Irregular Periods: A Missed Call to you as a reminder to look back at your lifestyle

Most of us have missed a period at one point or another and the immediate anticipation is pregnancy. And when we are assured that it’s not pregnancy then we hardly care about other reasons. Ah, sigh of relief; not pregnant.  But there is more than that a woman should try to understand about irregular periods, actually it is one of the ways of the body to tell you that something is not right with your body or lifestyle.

Irregular periods are not uncommon and even the most regular woman may find herself late for her period or skipping a period entirely at some point in her life.   

Having more or fewer period, shorter or longer duration of period, heavy bleeding or less bleeding, twice period within a month or not even once period in a month; in some of these or the other way, a woman do experiences irregular period in her lifetime. 

As per textbook, a woman has her period every 24 to 31 days, lasting between four and seven days, and losing approximately four to 12 tablespoons of blood. But not all women have that regular period.

As said above, pregnancy isn't always the culprit behind an irregular cycle and there are other several reasons like anxiety, stress which a woman should always look into.  It becomes more important for those females who are working and have to travel. Consider the fact that abnormal period can create embarrassing situation when you are out of home or at public places like functions, offices etc. It may hit you unexpectedly in a situation when you are not ready for that like no sanitary pads or not dressed properly to manage especially in case of heavy bleeding and many other simple yet worst situations. 

Interestingly most of the reasons behind irregular periods are related to lifestyle and it can be very well corrected by adopting appropriate lifestyle. 

Here are some of the factors which can be responsible for irregular periods:

• Significant weight gain or loss

• Over-exercise

• Poor nutrition (or a diet too high in carbohydrates)

• Smoking

• Drug use

• Caffeine

• Excessive alcohol use (interfering with how the liver metabolizes estrogen and                             progesterone)

• Eating disorders

• Increased stress

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome

• Uterine abnormalities 

• Hormonal imbalance related to perimenopause

• Medications

• Chemotherapy

• Recent childbirth, miscarriage, or D&C

• Breastfeeding

Count on the factors which you are faulting and if its lifestyle related then it is the time when you should adopt a healthy lifestyle so that you have a regular and peaceful period.  

In most of the cases, simply decreasing stress, improving nutrition and adding adequate nutrition in food can provide a natural way to restore regular menstrual cycles.

Just following simple steps can help you attain the normalcy of your period:

• Control your weight: Both underweight and obese women will be more likely to suffer from           irregular periods. 

• Eat healthy foods: Foods that are high in fats and processed ingredients can cause all                 sorts of changes in the body including irregular periods. 

• Exercise Daily: Exercise can help to regulate menstrual cycles by reducing the amount of           fat surrounding the ovaries and other internal organs. 

• Skip the morning coffee. Caffeine is highlighted by research for its negative effect on the             body and it is advised caffeine for women with irregular periods. 

• Relieve stress through relaxation technique as stress plays huge role in menstrual cycle.

Some home remedies which you can adopt to manage the irregular periods:

• Eating unripe green papaya can normalize irregular periods associated with menopause.

• Having saunf (fennel) seeds daily also helps in regulating monthly period.

• Grapes are very useful ingredient in helping one have regular periods.

• Having a bowl of papaya or a glass of papaya juice everyday also helps.

• Having raw carrot or carrot juice can also be of good help.

However not all reasons are lifestyle related like women who are going through menopause, or younger women who just recently began menstruating may experience irregular or unpredictable cycles as well. Medications such as birth control and certain health conditions may also cause irregular menstrual cycles. In this situation, it is recommended that you consult with a qualified expert and seek proper treatment. 

Irregular period is the way your body wants to tell you something, just understand & work upon it and head to a healthy & happy period.