Normally a woman’s menstrual cycle is about 28 days on an average. Irregular periods occur when the cycle is more than 35-40 days, or the duration of the cycle varies.

Usually, after puberty, many women develop a regular menstrual cycle with a similar gap between periods. It takes a while for the estrogen and progesterone levels to reach a balance. A few days of delay is not uncommon.  For some women not only does the time period between cycles vary but also the amount of bloodshed is also different.

Irregular periods can occur due to the following reasons:

• Hormonal Changes
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Change in contraception medicine
• Menopause
• Endurance Exercises
• Extreme weight loss
• Extreme weight gain
• Stress
• Anorexia and Bulimia

The complications associated with irregular bleeding include:

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Treatment:

• Regular exercise and a balanced diet can help regulate periods.
• In severe cases, this does require medical intervention. This includes birth control taken strictly under professional supervision. This will aid in lowering the androgen production and reduce abnormal bleeding.

Have more questions about irregular periods? Watch our live session with Dr. Manjula Deepak from Cloudnine – all about irregular periods: