periods long periods during the menstrual cycle: is this normal?
What are periods long periods? Why do some menstruating women experience periods heavier periods lasting up to ten days? Are there any solutions to avoid periods lasting too long? The Elia team sheds light on these questions!
What are periods long?
Long periods are defined by an abnormally long duration of periods. From a medical point of view, excessive blood loss is defined as consecutive periods lasting more than 8 days. On average, a woman has periods lasting 5 to 8 days, and loses around 60ml of blood each cycle. Both the duration of bleeding and the abundance of flow vary from one woman to another. However, menorrhagia should be a warning sign and may even be a symptom of a periods disorder.
What causes long periods ?
The women concerned often have hormonal imbalances, and suffer from pain and an abundant, even hemorrhagic, flow. If the period lasts more than 8 days, we speak of menorrhagia. If the phenomenon recurs with each cycle, we advise you to consult your GP or gynecologist. Let the Elia team guide you through the main causes of this periods disorder.
Puberty or pre-menopause
Puberty and menopause or pre-menopause are times when changes in the body's hormone levels lead to imbalances and symptoms that affect the length of cycles, the volume of blood loss and also the continuity of menstruation. During these periods, some women have the impression that periods never stops. During the pre-menopause, it's not uncommon to have menstrual cycles in which there is no ovulation, allowing theendometrium, the lining of the uterus, to develop more than normal. When the endometrium is evacuated by the uterus, blood loss will be more abundant and persistent than usual. It's perfectly normal to have occasional long menstrual cycles, particularly in adolescence and before the menopause.
Use of the copper coil
The copper IUD, or intrauterine device, can cause symptoms such as menorrhagia to set in. In fact, the introduction into the uterus of a foreign body surrounded by copper will cause inflammation of the endometrium and therefore of the amount of blood flowing out. The more inflamed, thicker and more numerous the endometrium, the longer menstruation lasts. You may even experience spotting outside your menstrual periods. Some women feel that their periods never end.
Taking medication
Certain medications have an impact on menstrual length, or even premenstrual syndrome. For example, they are accentuated when takingaspirin,antidepressants oranticoagulants. In fact, these drugs can cause long-lasting bleeding, as their action can make blood loss more fluid and encourage bleeding.
Are periods long periods linked to certain pathologies?
Apart from the hormonal factor, first menstruations, menopause, return of childbirth, having a menstrual flow that lasts can be the sign of a side effect of a pathology that requires management by a health professional:
- disorders of the uterus l
- benign lesions
- an ovarian fibroid, polyp or cyst
- non-cancerous tumors
- ladenomyosis, the cousin of lendometriosis
- sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia
- an extra-uterine pregnancy
In cases where these conditions have not been identified, it is possible that the cause is related to uterine cancer. For these reasons, it's important to consult a doctor and carry out comprehensive gynecological examinations to check for other disorders.
What impact does periods have on the menstrual cycle?
The consequences are numerous. There's a greater chance of developing anemia due to iron deficiency. This is all the more true when blood flow is abundant or hemorrhagic. Insufficient red blood cells can lead to chronic fatigue, dizziness and headaches.
A priori, they have no impact on the phases of the menstrual cycle. It is rare, but not impossible, for some women to become pregnant during their period. In fact, prolonged menstrual periods or spotting immediately afterwards can be a sign of ovulation. Some menstruating women with irregular cycles are also more likely to become pregnant at the same time as their bleeding.
What are the solutions for getting periods back to normal?
Having blood loss that doesn't stop is morally difficult and trying. But having a heavy menstrual period that drags on under the pill is normal, especially when you have anovulatory cycles. Once a menstruating woman reaches her forties, her rhythm becomes less regular, and the lack of progesterone in the second half of the cycle can disrupt the continuity of bleeding. Drug treatments can help to regulate an excessively long menstrual period.
Taking the contraceptive pill or other methods of contraception may be a solution to the problem of prolonged bleeding periods. Natural methods such as exercise, intercourse, free instinctive flow, herbal teas or the use of plants can help shorten the duration.
In the majority of cases, regulating hormones naturally or stopping the use of medications that affect duration will be enough to ensure that menstruation doesn't seem to last forever!
Control the flow of periods long with a period pants
Bleeding that flows non-stop cannot be controlled with a period pants. However, menstrual briefs help women to feel better in their daily lives, by making them forget that they have a continuous flow. However, the use of menstrual panties (as long as they are made from organic cotton) limits the absorption of pesticides and endocrine disruptors, which have an impact on hormonal variations!
FAQ periods long
Can periods last longer than 7 days?
Menstruation can last more than 7 consecutive days. These long periods periods may be caused by the presence of a thick endometrium, which takes longer to s'drain. Medication or contraception such as IUDs can also affect the continuity of bleeding.
Can periods last longer than 15 days?
The duration of menstruation varies from person to person l. However, it's important to note that, on average, blood loss lasts between 5 and 7 days. If it lasts longer, you may be suffering from a hormonal imbalance. Don't hesitate to talk to your doctor or health care professional about this, to validate a treatment.
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