Short periods - normal or pathological? 2

Why menstruation came ahead of schedule is a question that worries many women today. The menstrual cycle is the systematic release of an unfertilized egg from the uterine cavity.

Each woman of childbearing age has her own menstrual cycle, the normal course is from 26 to 32 days. Each body has its own characteristics, so the cycle of many women is purely individual.

But what to do if your period starts early? Such situations happen, and this should prompt an immediate visit to the doctor. It is considered not terrible if the critical days came the day before the expected date, but if for 5 or more days, then this indicates the presence of deviations from the norm and possible illnesses.

Why did my period come a week early?

Why your period came ahead of schedule can only be determined by a gynecologist. But often, the answer to the question why menstruation came a week earlier is associated with specific malfunctions in the reproductive system.

My period came a week early due to:

• Increased estrogen Hyperestrogenism is observed in women due to disruptions of the hormonal system. This disease must be diagnosed in time and treatment started, since with this condition ovulation is very often absent. It is dangerous to bring this condition to a chronic course of the disease; a woman risks being left without offspring.
• Uterine bleeding The causes of uterine bleeding can be tumors such as fibroids, cysts. And also rough sex with the use of toys leads to them - this threatens with injuries to the uterus, after which bleeding immediately begins. It is impossible to stop such discharge at home, and taking medications on your own can be fatal. Therefore, if you suspect uterine bleeding, you should immediately call an ambulance or go to the doctor for an appointment without a queue.
• Inflammation Inflammatory processes of the reproductive system in advanced stages can cause heavy discharge a week ahead of schedule. Often the discharge is scanty, but with clots. Underdevelopment of the reproductive system also leads to premature menstruation.

Options for shortened periods without pathology

First menstruation

If your first period lasts 2 days, this is normal. The cycle is just establishing itself and over the course of a year, menstrual blood loss should increase to a normal period of 3–7 days. If the cycle is not established, then one can suspect hormonal disorders, inflammatory processes, stress, anemia or childhood trauma, which triggered the development of oligomenorrhea. Inflammatory diseases leave traces of white blood cells in the menstrual flow, and signs of injury may appear as brown discharge, demonstrating the presence of destroyed red blood cells.

After childbirth

Physiological and hormonal disorders during pregnancy and lactation disrupt the menstrual cycle. It will take more than one week after birth for the body to return to normal. In addition to natural factors, low period length can be influenced by stress or postpartum depression.

After curettage and abortion

When wondering why menstruation occurs 2 days after the curettage procedure, it is worth paying attention to the patient’s well-being. If the color of the discharge is very dark with an unpleasant odor, and the woman feels unwell (pain, high temperature), then a violation of the surgical technology has occurred. The membranes may not have been completely removed, causing an infection. After the repeated procedure, the symptoms of oligomenorrhea should disappear.

During pregnancy

If your period lasts for 1 day, and the girl is sure that she is pregnant, this does not always refer to pathology. Since in the first month after fertilization the body does not have time to completely rebuild. Such discharge should not be considered a disorder and should not be classified as a disease of the menstrual cycle. The fertilized egg does not have time to reach the uterus and gain a foothold there. Therefore, the hormonal background remains the same and menstruation can begin. In subsequent months, a similar phenomenon may indicate detachment of the ovum or miscarriage. Less commonly, periods can be caused by low progesterone production and high androgen secretion. Among the disorders with the appearance of blood discharge, one can note an ectopic pregnancy or a heart defect in the child.

Pregnancy or menstruation early

My period started early, could this be pregnancy?
Let's take a closer look at this. The main reasons why menstruation comes early have already been clarified. Menstruation and pregnancy are completely different things, but sometimes discharge during pregnancy can be confused with the onset of a period. During the period of attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus, and this occurs in several stages, but the first manifestations occur a week after ovulation, small discharge may occur.

Women often confuse them with menstrual periods, especially if the pregnancy is unplanned. The smears can be very scanty, often not red, but pink or even brown, and they end much faster than ordinary menstruation.

The result of such discharge will make itself felt already in the first week after menstruation, when the woman feels malaise, dizziness and nausea. And so, the main reasons for early menstruation have been sorted out. But you should not rely only on your knowledge, because often deviations in the female body have individual characteristics that only an experienced doctor can recognize after tests, visual examination and ultrasound examination.

