What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You if Your Period Lasts Longer Than 7 Days

Having a interval that lasts longer than seven days or a interval that’s particularly heavy was beforehand referred to as menorrhagia. However to keep away from confusion about whether or not menorrhagia may discuss with a interval that’s heavy, lengthy, or each, the Worldwide Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics¹ has advisable referring to the above as “irregular uterine bleeding” (or extra particularly, “heavy menstrual bleeding,” relying on the signs) and advises medical doctors to as a substitute decide and specify the trigger for the both extended or extreme menstrual bleeding every time attainable, says obstetrician-gynecologist Kara McElligott Park, MD, MPH, medical advisor at fertility firm Mira.

Uterine bleeding associated to your interval can fluctuate in frequency, period, regularity, and quantity.

Be aware that uterine bleeding associated to your interval can fluctuate over time in frequency, period, regularity, and quantity, and any modifications therein will be thought-about irregular for you, says Dr. Park. From a medical standpoint, prolonged interval bleeding (together with a interval that lasts longer than every week) or heavy menstrual bleeding (usually outlined as any bleeding that soaks via a number of tampons or pads each hour) is taken into account irregular uterine bleeding. That mentioned, any change in your interval that entails extra bleeding or bleeding that lasts longer than traditional for you and that interferes along with your consolation and skill to perform is price investigating, says Dr. Park.

Beneath, you’ll discover among the explanation why your interval would possibly last more than every week or be particularly heavy, when you need to examine in along with your physician, and methods to take care of lengthy durations, in accordance with OB/GYNs.

How widespread is a protracted or heavy interval, and may this ever be regular?

In the event you’re a kind of menstruators who dreads their marathon-length, tremendous tampon-soaking durations, you might be removed from alone. The Facilities for Illness Management (CDC) estimates that 10 million individuals within the U.S. expertise heavy menstrual bleeding per yr, in order that’s one in each 5 individuals who menstruate.

Having a interval that’s significantly lengthy doesn’t routinely or essentially imply that your interval is irregular; regular menstrual cycles vary from 21 to 35 days, and a few individuals do often bleed for anyplace from three to eight days, says obstetrician-gynecologist Gunvor Ekman Ordeberg, MD, co-founder of DeoDoc Intimate Skincare.

It’s additionally vital to normalize modifications in your interval throughout totally different seasons of life. When somebody first will get a interval, it could take the physique plenty of cycles to develop into constant, says Dr. Park, who additionally notes that postpartum and perimenopause are two widespread occasions for experiencing massive (and completely regular) fluctuations in interval size and move.

Total, it’s the whole quantity of bleeding that’s taking place (over nonetheless many interval days your menstrual cycle incorporates) that may make the distinction between regular and irregular, says Dr. Ordeberg. In case you have heavy bleeding (as in, soaking via a pad or tampon an hour) for longer than seven days, it’s doubtless going to have an effect in your every day life, and in that case, it’s price trying into underlying causes and options to assist scale back the move, she says.

4 commonest causes of durations that last more than every week

1. Uterine fibroids or polyps

You will have heard extra about uterine fibroids (or benign tumors that develop on the partitions of the uterus) in recent times, because of the introduction of recent payments to fund (lengthy overdue) fibroid analysis and the approval of the primary oral remedy for fibroid-related heavy menstrual bleeding in 2020. These tumors—which can happen in as much as 60 p.c of Black ladies by age 35²—can contribute to irregular or heavy durations, says Dr. Ordeberg, amongst different signs like pelvic ache, constipation, frequent urination, or ache throughout intercourse.

Polyps are usually smaller growths that situate themselves contained in the uterus and can also trigger particularly heavy durations, in accordance with Dr. Ordeberg. Generally, these growths are a consider painful, heavy, or in any other case irregular menstrual bleeding patterns, however different occasions, they don’t trigger any important or noticeable signs.

2. A copper IUD

One widespread aspect impact of utilizing a copper, non-hormonal IUD as a contraceptive technique is heavier, extra painful durations, particularly when it’s first inserted, Dr. Ordeberg says.

You can additionally expertise bleeding or recognizing between durations with a copper IUD³ due to the mechanism via which the IUD works; it creates an inflammatory response to repel sperm and eggs and stop being pregnant, however such irritation also can worsen menstrual bleeding or related cramps.

