About one in women suffer from repeat miscarriages, so it's important to rule out a condition that affects fertility, like endometriosis. It's named for the cysts that grow on the ovaries, preventing eggs from maturing, and often causing fertility issues. PCOS also wreaks havoc on hormone levels, causing weight gain, excess hair growth, and you guessed it prolonged periods, Dr.
You'd think that not ovulating would give you a free pass on bleeding, but the opposite is often true, he adds—no egg means long, wacky cycles. If you're experiencing super-long periods along with other signs of PCOS , like migraines, facial hair growth, and weight gain, talk to your ob-gyn about getting tested for the condition. One in eight women will suffer from low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, at some point in their lives, according to the OWH.
Your thyroid is a little butterfly-shaped gland that controls the hormones that regulate many systems in your body, including how fast you burn calories, how fast your heart beats, and yes, menstruation. Having too little thyroid hormone can cause your period to be super long and heavy, the OWH explains.
Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, and hair loss, so if you're experiencing any of those, along with longer-than-normal periods, bring it up to your doctor, says Dr. It's rare, but it's possible that extra-long periods are a sign of an underlying illness, like a hematologic blood disease, says Dr. Some of the underlying diseases associated with bleeding, like hemophilia or Von Willebrand disease, are genetic, so if you have this you likely already know about it.
Still, if your periods are lasting a super-long time, and you've already been cleared for other conditions, it's worth checking in with your doctor about tests to rule out a blood disorder that you might not be aware of. Toth explains. Basically, your body senses something in your uterus that isn't supposed to be there, and tries extra hard to get rid of it.
Polyps and fibroids sound scary, but they're pretty common—up to 80 percent of women will have at least one before they're 50, per the OWH. On their own, they don't indicate a serious disease, like cancer.
Important to note: Black women are two to three times more likely to have fibroids than white women, and the reasons for their increased risk are not well understood or well studied due to lack of representation of Black women in research, notes Dr. But for many people, these benign growths don't have any symptoms, and if they do, it's usually prolonged periods, says Dr. Most likely your doc will just recommend keeping an eye on them, but if they cause pain or grow very large they can be surgically removed.
Abnormal vaginal bleeding—such as bleeding after vaginal sex or bleeding and spotting between periods —can be a sign of cervical cancer. Yet another reason to check in with your doctor if you notice something strange going on with your period.
Because cervical abnormalities can be detected through Pap and HPV tests, make sure you stay on top of those, and always tell your doctor about your family history of female cancers. Oh yes, simply getting older can mess with your period. Menopause, which technically means you've gone 12 or more months without a period, hits women around age However, your body starts the natural decline in hormones that leads up to menopause a. When this happens, you may notice your periods getting longer or shorter, your cycle becoming more random, and other slight changes in your menstruation.
If you've ruled out everything else, and you're in your mid- to lates, your prolonged periods might simply be due to the natural process of aging. There is, however, such a thing as early menopause, which can affect women even in their twenties. So talk to your doctor if this runs in your family or if you're showing other signs of menopause , like a low sex drive or insomnia.
Meditation , getting enough sleep, and regular exercise are also effective ways to manage stress. Medications such as anti-inflammatories, aspirin, or other blood thinners can also affect your menstrual cycle, says Dr.
As such, it is important to take medicines as directed and if your period becomes heavier or prolonged, to contact your doctor, says Dr. You may need blood work to determine if you are taking too much medicine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories may be used to treat your heavy and prolonged periods.
An unusually heavy period can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy a pregnancy found outside of the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tubes , says Dr.
Taking a pregnancy test can help you figure out if that's what's going on. This type of heavy vaginal bleeding is actually unrelated to a period, though you might think it is one if you don't yet know you're pregnant.
Placenta previa is a condition that happens during pregnancy where the placenta covers the cervix, explains Dr. Some sexually transmitted infections STIs can cause abnormal vaginal bleeding that looks like spotting. Gonorrhea is a common culprit, and may also cause unusual discharge or burning during urination. Pelvic inflammatory disease PID is a type of chronic pelvic inflammation caused by an infection.
Women with PID can experience infertility if symptoms go untreated. PID often causes spotting, particularly after intercourse.
It can also cause pelvic pain. Although rare, spotting may be a symptom of cancer. Types of cancer that can cause spotting include:. Spotting is often accompanied by pain and other symptoms and can last several months. Symptoms may get better and then worse, or get progressively worse. Women who are past menopause or who have a family history of these cancers are at a heightened risk.
It is never normal for postmenopausal women to experience vaginal bleeding. Any woman who experiences prolonged spotting or new and unexplained spotting should go to the doctor. Women should contact a doctor immediately if:. Sometimes women can adopt a wait-and-see approach. These circumstances include experiencing spotting that is:. If women are unsure which of the circumstances described applies to their situation, then it is better to be cautious and contact a doctor for advice.
In the majority of cases, however, spotting is not the sign of a medical condition and may only be temporary. Birth control is used to prevent pregnancy. Find out about the different means available, how they work, and how effective they are. Menstruation is a natural effect of the production of an egg in the ovaries. It can cause a range of effects across the body and its systems. Fibroids are tumors that grow in the uterus.
They are usually benign. Learn about the types, causes, symptoms, and treatments associated with fibroids…. Most women have a regular menstrual cycle, but periods can become irregular under some conditions. Find out what causes menstruation to become…. Many people experience symptoms, such as cramps, acne, or tender breasts, when a period is on its way.
Generally, a period lasts between three to seven days. A menstrual period that lasts longer than seven days is considered a long period.
Your doctor may refer to a period that lasts longer than a week as menorrhagia. You may also be diagnosed with menorrhagia if you experience unusually heavy bleeding that lasts less than a week. Five percent of women have menorrhagia. Menorrhagia can cause discomfort during your period as well as disrupt your regular routine. You may find that the bleeding affects your activities or your sleep. Read on to learn more about long periods, including possible causes and what you can do to manage this symptom.
Changes to your hormones or ovulation may cause a long period. You may notice hormonal changes when you first get your period during puberty or in perimenopause. You may also experience a hormonal imbalance from different health conditions, such as thyroid disorders or polycystic ovary syndrome. While not actually a period, extended vaginal bleeding may be a sign of an unsafe or nonviable pregnancy, such as an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage. You may also have extended bleeding in pregnancy if you have a condition like placenta previa.
Fibroids occur when muscle tissue begins to grown in the wall of the uterus. Polyps are also the result of irregular tissue growth in the uterus and cause small tumors to grow. Adenomyosis is another type of tissue buildup. The condition occurs when your endometrium, or uterine lining, embeds itself into the muscles of your uterus. This can lead to a long or heavy period. You may have a long period if your thyroid is underperforming. This condition is known as hypothyroidism. Excess weight may cause long periods.
This excess estrogen can lead to a change in your period. Pelvic inflammatory disease PID occurs when bacteria infect your reproductive organs. In addition to changes to your menstrual cycle, PID can also lead to abnormal vaginal discharge among other symptoms. A prolonged period may the sign of cancer in your uterus or cervix.
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