Women's health is very important, so you shouldn't let illnesses and diseases get worse, because it's easier to cure a disease at an early stage.

Video why your period came early.

https://youtu.be/IvAGSMBdCQg

Regular menstruation is a natural process in the body of a healthy woman, which serves to cleanse the uterine lining of an unfertilized egg. A healthy woman menstruates every 21-33 days. The intervals between menstruation depend on the physiological and individual characteristics of the body.

Possible reasons

There are many possible factors that can affect the disruption of the usual menstrual cycle:

• nervous or emotional overload, stress;
• acclimatization (moving to new conditions, going on vacation to an area with a different climate);
• emergency contraception;
• pregnancy, including ectopic;
• lactation period;
• miscarriage;
• abortion;
• hormonal imbalance;
• hereditary factor;
• use of oral contraception;
• injury to the vagina or cervix (internal bleeding);
• uterine bleeding;
• physical stress;
• cold;
• first sexual intercourse;
• inflammatory or infectious disease;
• oncology;
• uterine fibroids;
• overweight;
• sexual infection;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• kidney or liver problems;
• poisoning with harmful substances;
• exceeding the permissible level of radiation;
• installed intrauterine device;
• diet;
• irregular sex life;
• lack of vitamins, microelements and nutrients necessary for the body;
• unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, a lot of alcohol, drugs);
• some medications (cycle disruption is usually indicated as side effects).

Premature onset of menstruation may be normal during the period of establishing a period. This usually occurs during adolescence or after pregnancy, when the cycle is restored again. Similar failures are also typical before menopause.

Causes of early heavy periods

It is necessary to distinguish between the abundance of menstruation. When they begin ahead of schedule, and the bleeding is heavier than usual, then possible reasons for this may be:

• internal bleeding;
• hormonal disorder;
• gynecological disease;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• great physical activity;
• diet;
• lack of elements necessary for the body;
• abortion;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• disorders in the reproductive system.

If your period starts early and is quite heavy, then there are several signs that should alert you:

• blood is bright scarlet;
• absence of clots;
• deterioration of general condition;
• pain or pain (read more about why your stomach hurts during menstruation here);
• pre-fainting state.

If such alarming factors occur, without exception, you should contact a specialist.

Heavy bleeding, including blood clots, may indicate pseudomenstruation. This phenomenon usually occurs in certain reproductive system disorders, such as endometriosis.

Reasons for scanty discharge ahead of schedule

When menstruation begins prematurely and is quite scanty, there are several explanations for this phenomenon:

• injury causing internal bleeding;
• hormonal imbalance;
• consequences of the inflammatory process;
• previous gynecological surgery (including abortion);
• emotional or nervous overstrain, stress;
• metabolic disease;
• diet, unhealthy diet;
• pregnancy (including ectopic);
• lactation;
• excessive physical activity.

Scanty menstruation is called hypomenorrhea, and a reduction in the number of days of menstruation is called oligomenorrhea. This phenomenon occurs normally only during puberty or before menopause. In other cases, this indicates some kind of violation.

Reasons for starting your period a week early

It happens that menstruation comes ahead of schedule. The reasons can be of a very diverse nature. This applies to women whose cycle is complete and disruptions cause anxiety.

The following describes the most common causes of cycle failure.

Stressful emotional state

Many women have faced a similar problem. Constant stress, nervous tension, and overwork affect the cycle. Nervous tension affects the central nervous system, causing spasms and dilation of blood vessels.

The motor activity of the uterus increases and premature rejection of the uterine mucosa occurs. Subsequently, menstruation may begin several days earlier. Even a little stress can cause such a situation.

Hormonal imbalance

Cycle failure occurs due to taking hormonal medications. The pills disrupt the production of female hormones. A similar problem can arise after an abortion or miscarriage, which also affects the hormonal background of the female body.

Onset of pregnancy

6-10 weeks after fertilization, the embryo enters the uterus. During the process of entry, the mucous membrane is damaged and bleeding occurs, which a woman may confuse with the onset of menstruation. Bloody discharge may indicate pregnancy if it is quite scanty and lasts 1-2 days.

Ectopic pregnancy

It is important to know! An ectopic pregnancy is very dangerous and requires urgent medical intervention. The embryo begins to develop not in the uterus, but in the fallopian tube, which subsequently leads to rupture.

