Everything You Need To Know About Abnormal Menstruation (Periods) Treatment

What is an unusual period?

The average woman's menstrual cycle lasts four to seven days. Normal menstrual cycles can last anywhere from 21 to 35 days, although a woman typically gets her period every 28 days.

Menstrual difficulties include, for example:

• Periods that are more than 35 days apart or fewer than 21 days apart.
• Missing three or more consecutive periods.
• Much heavier or lighter than typical menstrual flow.
• Periods longer than seven days.
• Periods that are painful, crampy, nauseating, or vomiting.
• Bleeding or spotting after intercourse, after menopause, or in between periods.

Here are several instances of abnormal menstruation:

When a woman has amenorrhea, her periods have entirely ceased. In the absence of pregnancy, nursing, or menopause, a woman's lack of a period for 90 days or longer is seen as abnormal (which generally occurs for women between ages 45 and 55). Amenorrhea is the term used to describe young women who have not begun menstruation by the ages of 15 or 16 or within three years of the development of their breasts.

Oligomenorrhea is the medical term for irregular menstruation.

Period discomfort and severe menstrual cramps are referred to as dysmenorrhea. For the majority of women, some pain during the cycle is typical.

A larger menstrual flow, a cycle that lasts longer than seven days, or bleeding or spotting in between periods, after sex, or after menopause can all be considered abnormal uterine bleeding.

What is the treatment for irregular menstrual cycles (periods)?

The underlying reason determines the course of treatment for irregular menstruation:

Controlling the menstrual cycle: To reduce severe bleeding, doctors may give hormones like progestin or estrogen.

Pain management: Taking an over-the-counter discomfort treatment such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help with mild to severe pain or cramping. Aspirin is not advised since it might result in more severe bleeding. Using a heating pad or a warm bath or shower might help ease cramps.

Uterine fibroids: These can be surgically removed or treated medically. Most fibroids can initially be treated with over-the-counter painkillers if their symptoms are modest. An iron supplement may be useful in avoiding or treating anemia if you bleed a lot. To manage excessive bleeding brought on by uterine fibroids, low-dose birth control tablets or progestin injections (Depo-Provera®) may be helpful. The size of the fibroids can be reduced and severe bleeding can be managed with the use of medications known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. These medications shorten menstrual cycles by decreasing the body's synthesis of estrogen. Numerous surgical treatments exist to remove fibroids or reduce their size and symptoms if they do not respond to therapy. The size, kind, and location of the fibroids will determine the type of surgery. A fibroid is simply removed during a myomectomy. A hysterectomy may be required in extreme situations if the fibroids are huge, painful, or cause excessive bleeding. The uterus and fibroids are both removed during a hysterectomy. Uterine artery embolization, which stops the blood flow to the active fibroid tissue, is one of the other possibilities.

Endometriosis: While there is no known treatment for endometriosis, painkillers available over-the-counter or on prescription may assist to ease the discomfort. Birth control tablets and other hormonal therapies can help prevent the expansion of uterine tissue and lessen blood loss during periods. A progestin or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist may be administered to temporarily halt menstruation in more severe situations. Surgery can be required in extreme circumstances to remove extra endometrial tissue that is developing in the pelvis or abdomen. In cases when the uterus has suffered significant harm, a hysterectomy may be necessary as a last option.

Other procedural techniques are available to treat severe menstrual bleeding. In order to reduce bleeding, a five-year contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) called Mirena® has been licensed. It is just as effective as surgical methods like endometrial ablation. It also provides contraception and is easily implanted in the doctor's office. Another choice is endometrial ablation. The lining of the uterus is destroyed using heat or electrocautery. Only after other therapies have been tried and failed is when they are often employed. This is because if future bleeding continues, scarring from the treatment may make it more challenging to monitor the uterus.