Every woman is different — including her periods. Some happen like clockwork. Others are hit or miss and unpredictable. On average, a woman gets her period every 24 to 38 days. A period usually lasts about 2 to 8 days. Is your period irregular — and if so, does it need treatment?
You may have irregular periods if:
- The time between each period starts to change
- You lose more or less blood during a period than usual
- The number of days that your period lasts varies a lot
Many things can cause irregular periods. Changes in your body’s level of the hormones estrogen and progesterone can disrupt the normal pattern of your period. That’s why young girls going through puberty and women approaching menopause commonly have irregular periods.
Other common causes of irregular periods include:
- Having an intrauterine device (IUD)
- Changing birth control pills or using certain medications
- Too much exercise
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Stress
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Thickening of or polyps on the uterine lining
- Uterine fibroids