Bleeding occurs due to fetal pressure on the blood vessels and can be similar to menstruation . As the embryo grows, bleeding intensifies and is accompanied by severe pain. In this case, urgent surgery is required.

Effect of contraception

If a woman starts taking birth control pills, then premature onset of menstruation is normal. The body will gradually get used to the new hormonal levels and the cycle will be restored next month. Also, when using emergency contraceptive pills, the menstrual cycle always gets disrupted.

With hormonal imbalance, the discharge is accompanied by clots and can be abundant. This is one of the reasons why my period came a week earlier.

The body receives a shock dose of hormones, which causes the early onset of menstruation.

Age-related changes

Cycle instability is quite normal in adolescence. Menstruation is established during the first 1-2 years and should not cause concern. The young body is preparing for future reproductive activity.

Usually, by the age of 50, a woman also experiences disruptions in her cycle, which means that menopause is approaching and is also the norm.

Change of time zones and climatic conditions

Changes in climate or time zone have an adverse effect on a woman’s menstrual cycle and can lead to a delay in menstruation or to its premature onset. Travel and flights should be made no more than once a month , since climate change affects the health of the entire body.

Presence of diseases of the female reproductive system

Diseases of the reproductive system in many cases cause the onset of menstruation ahead of schedule. The reasons lie in the inflammatory process in the body of a different nature.

Diseases in which menstruation occurs prematurely:

Even more interesting:

Echo signs of uterine fibroids

Etiology of the disorder

If your monthly discharge started on time, but stopped after one day, then there are good reasons for this. They are divided into two categories: non-pathological and pathological. The former are easily eliminated and can go away on their own, while the latter require prompt treatment, as they tend to have irreparable consequences, including infertility.

Non-pathological causes

As mentioned above, non-pathological causes of short-term menstruation can be controlled personally, eliminating them completely or waiting for them to go away. These include:

1. Lack of ovulation. This is a periodic phenomenon associated with overwork and weakening of reproductive functions. The absence of ovulation is a kind of reboot of the resources of the reproductive system. It occurs no more than 1-2 times a year, and in some women it does not occur at all. But such a violation can be the result of a number of other factors: weakened immunity, stress, illness, etc.
2. Stress. This reason is the most harmless, but the most common among those available. Nervous tension is directly related to the functioning of the menstrual cycle. The central nervous system is responsible for the nature and cyclicity of menstrual discharge. An unsuccessful month in psycho-emotional terms can become a banal reason for short menstruation.
3. Pregnancy. Successful fertilization of the egg is followed by the stage of implantation into the endometrial layer of the uterus. The attachment of the embryo slightly damages its upper layer, forming a small bleeding wound. In medicine, this is called implantation bleeding. Such discharge is very scanty and is expressed by 1-2 drops of pink blood. Some women confuse them with menstruation, which lasted less than one day and abruptly stopped ahead of schedule.
4. Physical overexertion. Moderate and properly selected sports exercises before, during and after menstruation are not prohibited and only benefit the woman. But excessive physical activity is not only harmful, but also dangerous. Even if a woman is actively involved in sports and her muscles are properly trained, you should not overdo it and endanger your health. Short monthly discharge is not the only complication of physical overload. Frequent lifting of weights in the future is fraught with prolapse of the internal genital organs.
5. Eating disorders. Far-fetched and unimaginably dangerous diets often cause menstrual irregularities. A deficiency of vitamins, microelements and organic substances leads to depletion of the body, which results in a problem - menstruation ended prematurely, without lasting even a day.
6. Internal organ injuries. Childbirth, abortion, and uterine surgery affect the nature of menstrual flow. Menstruation may be completely absent at first, and then, as the organs recover, they will gradually begin to resume cyclicity.

Pathological causes

Pathologies and diseases of the reproductive system associated with changes in the hormonal environment of the body can affect the duration of menstrual discharge. In fact, there are many reasons for short periods, but here are the most common:

