Irregular Periods

Something that women should know is there is no set number of periods that a woman has a year. A woman will normally have the same number of periods at roughly the same time but every woman is different.

Some women could have 11 periods a year while others could have 12 or 13. The length of time between periods can also very considerably between women. In some women it will be as little as 21 days but others could wait for up to 35 days between periods.

This means that a woman should learn what is normal for her before worrying about irregular periods. Just because it takes longer for a woman to have a period doesn’t mean that she is pregnant or suffering serious health problems.

Menopause and Irregular Periods

The time between periods can change as a woman approaches menopause. Most women go through menopause around age fifty. Some women may experience fewer periods or longer intervals between periods as menopause approaches.

Many women will go through a condition called perimenopause this is a time when a women experiences irregular periods before menopause begins. This condition can start a year or more before menopause.

Pregnancy and Irregular Periods

If a healthy woman of child bearing age misses a period it is usually because of pregnancy. A woman should verify the pregnancy with a home pregnancy test or a visit to the doctor.

Even though pregnancy is the most common case of irregular periods other things can cause irregular periods. Women who have been in bad health or who have had major changes in weight are particularly prone to irregular periods.

Other Causes of Irregular Periods

Women suffering from malnutrition including malnutrition caused by eating disorders often miss periods. Doctors have found that women who suffer from anorexia and bulimia often miss periods because they aren’t getting enough to eat. Diseases and other health problems that interfere with nutrition can cause irregular periods.

Lots of exercise can also cause a woman to miss a period. Women athletes particularly those in sports that require a lot of rigorous training often miss periods.

Women who gain or loose a lot of weight very quickly can miss periods. Women who are underweight and obese women have been known to miss periods. Some obese women who loose a lot of weight can have irregular periods.

Emotional stress especially sudden stress can be a big cause of irregular periods. Women who go through a lot of stress related to a family tragedy or personal crisis can suffer irregular periods. So can women who are having job or financial problems.

Many kinds of illness can also cause irregular periods. A woman who has any sort of serious ailment or injury could have irregular period. Any woman has been really sick is quite likely to have irregular periods.

Travel can also cause a woman to have irregular periods. The reason for this isn’t clear but it could have to do with changing air pressure in airplanes, movement or stress caused by travel.