Women might encounter more frequent periods as a result of many different reasons. These can be irritating and difficult to deal with, not to mention worrying if they happen unexpectedly. It is therefore advisable to familiarize yourself with the possible causes, and how some of them can be treated. This knowledge should enable you to face the condition confidently should you ever need to.
What Are the Causes of Frequent Periods?
Frequent periods, or bleeding between periods can be attributed to a number of different factors. Below, find some more information about the most common reasons.
Contraception
There are a number of types of contraception which commonly cause bleeding between periods. These include pills, the patch, the implant, and the injection. The emergency “morning-after-pill” can also cause unexpected bleeding in some women.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
PCOS is a disorder in which small, non-cancerous cysts become present around the womb. It usually develops during a woman's teenage years, or her early 20s, and can have implications regarding ovulation and therefore the menstrual cycle. Many sufferers of PCOS experience irregular or frequent periods.
Endometriosis
This condition involves the presence of tissue which is similar to the lining of the womb, in other areas of the body - usually around the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and bladder. It behaves in the same way as the womb lining, and there for builds up and can cause excess bleeding.
Menopause
As women approach menopause their reproductive hormone levels will fluctuate. This behavior can wreak havoc on your menstrual cycle, causing irregular, frequent, or delayed periods. If a period is skipped altogether many women find that their next period is heavier than usual.
Possible Solutions for Frequent Periods
Depending on what is causing your condition, it might be possible to improve your experience, if not be rid of it altogether. Some effective methods to do so include:
Be prepared
If you are unable to avoid frequent periods, it can be helpful to ensure you are always prepared. This can be achieved by keeping sanitary items on you at all times, and also maybe by recording your bleeding in a diary to possibly help you to predict it.
Change contraception
If you are having frequent periods after recently changing your method of birth control, it is likely that this will stop after around three months of use. If this is not the case, it might be worth looking into an alternative option of contraception, in order to reinstate your regular menstrual cycle.
Hormone-regulating medication
For those who are going through menopause, or suffering with endometriosis or PCOS, medication that influences the relevant hormones can be effective for alleviating the problem. However, most medications carry with serious side effects like breast cancer.
Frequent periods can be bothersome to contend with, but usually they can be stopped or vastly improved in some way. The first step is to learn about some of the most common causes for the condition, when it comes to deciding on an appropriate treatment for frequent periods.