1. Ovarian dysfunction. This is a dysfunction of the ovaries as a result of a malfunction of the hormonal system. The main hormones of the cycle (follicle-stimulating, luteinizing and prolactin) cause menstrual disorders of varying severity: dysfunctional bleeding, delay, heavy or scanty periods. So a period that ends a day after it started may be the result of a disorder of ovarian function.
2. Primary or secondary hypominorrhea. At the initial manifestation, menstrual flow lasts 1–2 days, no more, and is a congenital pathology of a chronic nature. With secondary hypomenorrhea, there is a sharp cessation of menstruation ahead of schedule, under the influence of various factors: heredity, abnormalities of the genital organs, intrauterine device, hormonal imbalances, etc.
3. Polycystic ovary syndrome. This disease is characterized by the appearance of cystic seals on the surface of the ovary. As a result of their growth, the ovarian membrane becomes rigid. Due to the strong web of cystic formations during the ovulatory phase, the dominant follicle will not be able to rupture, the egg will not be able to be released, and ovulation will not occur. With polycystic ovary syndrome, both prolonged menstrual flow and scanty menstrual flow can be observed, which just began and quickly ended.
4. Diabetes. This disease is directly related to the menstrual cycle. With diabetes mellitus, serious hormonal problems occur in a woman’s body. Menstruation may come with a significant delay, last longer than expected, or last one day and stop immediately.
5. Diseases of the endocrine system. There are disturbances in the functioning and regulation of gonadotropic hormones.

Menstruation that ends a day after it starts is, in any case, alarming. If pathological signs of menstrual irregularities appear, additional symptoms will certainly appear, expressed by pain, temperature, etc. In this case, contacting a doctor is mandatory.

How does menstruation work if your period comes early?

The course of menstruation depends on the reasons why it happened. If the cause is stress, then the woman experiences additional symptoms such as headache, weakness, and insomnia . With hormonal imbalance, the discharge is accompanied by clots and can be abundant.

Infectious diseases appear nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. Implantation bleeding is characterized by short duration and scarcity of discharge.

Short cycle or intermenstrual bleeding

It is important to know! Extra bleeding may occur between periods. They arise due to a sharp increase or decrease in the hormone estrogen during ovulation.

You should not delay going to the doctor, especially if the bleeding is accompanied by general malaise.

This phenomenon is not pathological and occurs in 30% of women. Intermenstrual discharge appears 10-14 days after the end of menstruation and lasts up to 3 days.

Note! Such secretions are very scanty and hardly noticeable.

This phenomenon indicates the onset of ovulation. They can also appear against the background of a short cycle. Bleeding does not cause a woman much concern and does not require treatment.

Is it possible to confuse menstruation and implantation bleeding?

It is important to know! Implantation bleeding is different from regular periods. If a woman has an unstable cycle and menstrual flow is scanty, then it can easily be confused with menstruation.

As a rule, implantation bleeding occurs several days earlier and has the following characteristics:

1. Scanty discharge.
2. Duration ranges from several hours to 2 days.
3. The blood is liquid and has a pinkish tint.

A woman should take a pregnancy test if there is reason to do so.

When to see a doctor

You should immediately consult a doctor if a woman has gynecological health problems. In this case, menstruation may be associated with a previous illness or improper treatment.

You should pay attention to the number of discharges over the total duration of menstruation. Fever and pain in the pelvic area may be symptoms of a serious illness. You should not delay going to the doctor, especially if the bleeding is accompanied by general malaise.

Every woman has encountered a situation where her period comes early. The reasons can be either the most harmless or requiring urgent treatment. To figure out whether it’s worth sounding the alarm, you need to pay attention to the general state of their occurrence and the characteristics of the discharge.

Author: Svetlana Karetnikova

For what reasons can your period come a week earlier:

What does it mean if your period comes 10 days ahead of schedule:

The menstrual cycle is a reflection of a woman's health. Menstruation begins prematurely for various reasons, some are quite harmless, while others require medical intervention. It is also important to understand the difference between an early period and sudden bleeding.

What does it mean if your period starts 2 weeks earlier?

If menstruation occurs 2 weeks earlier, you should definitely visit a specialist to find out the reason.

Such a failure can be considered normal in adolescents or after pregnancy - at this time the cycle is established and some fluctuations are possible. It is better to play it safe and consult a doctor.

If your period starts 2 weeks ahead of schedule, the reasons may be:

• severe stress;
• acute infection;
• abuse of nicotine, alcohol or drugs;
• taking hormonal medications (including contraception);
• acclimatization;
• inflammatory process;
• strict diet or long fasting;
• exposure to sunlight or other harmful radiation;
• progressive disease of the endocrine system;
• uterine tumor (internal bleeding);
• failure of ovarian function.

