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What is an abnormal period or abnormal menstruation?
It is an abonormal uterine bleeding, a menstrual disorder. If your menstruation deviates from the normal pattern of a menstrual cycle in terms of its frequency, flow and pain, it is considered abnormal.
What are the symptoms of an abnormal period?
Their symptoms are as follows:
A woman's menstruation naturally stops only when she is pregnant, lactating or has reached menopause.
If your menstrual cycle stops abruptly for no good reason in your reproductive years, then you are having a menstrual disorder.
Amenorrhea refers to the prolonged absence of menses, sometimes as long as 6 months.
There are two types of Amenorrhea; primary and secondary. If you have never menstruated, you have primary amenorrhea. If you have been having regular menstrual cycles, and then stop for more than six months, you have secondary amenorrhea.
A hormonal problem may cause secondary amenorrhea. For example, your body may not be producing enough of the thyroid hormones, or your adrenal glands may become overactive. In both cases, the resulting hormonal imbalance will affect your menstrual cycles. As this may result in infertility, you'll need to consult your doctor to establish the cause of your amenorrhea and get treated.
Menorrhagia:
Your average blood loss during a period should be between 30 ml to 80 ml. If you have a heavy flow in excess of 80 ml and is becoming anaemic because of it, you have a serious abnormal period symptom.
Menorrhagia is an abnormal period that can last ten days or more and where you produce profuse, bright-red bleeding with clots. Because of the profuse bleeding, it is also named, Hypermenorrhea.
Pain on intercourse plus heavy, painful periods hint of a disease of the uterus or womb as opposed to benign hormonal disorders. Depending upon the cause, it is sometimes accompanied by abnormally painful periods (dysmenorrhoea).
Among the most common cause of Menorrhagia is the presence of fibroid tumours in the uterus. If the uterus or the fallopian tubes are infected, heavy bleeding can occur too.
Dysmenorrhea:
Another abnormal period is Dysmenorrhea; very painful periods. If you experience this, you will have uterine cramps so crippling that will hamper your daily living. The pain usually comes on just before or at the start of a period. It will last a day or so while the period is heaviest. You will feel sick and even faint when the pain is most severe.
If your menstrual cramp is not caused by disease, it could be due to the overproduction of hormones and you will find painkillers useful. Relief will be greatest if you start to take pain-relievers a day or two before you actually get the pain, and as well as during your period.
It is worthwhile to note that painful periods are common in the first few years of menstruation.
However, if it occurs later, and you notice that your pain is unusual, getting worse and not better, then the underlying cause could be a pelvic infection, fibroids or something more complicated like the cancer of the womb. Whatever the cause, only a qualified medical practitioner would be in a better position to diagnose.
an abnormal period,
do yourself a favour, seek immediate medical attention.
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