WOMEN’S HEALTH: Are your periods “normal”?
Often times in life normal is relative but there is an actual definition for what is considered a “normal range” period or menses. It is important to know what is normal so you know what is not normal and should be checked out by a doctor.
Normal periods range from 2 to 7 day long. This means that some women are often close to the 2-3 day range while others are in the 6-7 day range and they both are considered normal.
Normal periods come every 21 to 35 days. This means that some people have periods that come every 3 weeks while others have periods that come every 5 weeks. And sometimes women have periods that can shift weeks because of many reasons that may cause a hormone shift include stress, eating habits, and many more.
Some people have no symptoms with their periods while others have many symptoms. This is probably the broadest detail when it comes to periods. Common period symptoms include headache, appetite changes, bloating, cramping, nausea, mood changes, and fatigue. BUT one thing to note is if your symptoms are intense, severe, or causing you to miss events and activities consistently it may be a sign that something more serious is going on and you should get checked out by a doctor.
Skipping a period for one month can be normal. Now for those who are sexually active it is important to rule out pregnancy when you skip a period month. But once pregnancy is ruled out and your period skips only for one then returns back then there is not an immediate work up that needs to be down. If your period is consistently irregular, constantly skipping months, or suddenly just stops flowing all together it is recommended that you have a work up to check out what is going on with your period. There are many things that can cause a period to be irregular or skip including PCOS, thyroid disease, pituitary problems, and more.
Every day your period should not be heavy. Bleeding through your products or having to change saturated products every day of your period is not normal. Heavy periods can occur for many reasons and should be worked up. Heavy periods increase your risk of iron deficiency anemia which causes your body to get less blood and oxygen than it ideally desires.
After menopause you should not have vaginal bleeding. Some women can start menopause in their 40s but the average age for menopause is 51 years old. Menopause often diagnosed without labs when someone stops having their period for 12 months. There are other menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood swings but not everyone has these symptoms and severity differs. But for everyone in menopause vaginal bleeding is considered abnormal and should be worked up through a vaginal ultrasound because of risk of cancer and abnormal uterine tissue.
Additionally, some girls will start their period in elementary as young as 8 years old, though most girls start their first period at 12 years old. Younger than 8 with other signs of body maturity there is a work up.
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