Why are periods irregular?

 

There can be a number of reasons why periods are irregular, such as stress, intense exercise, natural hormonal changes, beginning or discontinuing birth control, excessive weight gain or reduction, etc. Once the cause of irregular periods or oligomenorrhea is recognised, it is possible to treat it.

Hormone levels are a factor in the majority of causes of irregular periods. Estrogen, progesterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone are the three principal hormones that control the menstrual cycle. If something interferes with or alters the natural rise and fall of these hormones with each cycle, irregular periods may abruptly occur.

Let’s look more deeply at the common causes behind irregular menstrual cycles:

1. The commencement of menstruation and menopause:

The body experiences substantial hormonal changes during menarche — the period when a woman first begins menstruating, and menopause — the time when a person stops menstruating. Due to the numerous changes the body experiences during puberty, irregular periods can have an impact on the body. It can take years for the hormones that regulate periods to establish a regular cycle.

Periods also become unpredictable during perimenopause, the very first phase of menopause. Around this time, hormone levels start to decline. Periods may get longer and longer apart until they eventually stop.

1. Starting or Stopping Birth Control Methods:

Hormonal contraception works by stopping ovulation. This indicates that while using it, there are no actual periods. Instead, while some women experience withdrawal bleeding that resembles a period, others do not experience any periods at all.

When using the pill, patch, implant, or hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) for the first few months, a person may experience irregular bleeding. It’s possible that this will either stop altogether or become more frequent with time.

Similar to how irregular periods might occur if a woman quits using hormonal birth control, the body’s hormonal cycle takes some time to get back to normal. Those who previously experienced irregular periods may do so once they quit taking hormonal birth control.

1. Underlying Medical Conditions:

The following underlying medical conditions can sometimes cause irregular period symptoms:

• PCOS — Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which the ovaries produce small cysts that are filled with fluid. PCOS-related high testosterone levels can delay or prevent ovulation and affect a woman’s cycle.
• Eating disorders — There are various forms of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders, that can cause skipped or irregular periods. This is more likely to happen to women who have recently dropped a lot of weight.
• Endometriosis — Endometriosis is a condition in which cells that ordinarily grow inside the uterus grow outside of it. These cells make up the uterine lining, which thickens and dissolves with each menstrual cycle. When the cells develop in other locations, this recurring thickening and shedding results in excruciating pain.
• Thyroid disease — The thyroid produces hormones that affect the metabolism, heart rate, and other fundamental functions. Additionally, it helps to control ovulation and periods. While production of thyroid hormones is insufficient in hypothyroidism, it is excessive in hyperthyroidism. Thyroid disorder can cause periods to be heavy or light, as well as more or less frequent. It may also stop ovulation in certain individuals.

Other causes of irregular periods include primary ovarian insufficiency, hormone-secreting tumours, Cushing’s syndrome, type 1 diabetes, and so on.