Protracted menstrual cycle causes. Problem periods. Why does menstruation take so long? When there is a reason to visit a doctor

There are several special periods in a woman's life when her menstrual flow is different from normal. One of them is menopause, which characterizes the cessation of monthly bleeding. If there are long periods after 50 years, i.e. just before menopause, then this may indicate pathology. Learn more about this issue below.

Perimenopause and menstruation

Menopause is the period in a woman's life when her reproductive function gradually fades away and the level of the sex hormone estrogen decreases until it is completely absent. These changes directly affect the menstrual cycle, which varies depending on the onset of a certain phase of menopause, of which there are 3. The first of them is premenopause (premenopause). The next are menopause and postmenopause, or postmenopause. All of them are characterized by certain symptoms.

Premenopause includes the time from the first signs of menopause to the end of the last menstrual bleeding. In most cases, this age is about 45-50 years. This period is characterized as follows:

menstruation becomes irregular;
menstruation often disappears for several months up to six months;
the volume of secretions becomes smaller;
Periods don't last as long as they used to.

Why do periods take longer

The premenopausal period is dangerous because it is very difficult to separate normal menstruation from pathological ones in it. The reason lies in the irregular cycle and the fact that protracted periods before menopause can be common. Alert the woman due to heavy bleeding after the discharge became not so voluminous or was completely absent for several months. It is difficult to unambiguously determine whether certain menstruation is normal, because you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the body.

The cause of protracted periods before menopause is often uterine bleeding caused by:

pathology of the endometrium. It consists in the growth of the endometrium due to a failure in the process of normal formation of the egg. With this pathology, there is a risk of cancerous tumors.
Myomas. This is the name of benign tumors that develop due to malfunctions of the thyroid gland.
Poor blood clotting. This pathology also often leads to prolonged menstrual bleeding.
Polycystic. This disease affects the ovaries and is characterized by a prolonged absence of menstruation, and then their release in a large volume.
Polyps. This is the name of neoplasms that are benign and harmless. Their negative impact is prolonged menstruation before menopause and not only.
Discontinuation or misuse of oral contraceptives. This often results in bleeding.

What violation of the menstrual cycle after 45 years is considered the norm

Normal protracted periods before menopause can be considered at its very first manifestations. At the beginning of bleeding are profuse and prolonged. Then they often change to meager and become strong again. Another option is that menstruation gradually flows into less plentiful and irregular ones. It turns out that menstruation can be protracted in the following cases:

at the beginning of menopause;
with premenopause, which is characterized by a change of periods with scanty and heavy periods.

When long periods before menopause are a sign of pathology

Many women are not familiar with the cases in which menstruation is considered the norm before menopause, so they delay contacting a doctor. It is necessary to do this in the case when the duration of bleeding is more than 7 days or its volume is such that one pad lasts only an hour. In addition to these main factors, the reasons for contacting a gynecologist for prolonged periods are:

the presence of blood clots and tissue particles;
fever against the background of increased heart rate, weakness, chills and sticky sweat;
bleeding after intimacy;
severe pain in the lower abdomen.

What to do if menstruation goes more than 7 days before menopause

The best answer to this question is to see a gynecologist, especially if you can’t stop the discharge on your own. It is worth giving up alcohol with cigarettes, because they can also be the cause of protracted periods. Even if the situation has changed, you should not neglect a visit to the doctor, because a dangerous disease often hides behind a temporary improvement. Only timely treatment will help to avoid consequences and maintain health.

How to stop bleeding during menstruation at home

Any intervention related to the menstrual cycle, especially before menopause, is dangerous because it often leads to gynecological diseases. If you are not embarrassed by such risks to disrupt your health, then you can try several ways. The first is oral contraceptives. If a woman already uses them, then you should not stop this process, and after one blister is over, immediately proceed to another. The same should be done when taking birth control pills. They, like oral contraceptives, can stop long periods.

