Do you have irregular periods? Five signs it’s time to see a doctor
Are you periods regular each month? Or are they unpredictable? If you are worried about irregular periods, here are five signs it’s time to see a doctor.
Between annoying abdominal cramps to lingering lower back pain, even routine period symptoms can be uncomfortable enough to put a kink in your daily routine. As you plan jam-packed days around work and get-togethers with friends, it can be easy to forget when your time of the month will strike.
Luckily, period tracking notifies you when your cycle is about to start and allows you to understand better what healthy menstruation looks like in your body. Additionally, reading up on menstrual cycle hormones helps you learn whether symptoms like breast tenderness or mood swings are typical for you.
Once you realize which indications are outside of your routine cycle, period tracking and menstrual research can help you take action. Read on for five signs it’s time to contact your doctor about irregular monthly ailments.
1) Immobilizing menstrual cramps
Regardless of how intense your pain is, any period cramping is annoying when you’re juggling a busy schedule. However,there is a big difference between usual pain and debilitating cramping, causing you to cancel plans and wait for relief.
If your monthly aches are disrupting day-to-day activities or lasting prolonged periods, it may be time to call up a trusted physician and investigate potential causes.
2) Heavier bleeding than usual
In addition to intense cramping, consider making an appointment with your gynecologist if you’ve been bleeding more than usual. If you’re constantly interrupted with a heavy flow or leaking through the strongest protection, your period might be irregular. However, there are many causes for excessive abnormal bleeding, so don’t concern yourself before discussing it with a physician.
3) Bleeding for longer than seven days
Week-long bleeding is standard, with some period-havers stretching outside of the window. However, if your menstrual cycle lasts for weeks or you frequently spot in between periods, it’s time to check in with a family physician or OB GYN. After all, periods that linger for longer than a week can signal severe conditions like endometriosis or PCOS.
4) Skipping several periods
While you may prefer to skip your period on command, missed cycles signal something in your body is out-of-sync. Irregular cycles can indicate everything from hormonal imbalances to ovarian cancer, so it’s best to check with a doctor as soon as you’ve gone over the two-month mark.
5) Bleeding between periods
If you’ve noticed spotting between periods, it might be time to check in with a trusted professional. Bleeding between periods can signal uterine polyps, benign growths that arise from hormone overproduction. Additionally, frequent spotting can indicate other conditions, like early signs of pregnancy, PCOS, or endometriosis.
If you’re worried, get help
Though periods can be uncomfortable under the best of circumstances, specific symptoms offer tell-tale signs that something in your cycle is out-of-sync. If your period pain prevents you from day-to-day activities or causes you to cancel plans due to excessive bleeding, it might be time to check in with a professional.
From extreme pain to excessive bleeding, a trusted physician should be able to pin-point what’s wrong and help set your cycle back on track.
