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23.03.2018 Health & Fitness

Irregular Menstrual Cycle: (16 Common Causes)

By Dr Oyebade Obalola Jerry.
Photo credit - elev8.hellobeautiful.comPhoto credit - elev8.hellobeautiful.com
23.03.2018 LISTEN

Missed periods, too frequent periods, spotting, or bouts of heavy clotting and bleeding are usually caused by an underlying hormonal imbalance that is easily treated.

Some women menstruate like clockwork, while others report never having had a regular cycle. One thing is a given, however – shifts in hormonal balance will alter whatever pattern a woman has experienced in the past. Such shifts are especially common in perimenopause.

What is an Irregular Period?
A woman may get her period only one to four times a year, or she might have periods that occur 2-3 times in a month and involve spotting or extremely heavy flow. Alternatively, she may have heavy episodes of bleeding every 2-3 months. Irregular periods simply means there's something irregular happening or about to happen in your body.

Often times, this may indicate the beginning of perimenopause or a disruption of the natural chain of hormonal events that control menstruation.

A wide variety of factors can be responsible for irregular periods, among them are:

1. Significant weight gain or loss
2.Overexercise
3.Poor nutrition (or a diet too high in carbohydrates)

4.Smoking
5.Drug use
6.Caffeine
7.Excessive alcohol use (interfering with how the liver metabolizes estrogen and progesterone)

8.Eating disorders
9.Increased stress
10. Polycystic ovarian syndrome/Estrogen dominance
11.Uterine abnormalities (fibroids/cysts/polyps/endometriosis)

12.Hormonal imbalances related to perimenopause
13.Medications
14.Chemotherapy
15.Recent childbirth, miscarriage, or D&C
16..Breastfeeding
When you are stressed this causes irregular periods, here's why:

When you are stressed, regardless of the source (danger, personal relationships, work, environment) your adrenal glands are designed to secrete the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol has a direct impact on the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and DHEA. Eating disorders, dieting, drug use, and reliance on stimulants like caffeine and alcohol are also interpreted by the body as kinds of stress.

Poor nutrition seems to physically change the proteins in the brain so they can no longer send the proper signals for normal ovulation.

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