What are the Main Irregular Periods Causes?

Irregular periods are a common indicator of menopause and only 10% of women reach menopause without having experienced irregular periods. Irregular periods cause a woman a great deal of trouble and it is important to understand both why irregular periods occur as well as the exact irregular periods causes. Keep reading to find out more about irregular period causes.

What are the main causes of irregular periods?

irregular periods women If a woman starts to experience irregular bleeding between periods, depending on her age, it’s possible that she may be in perimenopause; that is, the stage before menopause begins. Irregular periods can cause a woman endures at this time can continue until menopause begins.

It’s possible that a woman will experience longer or shorter periods and lighter or heavier bleeding. The menstrual cycle can change dramatically during perimenopause and this can be worrying for women if they are unsure why such changes are occurring and if they have no knowledge about irregular periods causes.

Several factors can cause irregular periods, but for women between the ages of 45 and 55 who are approaching menopause the most likely irregular periods causes are fluctuating hormone levels. The hormones estrogen and progesterone are the main contributors to the menstrual cycle, so when hormone production begins to wane, it can cause irregular periods. Read on to learn more about the causes and symptoms of irregular periods.

The role of hormones in irregular periods

Despite the fact that many hormones play a part in menstruation, progesterone and estrogen are the leading irregular periods causes. The function of each of these is explained in more detail below:

Estrogen: It is the job of estrogen to thicken the uterine lining before ovulation. As levels of estrogen constantly change during menopause, the uterine lining is often shed irregularly and this is one of the causes of irregular periods.

Progesterone: This hormone is responsible for triggering the shed of the uterine contents after ovulation when fertilization hasn’t occurred. Progesterone also controls the intensity and duration of menstrual bleeding. During menopause, declining levels of progesterone is one of many irregular periods causes. During anovulation, which is common with irregular periods in menopause, progesterone is not produced and this can result in a build-up of estrogen.

Due to the fact that the production of both estrogen and progesterone begins to decrease prior to menopause, it makes periods irregular. Before remaining at a permanently low level, estrogen and progesterone will often fluctuate wildly and this can cause irregular periods. There are however various other irregular periods causes.

What are the other causes of irregular periods?

Hormonal imbalance is the primary irregular periods cause during menopause but there are some health conditions and lifestyle triggers that can also be irregular periods causes. They are:

Health Conditions:

• Eating disorders
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• Uterine abnormalities (Fibroids, cysts, polyps, endometriosis)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Tuberculosis
• Recent birth, miscarriage, or D&C
• Liver disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Anemia
• Thyroid dysfunction

Lifestyle triggers:

• Significant weight gain/loss
• Over-exercise
• Poor nutrition
• Smoking
• Drug use
• Caffeine
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Increased stress
• Medication use
• Breastfeeding

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