What's in this article? What Are Irregular Periods? What Are Regular Periods? How Can I Be Prepared? What Causes Irregular Periods? Irregular periods are very common, especially in a girl's first few years of getting her period. These may include: back cramps or stiffness heavier breasts or breast soreness headaches acne breakouts disturbed sleep patterns mood swings bloating loose stools How Can I Be Prepared? Girls who are pregnant also will not get their periods.
Also let the doctor know if: You were having regular periods that then become irregular. You stop getting your period. You have extra hair growth on the face, chin, chest, or abdomen. You start having periods that last longer than 7 days, are heavy, or are coming more often than every 21 days.
Your period comes less often than every 45 days. You have severe cramping or abdominal pain. You have bleeding in between your periods. People who ovulate earlier in their cycle often have fewer days between periods. Some specific causes for a short cycle include:. The later into their cycle a person ovulates, the later their period will be. A long cycle may mean that a person ovulated very late, or did not ovulate at all.
According to the OWH , specific causes for a long menstrual cycle include:. A person with these symptoms should speak to their doctor. If a person has not had their period, they should also consider whether they might be pregnant.
Period tracking can help a person predict their next period. It can also help a person determine whether their cycle is regular or irregular. There are a few ways a person can track their period, including mobile applications or in a diary or calendar. Some people also use period tracking to monitor when they might ovulate. However, according to an article in npj Digital Medicine , period tracking alone is not reliable, since the day of ovulation can change month to month.
Additionally, a typical cycle length does not necessarily mean a person ovulated. According to an article in Bioengineering and Translational Medicine , if a person wants to find out when they ovulate, they should also monitor:. They affect everything from your sleep, mental health and weight to your bone density and heart health Cycles that consistently fall outside of "normal" ranges should be addressed with a healthcare provider. Read more about irregular cycles and their causes.
Learning what your average cycle looks like will help you identify when variations - of any type - occur. Tracking other things will help you identify what things tend to impact your cycle. If your cycle becomes or is always irregular, the information you gather with Clue may provide you and your healthcare provider with information that could help in the diagnosis and management of a medical condition. It may help you come up with an individualized treatment plan, or identify a change like menopause or pregnancy.
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Close main menu Homepage Encyclopedia. Menstrual Cycle. Birth Control. A typical menstrual cycle length for an adult who is not using any form of hormonal contraception is usually between 24 to 38 days 3.
Variations in cycle lengths are common 4. Within the same year, the length between the longest cycle and the shortest cycle can vary up to 9 days and still be considered within a regular range 5.
For example, a common variation can be that one cycle is 25 days long, followed by a cycle that is 33 days long. The menstrual cycles of adolescents around the time of menarche the first menstrual period can vary greatly 6. This means your periods may not always come at the same time every cycle, and they may be somewhat different cycle-to-cycle. As you progress through adolescence, cycles become more predictable to reflect adult cycle ranges, but may still be somewhat variable In the first few years after your periods start, a common menstrual cycle length for an adolescent is usually between 21 to 45 days, but may sometimes be longer or shorter 8.
At the onset of menarche, you may not ovulate with every cycle. As you progress through puberty, ovulation will likely happen in most of your cycles 6. The length of your typical cycle is determined by your age, genes, health, body mass index BMI , behaviors, and birth control methods 9, You may still notice changes from time to time.
The length of your cycle depends on your hormones, which can fluctuate due to factors like diet , stress , jet lag , working night shifts, exercise, or taking an emergency contraception pill the morning-after pill Heavy cigarette smoking, as well as chronic and excessive alcohol consumption may also affect cycle length or variation This could be due to health conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS or a thyroid disorder 22, Inconsistent ovulation and variable periods are also more likely to occur during certain phases of life, such as during adolescence, after birth, while breastfeeding, and during perimenopause the transition to menopause 1,24, Combined hormonal birth control —like the pill, the vaginal ring, or the patch—release synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone into your body When taken as directed, the hormones in these types of birth control prevent your ovaries from preparing and releasing eggs
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