regulates the menstrual cycle. First, the hormones playing roles in menses are released in the brain. These hormones are later slowly released in the ovaries to cause endometrial growth and finally, a withdrawal bleeding occurs called menses/periods. The frequency of the period (menstrual cycle) regularises within up to 5 years of its onset when the hormones responsible for it fall into a normal pattern and finally regularises itself.

Typically, females have menses lasting for approximately 3 to 6 days and occurring after every 28 to 35 days. Regular periods indicate a healthy body. If the period frequency does not regularise in the first 5 years of its onset, it can be referred to as irregular. Gynaecologists describe irregular periods as menses/ periods occurring in 22 days or less (short cycles) or 35 days or longer (long cycles) or else attaining periods in gaps of different numbers of days every time.

If you want more details, you can watch this video on irregular periods by our gynaecologist in Hyderabad

How to Know If Having Irregular Menses?

A female can check for herself if having irregular periods by checking on her:

  • time of the end of the menstrual period
  • level of blood flow
  • experiencing bleeding outside the normal period
  • having pain different from normally expected
  • experiencing any other changes physically or mentally.

All of these details can be shared with a gynaecologist who can help in making an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause of irregular periods and suggest an appropriate treatment plan.

Signs of Irregular Periods

Irregular periods can occur among females in different ways, such as:

  • The menstrual cycle getting longer (more than 35 days) or shorter (less than 22 days)
  • No periods occurring for more than 3 consecutive cycles
  • Abdominal cramps and backache
  • Heavy vaginal bleeding with clotting or spotting in between cycles.

If you are experiencing the mentioned signs and symptoms, then it is high time to consult the best doctors for Irregular Periods Treatment in Hyderabad at Eternelle Aesthetics. The doctor is known for her expertise and transparent approach. Many patients are happy with the way the gynaecologist has helped them treat their condition of irregular period

Causes of Irregular Periods

Irregular periods can be the result of various reasons, including:

  • Stress
  • Missing on intake of birth control pills or other contraceptives
  • Using emergency contraceptive pills
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Changes in lifestyle like eating unhealthily and not exercising
  • Getting overweight or obese
  • PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome
  • Insulin resistance
  • Thyroid Disorders
  • Side effects of certain hormone-based medications
  • Surgeries of the female reproductive system
  • Radioactive iodine therapy
  • Fibroid Uterus, uterine polyps, or other structural anomalies of the uterus.

How to Cure Irregular Periods?

Best Doctors for Irregular Periods in Hyderabad can help females get menstrual cycles back on track by suggesting effective treatment options as per the underlying cause of their menstrual irregularities and certain lifestyle factors, such as whether they are family planning.    

Medical Treatment Options for Irregular Periods

Irregular Periods (Menstruation) Treatment in Hyderabad options in case of females having abnormal ovulation or anovulatory bleeding include:

  • Taking proper dosage of birth control pills as prescribed by the gynaecologist
  • Taking hormone-based drug: a cyclic prog-estin
  • Treating the underlying cause of menstrual problems such as eating disorders by nutritional and counselling therapy and abnormal ovulation in PCOS-affected women with oral estr-ogen medicine, a type 2 diabetes drug, a breast cancer medication, or gonad-otropin hormone injection

Treatment options for females experiencing heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding include:

Insertion of an intrauterine device that releases hormones playing a role in menstrual bleeding

Use of medications containing pro-gestin and tranexa-mic acid or NSAIDs.

Treatment options if females have irregular periods due to structural anomalies or if medicines are not effective include:

  • Surgical removal of uterine polyps or fibroids
  • Endometrial ablation- to remove or close off the blood vessels in the endometrial lining by burning them
  • Uterine artery embolization- to obstruct blood flow to the uterus
  • Hysterectomy- to remove the uterus and permanently stop females from having menstrual periods.

Effective At-Home Strategies and Natural Remedies for Irregular Periods

  • Eat healthy

Avoid consuming alcohol, junk food, processed food, or food and drinks loaded with sugar and salt as their intake causes hormonal imbalance that further results in irregular periods. Instead, have fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, red meat, and other nutrient-rich foods regularly.

  • Do regular workout

Exercise aids in weight loss/management and balancing of hormones. Especially PCOS women, can fix their problem of irregular periods by regularly exercising.

  • Perform stress-relieving techniques

Yoga and meditation are the best ways to relieve stress as it helps balance and calm the mind and body. As stress can lead to hormonal imbalance which causes irregular periods, getting stress-free can help regularise periods.

  • Have ginger tea empty stomach in the morning or evening

Ginger has gingerol which has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in uterine muscle contraction and balancing of hormones, thereby regularising the monthly occurrence of periods.

  • Eat unripe papaya

Unripe papaya can help uterine muscle contraction, thus standardising the menstrual cycle.

  • Have jaggery

Regular intake of jaggery may help treat irregular periods.

  • Drink aloe vera juice

Aloe vera can help promote metabolism, keep the gut healthy, reduce extra weight, solve the issue of hormonal imbalance, and regulate period frequency.

  • Have turmeric milk till getting periods

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties.

  • Consume apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can reduce blood sugar and insulin levels and aid in weight loss in PCOS-affected women, eventually regularising their periods.

  • Have beetroot

Beetroot is rich in folic acid and iron and so its intake can increase haemoglobin content in the blood. It even acts as an emmenagogue- a stimulator or promoter of menstrual flow.

  • Take milk with a pinch of cinnamon powder

Cinnamon helps in regulating blood flow to the uterus and may regulate periods.

If all the above remedies don't help you in your irregular period treatment in Hyderabad, then it's essential to discuss your specific situation with a gynaecologist. Consult the expert and live a happier, healthier, and stress-free life!