What makes lighter periods

A couple heavy flow days at the beginning of your period is normal. But if you change your sheets in the morning because you bleed through your tampon or pad at night, avoid wearing light-colored clothing during your cycle or cram your purse full of tampons, you could have chronic heavy periods.

You might be surprised to learn that about one in five women experience menorrhagia, the medical term for heavy periods. While the best way to know if your heavy periods are chronic is to talk to a doctor, you can keep an eye out for some common symptoms of menorrhagia.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , any of the following is considered a symptom of heavy bleeding:. Cervical stenosis may also be due to low estrogen levels during perimenopause.

As a result, blood stays trapped in the uterus or is only able to trickle out slowly. If you experience bad cramping, despite a light flow, talk to your doctor. You may need surgery to remove the scar tissue. This hormone production not only impacts your menstrual cycle, but it can affect other parts of your body, like your thyroid. So if your doctor is concerned about this, they will likely refer you to an endocrinologist for diagnosis and treatment.

Support from readers like you helps us do our best work. And sign up for our FREE newsletter here for daily health, nutrition, and fitness advice. Weight Loss. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Ab Exercises for a Stronger Core. Related Stories. TanyaJoy Getty Images. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.

Sometimes a woman will have spotting and think her period is about to start and not see any more bleeding. This can be implantation bleeding, which is the earliest sign of pregnancy, that is sometimes mistaken for a menstrual cycle. It can also be that your period simply is lighter that month. There are numerous reasons that your cycle might be different.

Here are a few of the common ones. If you experience any form of an abnormal period, take a pregnancy test. A pregnancy test is the best way to tell if you are pregnant or not. This method is not expensive. Pregnancy is the most likely cause of something being different in your cycle, particularly if you have not been using birth control.

To get the best results, it might be best to wait until you miss your next period. This can be a home pregnancy test or a pregnancy test from your healthcare provider, midwife, or health department. In most cases, you do not have to notify anyone of the test or the results. Even if you know you're pregnant, if you had a lighter-than-normal period, you should tell your healthcare provider or midwife.

This can alter your due date, making you further along or less further along than you had previously thought.

Having the wrong date can shift some tests and other parts of your prenatal care. If you have experienced a sudden shift in weight, this can sometimes affect your menstrual cycle. Over-exercising can also affect your periods, especially when you put a lot of physical stress on the body. Emotional stress, such as the loss of a loved one, or major life stressors in work or your home life can take a toll on your body and affect your menstrual cycle.

Going on hormonal birth control can also cause a change in your period. It is not uncommon for women to experience lighter than usual periods and shorter periods, while on a birth control pill or if you have gotten a hormone-emitting IUD, such as Mirena.

If a change in your period bothers you, you can stop using hormone-based contraceptives. There are hormone-free options for birth control including male and female condoms, a non-hormonal intrauterine device , and foams. Be sure to ask your midwife, healthcare provider or local health department for advice on the method that is best for you. If you are getting older, your periods may shift.