In addition to contraceptives, there are other drugs that are hemostatic. Among these stand out:

Vikasol. It is an artificially synthesized vitamin K, on which blood clotting and the formation of prothrombin depend. A low level of the latter leads to heavy periods.
Traneksam. A modern remedy, available in the form of tablets or injections. It is also able to stop bleeding during menstruation.
Duphaston. Progesterone-based medicine belongs to the group of non-steroidal hormonal drugs. Advantage - do not affect blood clotting.

Taking these medications is not a guarantee that you will feel better. Drugs only provide temporary relief, so don't rely entirely on pills or injections. In addition to medications, there are folk methods to stop bleeding. These recipes use herbs and the simplest ingredients like parsley, lemon or honey. Here's how to apply them:

Honey. This sweetness just needs to be consumed in large quantities.
Lemon. This fruit also needs to be included in the diet. The main thing is not to overdo it, because lemon affects the digestive system.
Parsley. Greens must be finely chopped and brewed with boiling water. After 3 hours, the product can be drunk, but it is better to distribute it 3 times.

When to call an ambulance

Above, situations have already been listed for prolonged periods, when it is necessary to consult a specialist or even urgently call an ambulance. This must be done if one pad is not enough even for an hour. When blood clots or tissue sections appear in the discharge, going to an ambulance should not even be considered. With a deterioration in well-being against the background of temperature, chills and a frequent pulse, a woman also needs the help of doctors.

How to treat long periods in premenopause

To exclude diseases, a woman is prescribed a number of tests, among which a blood test, a coagulogram, ultrasound and cytology of a smear from the cervix are distinguished. If all serious pathologies are excluded, then the treatment of prolonged periods is carried out with oral contraceptives, sedatives and antidepressants. Additionally, estrogens can be prescribed, which are administered transvaginally. To reduce the risk of oncology, Duphaston is prescribed.

Video: menstruation during menopause in women

How many days a woman's menstruation lasts is influenced by many factors, including the physiological characteristics of the body, lifestyle. Significant deviations from the norm, instability of the menstrual cycle are symptoms of diseases of the organs of the reproductive system. Only a gynecological examination will help determine the cause of the violations. Do not put off a visit to the doctor in the hope that everything will work itself out. A neglected disease is more difficult to treat, and its consequences are serious.

Content:

Normal and abnormal menstruation in women of reproductive age

The duration of menstrual bleeding should normally be 3-7 days. The body these days is weakened due to blood loss. The woman quickly gets tired, feels weak. There is a headache. All these ailments are the norm, they do not last long and disappear with the end of menstruation. Normal menstruation is characterized by the release of blood with a total volume of 50 to 80 ml.

In a healthy woman, the cycle length is from 21 days to 35 days. Moreover, menstruation goes at approximately constant intervals with a maximum deviation of 2-4 days.

The presence of pathology in the body can be assumed in cases where menstruation lasts 2 days and less or more than 7 days, the volume of secretions is less than 40 ml or more than 80-100 ml. If smearing brown discharge appears before and after menstruation, increasing the number of critical days, this is also a violation.

A normal cycle should not be shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days. Its beginning is considered the first day of menstruation.

Factors affecting the duration of menstruation

How long the period lasts depends on the following factors:

Heredity. Some menstruation lasts 10 days or even more in the absence of any pathologies. This duration is typical for women in this family.
The presence of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the reproductive organs, benign neoplasms (fibroids, polyps, cysts), malignant tumors of the uterus and ovaries. With these diseases, the structure of the mucous membranes of organs is disturbed, damage to blood vessels and tissues occurs, as a result of which menstruation becomes more abundant and lasts longer.
Ovarian dysfunction. The cause of this condition can be both diseases of the genital organs, and frequent abortions, the use of an intrauterine device, the uncontrolled use of hormonal drugs. With ovarian dysfunction due to insufficient production of sex hormones, menstruation lasts 2 days or less.
Deviations in the work of the thyroid, pancreas, pituitary gland, adrenal glands - organs responsible for the state of the hormonal background in the body.