3. Emergency contraception, abortion, being pregnant loss, or childbirth

An additional-long or extra-heavy interval may be a brief response to different reproductive-health modifications. For instance, in the event you’ve simply used an emergency contraception tablet, your cycle is likely to be irregular, and it might take 4 to 6 weeks for it to return to your earlier norm, explains Dr. Park.

In the event you’ve skilled a being pregnant just lately, whether or not it resulted in abortion, being pregnant loss, or a dwell start, you can too anticipate for menstrual bleeding to be totally different for some time afterward. “After any being pregnant, it’s regular to have absent, irregular, or heavier bleeding for a number of weeks,” says Dr. Park. “Nevertheless, if bleeding could be very heavy for greater than three or 4 days [after childbirth or pregnancy loss], I like to recommend sufferers be seen by a medical skilled sooner reasonably than later.”

4. Hormonal imbalance

Generally, having an abnormally excessive quantity of androgen hormones (like testosterone) could cause heavy or irregular durations, says Dr. Park. Such a hormonal imbalance is commonly the results of a situation referred to as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which entails a number of cysts rising on the ovaries. In somebody with PCOS, menstrual cycles will be significantly unpredictable or rare, which means that after they do occur, they’ll come on particularly heavy.

A short lived imbalance of hormones also can occur due to stress, melancholy, or disordered consuming and the ovaries not receiving the mandatory hormonal stimulation for ovulation, explains Dr. Ordeberg. This might set off an irregular menstrual cycle, together with months throughout which you don’t have a interval or bleed in any respect. “Nevertheless, the estrogen ranges current nonetheless contribute to the thickening of the endometrium, or uterine lining,” says Dr. Ordeberg. So every time that thickened uterine lining does shed and a interval happens, it would find yourself lasting longer and together with a heavier move than traditional.

When to see a health care provider a few interval that lasts longer than every week

“It’s by no means flawed to hunt care in case you are not sure about heavy interval bleeding,” particularly in case you are anxious about how your durations are impacting your life, says Dr. Park. Particularly, Dr. Ordeberg says it’s a good suggestion to hunt care if:

• You’re often bleeding closely for longer than seven days
• You’re often bleeding via a pad or tampon in an hour or much less
• You’re waking as much as change your menstrual merchandise at least one time through the evening
• You might have constant giant blood clots throughout your interval
• You might have significantly painful durations or are experiencing fatigue throughout your durations that impedes your every day functioning

Having any of those signs doesn’t routinely imply there’s something critically flawed along with your cycle—however any of those may level to an underlying well being concern and is probably going inflicting you some degree of discomfort that could possibly be resolved with remedy from a health care provider. (In the event you can’t get an in-person appointment on the books straight away, telehealth is price a attempt to get a preliminary evaluation earlier than the bodily examination, says Dr. Park.)

Your physician would possibly run a take a look at for anemia (which might occur with extreme blood loss), examine your hormone ranges, and/or do a pelvic examination to seek out out extra details about the basis trigger underlying the irregular uterine bleeding.

take care of a protracted or heavy interval

1. Monitor the size of your durations over time

Monitoring your durations over time for size, quantity of bleeding, and related signs (like intense cramps) may also help a medical supplier decipher and diagnose precisely what’s occurring. Carry that report of your current durations, both in an app or on paper, to an appointment the place you intend to debate any current or persistent abnormalities.

In the event you really feel unsafe utilizing a interval monitoring app as a consequence of knowledge privateness issues within the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, attempt downloading a menstrual diary that doesn’t ask for an e-mail deal with, Dr. Park suggests. One vital factor to jot down is the quantity and sorts of pads, tampons, discs, or menstrual cups you have used every time your interval hits and the way saturated they had been throughout your cycle, she provides.

2. Take ibuprofen

Your physician would possibly suggest taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), like ibuprofen (aka Advil), when you have your interval. “This may increasingly scale back the whole quantity of blood loss throughout a interval,” says Dr. Park. Taking it often all through your interval can also in the reduction of on cramps, pelvic ache, and different muscle aches.

3. Attempt a hormonal contraception choice (with the advice of a health care provider)

You shouldn’t self-evaluate and begin a brand new over-the-counter (or prescription) contraception technique with out first touching base with an OB/GYN or sexual well being care supplier, however a medical skilled could suggest hormonal contraception (together with contraception tablets or a patch, ring, or hormonal IUD) to assist resolve heavy or extended menstrual bleeding or ameliorate related signs.

“Many various strategies of contraception regulate hormones and may even out or scale back move, or briefly take away the necessity for a interval,” says Dr. Park.