When a fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall, slight bleeding and cramping can occur. If you suspect pregnancy and your regular period is a no-show, take a home pregnancy test. While a woman breastfeeds, her body produces a hormone called prolactin.
Prolactin suppresses ovulation and periods for several months or up to a year after childbirth. Losing weight to the point of a very low body fat percentage will stop ovulation and periods. This is particularly a problem with women living with anorexia nervosa.
Research has also shown that binge eating is associated with changes in period flow. Lest you think only very thin women with eating disorders have to worry about lighter or absent periods, it seems dieting can mess up periods for people of every size. A study found that dieting behaviors are associated with menstrual disruption, regardless of body mass index and eating disorder diagnosis.
If you think your light periods are due to not eating enough, let a doctor evaluate your overall health and contact a mental health professional to discuss eating disorders.
Periods typically get lighter as a woman ages. They may be heavier in teen years and get lighter in your 20s and 30s. In their 40s, most women enter perimenopause and have shorter or lighter periods. During perimenopause , ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone, and ovulation is less frequent. Lack of ovulation is a common underlying factor for light or absent periods. Other signs of perimenopause include:. Birth control pills prevent ovulation with a daily dose of estrogen and progestin.
No ovulation means no period. During the week of placebo pills containing no hormones a woman experiences breakthrough bleeding while the uterine lining sheds. These are some other side effects of hormonal birth control:. Living with stress impacts all aspects of mental and physical health.
Is it any surprise it also impacts the menstrual cycle? A study of stress and menstrual problems in health science students found a correlation between how stressed the women felt and their experience of abnormal bleeding and irregular periods. Stress may also cause functional hypothalamic amenorrhea FHA , affecting about FHA disrupts interaction between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovaries.
Suppression of several hormones in this system leads to low estrogen levels and prevents thickening of the uterine lining. Underlying health conditions that can cause long periods include uterine fibroids , endometrial uterine polyps , adenomyosis , or more rarely, a precancerous or cancerous lesion of the uterus.
A long period can also result from hormonal imbalances like hypothyroidism or a bleeding disorder. Many women struggle with long and heavy periods for years without knowing there are ways to manage and improve their symptoms.
I encourage all patients to seek out medical care if they have questions about their menstrual cycle or other gynecologic issues. The first step to managing long periods due to a specific condition is to treat it. This can include things like removing an endometrial polyp or correcting hypothyroidism. Hormonal contraceptives things like the pill, the patch or a hormonal IUD are commonly used to help regulate abnormal cycles resulting from a wide variety of causes.
Various forms of birth control can affect the frequency and duration of your period. The birth control pill tends to produce a regular period that occurs every month and lasts for three to five days.
A hormonal IUD usually results in a lighter period less bleeding or no period at all. Most women experience spotting for the first few months after getting the IUD. So, if you're finding that your period went from 40 mL of bleeding to 20 mL of bleeding over time, then we can assume you might have something going on hormonally. This could be due to a number of factors. Anything from low estrogen, to stress, to anemia, to thyroid issues! This is why it's important to work with a professional to figure out the root cause before self treating!
This is one of the biggest factors for changes in your period. Stress can affect everything in your body, from your thyroid to your gut microbiome to your periods. It's all connected. There's a few simple things you can do to manage stress and keep things at bay:. Consistent routines. Your body loves routine and requires this to feel grounded and safe. Keep a routine you follow for 30 minutes every night and every morning.
This can be anything from stretching, to journaling, to reading, to taking a bath, sipping tea with your roomates or partner. Do something you enjoy doing, and preferably, no screens within 30 minutes of going to sleep, or 30 minutes of waking. Herbs can be a powerful way of helping to regulate your cortisol rhythm and manage your stress.
Bonus: it's safe for pregnant women! Fill your cup. And do so everyday. Find something you enjoy doing on a daily basis and make it a point to do that. If it's taking a walk, make time for that. If it's reading your favorite book or magazine, do that.
If it's sipping a cup of tea while it's still hot, then ask the people in your life to allow you minutes to do this. No one else can fill your cup! Make sure you're taking time to do it.
Estrogen is responsible for building up your uterine lining, that you will eventually shed at the end of your cycle. If your estrogen levels are low, then the lining you build won't be thick, and your shedding aka your period will be lighter.
It's always a good idea to get tested.
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