In addition, the number of critical days is sharply reduced with intense physical exertion (sports, weight lifting). Nervous strain, psychological trauma, depression cause heavy menstrual bleeding, lasting for 10-14 days.

Starvation, vitamin deficiency lead to a hormonal shift, a reduction in the duration of menstruation or their complete cessation. Smoking, alcohol abuse, drug use, and exposure to unfavorable ecology lead to the same result.

Video: How long do normal periods go

How long do teenage girls menstruate?

At the age of 12-15, girls have their first menstruation. During this period, the body begins hormonal changes associated with the maturation of the ovaries. The first menstruation comes irregularly, with delays of several months. This happens within 1-2 years. The volume of menstruation can fluctuate significantly.

It is difficult to say how many days teenage girls should menstruate until their character is finally established. Their duration can vary significantly, but gradually it returns to normal and is usually 3-5 days. After that, the girl needs to have a special calendar to mark the day of the beginning and end of menstruation.

If there are any deviations (menstruation does not come, ends too quickly, or, conversely, goes longer than last time), you should not panic. There can be many reasons: overwork, passion for diets, sports overload, teenage mental imbalance, change of scenery. Such violations will disappear after the elimination of their cause.

But if the violations are persistent, menstruation is too painful, then you must definitely consult a doctor. Such symptoms indicate the presence of diseases of the organs of the reproductive and other body systems.

Video: Menstruation in girls and adult women

Menstruation during pregnancy

With the onset of pregnancy, for most women, periods disappear, but sometimes they come at their usual time, because of which a woman may not understand that she is pregnant. If menstruation came only during the first 30 days of pregnancy, this is due to the fact that fertilization occurred at the very end of the menstrual cycle, when the endometrium had already partially exfoliated. Bloody discharges are scanty.

In rare cases, simultaneous maturation of eggs in both ovaries occurs. One of them is fertilized, and the second is brought out. In this case, there is a slight bleeding, which may look like a meager period that lasts for 1-2 days.

If during pregnancy during the first 3-4 months menstruation is scanty and short in duration, this may be the result of an incomplete cessation of hormone production in the ovaries, which is explained by the physiological characteristics of the body. But in any case, you should not calm down, since most often the appearance of spotting during pregnancy portends a miscarriage or speaks of endocrine disorders in the body.

Warning: If any bleeding occurs, a pregnant woman should immediately consult a doctor. You may need to be hospitalized for several days to maintain the pregnancy.

How many no periods after childbirth

The term of the appearance of the first menstruation after childbirth depends on the nature of their course, the general state of health. If a woman is breastfeeding, then during the entire period of lactation she does not have menstruation. If, for some reason, the child is transferred to artificial feeding immediately after birth, then the woman's period begins in about 12 weeks.

In the absence of complications, most often the menstrual cycle becomes more stable. If earlier menstruation was too plentiful and long, then after childbirth, the indicators are close to normal. Menstruation becomes painless, less intense. This is due to a change in the position of the uterus, improving the outflow of blood from it. How long menstruation lasts depends on the nature of the hormonal changes that have occurred. They usually last 3 to 5 days.

How many days does menstruation last with menopause

Menopause (complete cessation of menstruation) occurs in women at about 48-50 years of age. Already after 40 years, the production of sex hormones in the ovaries begins to gradually decline, the supply of eggs is depleted. Ovulation does not occur in every cycle. All this is reflected in the nature of menstruation. They come irregularly, the duration changes with each cycle. After heavy bleeding that does not stop for 8 days, there may be a long pause (2 months or more), after which there are scanty spotting brown periods, which disappear after 2 days. Then they stop altogether.

