Your period, also known as Menstruation usually occurs on a monthly cycle. It is the process by which a woman’s body prepares for a possible pregnancy. An egg will be discharged from the ovaries during this phase. If the egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining is lost via the vagina during a woman’s monthly period.
Menstruation, typically lasts anywhere from two to eight days.
During their menstruation, many women encounter symptoms. Certain symptoms, including as cramping or mood swings, can appear before the actual period. This is commonly referred to as premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. The majority of women’s menstrual symptoms go away once their period is ended.
What is the duration of a whole menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is measured from the start of one period to the start of the next. It lasts between 21 to 35 days on average. The menstrual cycle progresses through several stages. These are some examples:
The follicular phase
The follicular phase lasts from the first day of menstruation until the beginning of ovulation, at which point it comes to a conclusion. The follicles that eventually become egg sacs are produced by the ovaries at this period. This causes the lining of the uterus to become more thick and robust. During this time, estrogen levels tend to be higher than normal.
Ovulation
After developing to full maturity, the egg travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus. This normally takes place approximately two weeks into a woman’s cycle, or roughly in the middle of the cycle.
The luteal phase
In the meantime, the body continues to get ready for pregnancy. This includes a rise in progesterone and a minor amount of estrogen. This phase will conclude, and the next one will be the beginning of menstruation, if an implanted fertilized egg does not take place. This phase concludes around around day 22 of a cycle that lasts for 28 days.
Menstruation
During this phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle, the uterine lining, which had become thicker, is shed.
How to tell if your period is irregular
Many women will have irregular menstrual cycles at some point in their life. During their first few years of menstruation, young women are more likely to have highly irregular periods, including unusually extended periods. Their periods usually shorten and settle one to three years after menstruation begins.
Periods that are lighter, heavier, arrive unexpectedly, or last longer or shorter than the average are considered irregular. According to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, it is estimated that 14 to 25% of women have “irregular” cycles.
However, if your periods are less than 21 days apart or more than 35 days apart, there may be an underlying cause that is causing you to become more irregular. Make an appointment with your doctor if this is the case.
What factors influence the length of your period?
There are many various things going on in your life that can have an effect on your cycle. If you’re a woman, for instance, you’ll notice that your period will grow lighter and more regular as you get older.
The use of a new contraceptive method, such as birth control pills, vaginal rings, or IUDs, may cause you to have period changes in the beginning. There are several methods of birth control, and many of them can cause your periods to become abnormally long and symptomatic for the first one to three months after you begin using them. However, these symptoms tend to disappear over time.
The following are some more aspects of your life that might play a role in the fluctuation of your menstrual cycle or in making you experience irregular periods:
- extreme weight loss
- excessive exercising
- infections to the reproductive organs, like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- increased stress
- changes in diet
How to Manage Your Period
The menstrual cycle is something that can be controlled by many women. It is even possible that medical professionals will offer it to patients whose periods are frequently erratic.
The goal of regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle is to make sure that her period occurs at regular intervals and that it lasts for a period of time that falls within the “normal” range of two to eight days. This can be accomplished by many tactics and therapies.
Pills, patches, or rings containing comparable hormones, such as the NuvaRing or the birth control pill, are the most prevalent forms of hormonal contraception used to control menstrual cycles. Some of these methods of birth control will cause a woman to get her period once per month, but others may only cause her to get her period once every three or six months.
Alterations to one’s food and way of life, as well as treatment for eating disorders that are the root cause of excessive weight loss, are two other techniques that can be utilized to normalize the menstrual cycle. If you are able to lower your stress levels, you may also notice a decrease in the frequency of the irregular periods that you have.
When you should visit your physician.
While every woman is different and her “normal” will be unique, there are several indicators that signal it’s a good idea to speak with your healthcare professional. Among the symptoms are:
- After a lengthy period of consistency and predictability, your menstruation turns irregular.
- You are not pregnant and your periods have abruptly stopped for 90 days or more.
- You believe you are pregnant.
- Your period is more than eight days.
- You bleed a lot more than usual.
- Every two hours, you go through more than one tampon or pad.
- You’ve suddenly started spotting.
- During your period, you experience excruciating discomfort.
- Your menstrual cycles are more than 35 days or less than 21 days apart.
Seek medical assistance right away if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms after using tampons. These symptoms could point to a potentially fatal condition known as toxic shock syndrome.
Summery
It is natural for a woman to seek a definite answer when the question of how long their period lasts is posed to her. Nevertheless, every woman is unique, and she will develop her own normal over time. Keeping a record of your individual cycle from month to month will assist you in identifying recurring tendencies and patterns, allowing you to identify any shifts as soon as they take place.
You should consult your gynecologist if you notice any unexpected changes in your period that you do not believe are due to stress, particularly if these changes occur in conjunction with other new symptoms. You always have the option of scheduling an appointment with your gynecologist.