Regularity of the menstrual cycle

We can talk about early menstruation when a woman’s cycle is already stable and menstruation took the woman by surprise. Teenagers and women in menopause should not be afraid of early periods, as these are completely natural hormonal changes.

A regular cycle forms 2-3 years after the first menstruation. Normally, the cycle lasts 28 days, this figure ranges from 21-35 days.

Every woman knows the characteristics of her body, what is normal for her and what is not. A woman can determine for herself, by the date of the onset of menstruation, the nature of the discharge and the accompanying sensations, whether her body is functioning normally.

Periods ahead of schedule: main reasons

Why do my periods come early? The main causes of early periods come down to natural and pathological.

Natural reasons can be considered:

• Severe nervous tension, stress, emotional exhaustion.
• Increased physical activity.
• Significant weight loss.
• Acclimatization of the body to changes in climatic conditions or time zone.

In such cases, early menstruation is not caused by serious internal disorders, but by the body’s reaction to external circumstances.

The following reasons can be considered pathological:

Causes of premature ending of menstruation

The reason that your period ended earlier may be stress and high stress, especially nervous strain, psychological stress or physical stress, because it is under their influence that disruptions in the functioning of the central nervous system occur. These reasons for the premature end of menstruation can be considered if you did not use folk remedies to make your period end faster.

It is the central nervous system that regulates the appearance of spasms, dilation in the areas of blood vessels, and the activity of motor processes in the muscles of the uterus. This, in turn, can cause the uterine mucosa to resist new blood cells, which is the result of a malfunction.

How can diet affect menstruation?

In the modern world, a very common reason for menstruation to end early, leading to undesirable consequences, is constant adherence to extreme diets. The lack of nutrients in itself will affect the health of the entire body, but it will not bypass the process of blood renewal. Blood has the property of self-renewal, that is, it destroys old cells, replacing them with new ones. So, new cells may not receive enough of the necessary enzymes, which will lead to blood clotting disorders. There are softer ways to lose weight .

Colds can also lead to undesirable consequences, such as premature termination of menstruation, since they impair blood circulation. At the same time, menstruation is very painful, since the cause of this is the inflammatory process.

Hormonal imbalances also have a detrimental effect on changes in the menstrual cycle. Most often they occur in adolescence.

Nature of the discharge

The nature of the discharge can tell you what the cause of early menstruation is. Scanty discharge occurs after surgical operations (abortion, removal of polyps, etc.). Often after childbirth, the cycle is not established immediately, and menstruation may be scanty and begin earlier than expected.

Scanty discharge in the middle of the cycle can be ovulatory bleeding; it accompanies ovulation and lasts 1-3 days, has a light pinkish color.

Heavy menstruation can easily be confused with bleeding. Uterine bleeding begins abruptly, the discharge is constant and profuse, and severe weakness is felt. Heavy periods begin gradually, the discharge is portioned, and clots may be present. If bleeding continues continuously for more than an hour, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Heavy menstruation ahead of schedule occurs with hormonal imbalance, endometriosis, benign formations, inflammatory processes and pathologies.

How to recognize pregnancy?

Sometimes spotting can be implantation bleeding. This occurs when a fertilized egg implants into the uterine cavity. This process occurs 8-12 days after fertilization.

Implantation bleeding is scanty bloody discharge that can be observed for 3 days, this process is accompanied by a pulling sensation in the lower abdomen.

This does not always happen and is not a deviation from the norm. Often, implantation bleeding may not be noticeable, and the discharge is insignificant.

If there is a suspicion that bleeding is a sign of implantation, then you should take a pregnancy test from the first day of the delay or consult a gynecologist.

Implantation bleeding

What to do?

If menstruation started earlier and proceeds without alarming or worrying symptoms, then it is enough for a woman to reconsider the rhythm of life, optimize physical activity, eliminate stressful circumstances, adjust nutrition, and the cycle will be restored over time.

You should consult a doctor if, in addition to bloody discharge, you experience:

• lower abdominal pain;
• pain in the lower back;
• heavy periods are accompanied by clots;
• body temperature rises;
• menstruation starts earlier by 7 or more days for several months in a row;
• There is a suspicion of a sexually transmitted infection.

Why do you feel sick before your period? Read the article about the causes of discomfort before menstruation, the influence of hormones, the manifestation of PMS, signs of pregnancy, and ways to alleviate the condition.

Why does my lower abdomen feel tight, but I don’t have my period? Details here.