Addition: If spotting was absent for 1 year, and then reappeared, this is no longer menstruation. Bleeding of any duration and intensity during the postmenopausal period is a sign of hormonal failure, endocrine diseases, or the occurrence of tumors of the uterus or ovaries. It is urgent to contact specialist doctors (gynecologist, endocrinologist, oncologist) to identify the pathology.

Menstruation while using oral contraceptives

Birth control pills contain female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Their action is aimed at suppressing ovulation by changing their natural ratio in the body. Within 1-3 months after the start of taking the pills, the body adapts to the new hormonal background. In this case, the nature of menstruation may change compared to the usual. How many days do menstruation go in this case and what is their intensity depends on the chosen remedy. They can become plentiful and long, or, on the contrary, be scarce and short.

If after 3 months the nature of menstruation does not return to normal, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist. You may need to choose another drug.

Video: Gynecologist on the consequences of using hormonal drugs

Normally, with a regular cycle and in the absence of various kinds of deviations, the duration of menstruation ranges from 3 to 5-7 days.

When a woman's cycle has not yet been established and the body gets used to all the changes, then menstruation can last more than 5 days. If menstruation lasts 10 days and in the last days there is only spotting, then with an irregular cycle this is quite natural.

But if, with a regular cycle, menstruation suddenly goes on for 10 or more days, then this is already a cause for concern. Such heavy periods are a sign of bleeding. And bleeding can go on for a long time if it is not stopped, and this fact is by no means a boon to a woman's health.

The menstrual cycle in a woman is regulated by the brain, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, uterus and ovaries. Its normal duration is up to seven days. In this case, the first few days of the discharge are intense, and in the last days there is a so-called daub. If menstruation is abundant every day, and does not gradually turn into a daub, this is a reason to visit a gynecologist.

The most common reasons why menstruation is long

Stress;
Obesity;
Psychiatric abnormalities;
Severe illnesses;
Lack of vitamins;
Injuries;
Transitional age;
Climax;
Alcohol abuse or smoking;
Contraception.

In medicine, there is a special term for an elongated menstrual cycle - menorrhagia. When menstruation goes for a long time, the woman's body loses too much blood. This can be caused by various reasons - from a violation of the level of hormones to a disorder in the uterus.

If your periods are longer than expected, it is best to immediately consult a doctor and undergo an examination to exclude the presence of serious diseases. If there are no diagnosed diseases, then a woman should pay attention to herself and her lifestyle.

It is so inherent in nature that a woman should be responsible for original sin and endure menstruation every month, which does not bring a drop of joy. But there are those who calmly endure these “red days” and do not experience difficulties. Only this is a rarity. More often from women you can hear that menstruation is long.

Norm

Menstruation should go no more than 7 days. The last two days have been marked by a small
spotting or brown discharge. The peak is in the first three days. If a woman's menstruation is exactly like this, then there is no reason to worry. Also, long periods are considered the norm for girls who have had no more than 5 years from the beginning of their first menstruation. Everything else is a violation that requires detailed consideration.

Causes of prolonged menstruation

If menstruation goes on for a long time, then this may indicate various functional

violations.

Stress - disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, as well as severe overexertion. Depression and stress are directly responsible for the functioning of the reproductive system. That is why periods can go for a long time in cases where a woman is constantly nervous.
Tumors are malignant or benign formations in the cavity of the internal genital organs. Along with prolonged and heavy periods, a woman will experience severe pain.
Ovarian dysfunction - occurs against the background of inflammatory processes. The disease differs in pain before, during and after menstruation in the side.
Hormonal failure - menstruation takes a long time with a lack or excess of hormones in a woman's body.
Sexually transmitted diseases or infections - only serious infectious diseases can disrupt the cycle. As a rule, strong discharge and bleeding in the middle of the cycle join this symptom.
Menopause - menopause is almost always manifested by a violation of the cycle.

Other reasons

And why do menstruation take a long time if the listed diseases are not observed in a woman? In this case, there may be several reasons. The most common of them is malnutrition and lack of vitamins in the body. In order for menstruation to pass without deviations, a woman should carefully monitor her diet and be sure to include fresh vegetables and fruits in it. Another reason is being overweight.

myths

Among the female gender, there are rumors that intimate life during menstruation affects its duration. In fact, this is possible only in cases where there are serious violations. A healthy woman is not threatened with complications and diseases even after lovemaking during menstruation.

Treatment

Based on the foregoing, if menstruation takes a long time, it is necessary first of all to find the cause. If it consists in diseases of the reproductive organs, then the woman needs to undergo an examination, and then a course of drug therapy. It is impossible to delay this - the consequences can be irreversible. When menstruation goes on for a long time, it is not only dangerous for health, hemoglobin decreases, but also quite problematic. After all, a woman has to give up many pleasures in these “red days”.

When long periods are considered the norm, and in what cases they signal the development of a pathological process. What to drink, an overview of hemostatic drugs and traditional medicine recipes.

The female body is arranged in such a way that starting from the age of 10-14, menstruation begins once a month. Bleeding is caused by the rejection of the epithelium, which, in the absence of conception, becomes unnecessary for the reproductive system. Then a new cycle begins, lasting 21 - 35 days.

Menstruation lasts 3-7 days and during this time the body loses 50-150 ml of blood. If there are deviations from the classic version, it is necessary to figure out why there are long periods and find out from the doctor how to restore the normal rhythm of bleeding.

Menstruation goes for a long time: in what cases is it normal

If menstruation is delayed for 10-15 days, which was not the case before, women usually become alert and think about the disease. However, there are factors that have nothing to do with pathologies. Let's consider them in detail:

Age. During the first 2 years after menarche, they can go on for a long time, starting and ending with dark spotting. The body undergoes hormonal changes even at the age of 40, when the period of premenopause begins. An increase in critical days at a young age and after 40 is considered a natural phenomenon.
Heredity. If relatives under the age of 40 have periods for more than 7 days, then this family has a natural predisposition to prolonged bleeding. In women after 45 years, menstruation takes a long time for another reason - this is an approaching menopause. Therefore, it is not worth taking into account the peculiarities of the menstruation of mature relatives for a girl or a young woman.
Childbirth and abortion. After these events, the reproductive system is rebuilt, and the uterus is intensively cleansed.
Taking contraceptives. Hormonal contraceptives make periods too long or too short.
Use of an intrauterine device. The uterus perceives the IUD as a foreign body and reacts to its presence with prolonged heavy bleeding.
Stress, hypothermia or overheating of the body. Experiences and changing climatic conditions affect the nature of menstruation.

If menstruation always goes on for a long time and does not affect the well-being of a woman, you should not worry. If critical days come randomly with prolonged heavy bleeding and cause blanching and fainting, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Pathological causes of prolonged periods

Gynecologists consider irregular and prolonged periods with menopause to be the norm. In other cases, cycle deviations often indicate the development of a pathological process.

Regular bleeding lasting 10-15 days is dangerous for the body. To determine the cause of long menstruation, the patient is recommended to undergo an examination. If the suspicion of the disease is confirmed, the doctor will develop an effective treatment regimen.

What factors affect the duration of menstruation:

Anemia.
Poor blood clotting.
Depressive state.
Hormonal disruptions.
Neoplasms of various nature.
Weakness and poor elasticity of the blood vessels.
Diseases of the uterus and ovaries (cysts, adenomyosis, polyps, fibroids, inflammation, cervical dysplasia, malignant tumors).
Diseases of the endocrine system, in particular the thyroid gland.

What are the dangers of exhausting menstruation? First of all, the body constantly loses a lot of blood and iron, which causes iron deficiency anemia. A decrease in hemoglobin significantly worsens a woman's well-being and negatively affects the quality of life.

During pregnancy, if menstruation persists, significant blood loss can result in a miscarriage. In women of childbearing age, long critical days can cause an ectopic pregnancy.

Independent attempts to stop bleeding with the help of drugs or folk remedies are dangerous due to the formation of blood clots, the development of inflammatory processes and other complications. Therefore, if menstruation began to go for more than a week, it is urgent to contact a gynecologist and other specialists.

What to do if menstruation goes on for a long time

Find out how to stop long periods, it is better to consult a doctor. This way you can avoid serious health problems. Common treatment options are oral contraceptives and hemostatic drugs. By agreement with the doctor, you can take traditional medicine.

Birth control pills

Oral contraceptives can stop long periods associated with an imbalance of sex hormones. Drugs correct the hormonal background, and not just suppress bleeding. But if the hormonal status has changed due to a serious illness, the treatment will be different. Therapy is developed by the doctor on an individual basis.

Hemostatics

The group of hemostatics - hemostatic drugs, includes the drugs Vikasol, Dicinon, Tranexam, etc. Vikasol helps the body synthesize a protein that is responsible for the quality of blood clotting. It is a water-soluble analogue of vitamin K. The drug is in the form of tablets and injections.

It has no contraindications and side effects.

Dicynon increases the permeability of the vascular walls. If your periods go for a long time and you don’t know what to drink, Dicinon will be an ideal option. The medicine stops bleeding of a different nature (even acute) and prevents their reappearance.

Tranexam is a drug with tranexamic acid, has hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties.

The drug is effective for prolonged menstruation, the causes of which are abortion, childbirth, inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system and hysteroscopy.

At the discretion of the doctor, the patient may be prescribed vitamins, uterine contractions, hormones, and strengthening medicines for the blood vessels. Scraping during long periods for women is done at the age of 50 during menopause - the procedure prevents the development of cancer. After scraping, the patient is prescribed hormones.

Girls and middle-aged women are first prescribed hormonal drugs. If they do not help, patients are sent for curettage.

If the anomaly is due to poor blood clotting, the menstrual cycle is corrected with coagulants (aminocaproic acid). With anemia, iron supplements will help correct the situation.

Folk remedies

Consider what to do with long periods for women of different ages so that you can do without medication. We will use traditional medicine recipes that are aimed at stopping bleeding and eliminating unpleasant symptoms and irritability.

Sage tea:

Brew a teaspoon of herbs with a glass of boiling water and hold under the lid for 15 minutes.
Take ¼ cup steam up to 4 times a day.

Sage works like estrogen, normalizing the cycle and making it easier to feel during menopause.

Sage infusion is easy to make at home

Nettle infusion:

Pour a glass of boiling water over one tablespoon of raw materials and boil for 4-5 minutes over low heat.
Leave the decoction for half an hour.
Take 3-5 times a day daily to obtain a hemostatic effect and saturate the body with vitamin K.

Shepherd's bag:

In a glass of boiling water, brew only 1 tsp. herbs.
Infuse herbal tea for a few minutes.
Drink the drug with a dosage of 150 ml.

Wild strawberry decoction:

Brew vegetable raw materials at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. per liter of boiling water.
Divide the entire volume into portions and drink during critical days.

Strawberry decoction is tasty and healthy

Traditional medicine offers a tasty and healthy option for correcting the cycle with the use of lemon. It is important that a woman does not have dental diseases and disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.

To stop spotting, you need to eat a whole lemon with the addition of sugar or honey. Vitamin C has hemostatic properties.

Prevention of long periods

The presence of long periods is not always associated with the disease. If, after a thorough examination, the cause of the deviation was not found and the woman was recognized as healthy, she is given recommendations for changing her lifestyle.

Prolonged periods may be associated with factors such as:

Obesity.
Vitamin deficiency.
Abuse of alcoholic beverages.
Admission of narcotic substances.
Impact of climatic conditions.
Low stress tolerance.

Remember that prolonged periods that cannot be corrected at home require immediate medical attention. Timely consultation with a specialist will avoid serious problems in the gynecological field.