21/03/2025
SHE’S SO LUCKY, BUT SHE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW IT!
Some women go through their life experiencing smooth, predictable periods that come without excessive pain, no unexpected surprises, no stress.
Every month, their period is right on schedule, it shows up, does its thing, and leaves quietly.
But for others? It’s a different story.
Imagine bleeding so heavily that you can’t step out without dealing with excruciating cramps that leave you curled up in bed, unable to function. Hitting as far as skipping work or classes.
Some women don’t even see their periods for months, while others experience two cycles in a single month.
All of these sounds exhausting, especially if you can relate.
This evening, I’ll be breaking down 7 types of abnormal periods, their causes and how to deal with them.
If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t right with your cycle, this post is for you.Below are 7 different Types of Abnormal Menstruation
🍭Amenorrhea
🍭Dysmenorrhea
🍭Oligomenorrhea
🍭Polymenorrhea
🍭Menorrhagia
🍭Metrorrhagia
🍭Hypomenorrhea
Let's explain them with their causes 👇
1• Amenorrhea
This means the absence of menstruation. In pregnant women and postmenopausal women, this is normal.
However, in women of child bearing age, this calls for medical concerns. Amenorrhea could be primary or secondary
When it's primary, it means a young girl has not seen her first period (menarche) by age 16 years.
If at 13 years, me**es has not come, it is advised to start seeking medical attention immediately. It could be caused by;
-Anatomic abnormalities like imperforate h***n
-generic factors
-Ovarian insufficiency
-Delay in pituitary gland maturation, etc
Secondary amenorrhea is one that happens when menarche has occurred, but for some reason, the period abruptly ceased, and could last for 3 months and more .
This can be caused by
-Thyroid disorder
-Ovarian cyst
-Hyperprolactinemia, stress, weight loss etc.
2• Dysmenorrhea
Painful menstrual cramps that is usually severe, regular and could interrupt daily activities in some cases.
The pain may also present at lower back and on the thighs. It could be primary and secondary.
The primary form is as result of uterine contraction, that worsens during heavy flow. It happens without an underlying disease.
It can start as early as less than 6 months after the onset of first period (menarche)
Secondary form is associated with an underlying disease condition like fibroid and endometriosis.
It starts suddenly, after series of painless periods and affected women may respond poorly to pain medications (NSAIDs) and even oral contraceptives until the root cause is addressed
3• Oligomenorrhea
This is when a lady experiences irregular and inconsistent menstrual periods.
Such wowen may go more than 35 days before the next period shows up.
Hormonal imbalance is a major cause of this conditions and eating disorder has been impliacted too.
4• Polymenorrhea
This is the type of abnormality where a woman gets more frequent periods, that are usually short and may happen twice in a month.
In between 21-35days cycle, such women may see their period twice
Polymenorrhea can be caused by
-high level of estrogen
-stress
-certain drugs, etc
5• Menorrhagia
This is when a woman experiences regular menstrual bleeding that is usually prolonged and heavy.
These women change pads and tampons more frequently than others and also use more per cycle.
They are at risk of losing more blood and suffering from anemia .
Theseverity of this type of disorder is based on the cause ;
-Medications such as steroids and anticoagulants
-Loss of Pregnancy
-Fibroids
-Ectopic pregnancy
6• Metrorrhagia
The kind of period that comes outside your regular menstrual cycle.
It happens at unpredicted intervals and could be a result of an underlying health condition.
It is usually not related to the monthly period or menstrual cycle.
This can be caused by ;
-certain medications and constructive
-Malnutrition and Poor dieting which may lead to an anovulatory cycle
-stress
-vaginitis
-PID, etc.
7• Hypomenorrhea
This is when a woman is having periods that are lighter than normal. And it could last for less than 2 days.
It could be caused by;
-stress
-overindulgence in exercise
-Low body fat
-Hormonal imbalances
It occurs more close to menopause and just after menarche.How Can These Issues Be Resolved ?
-Resolving these issues involves visiting a gynecologist as the first step
-Take prescribed medications
-Adhere to specified lifestyle modifications; weight management, exercise, and proper dieting are key.
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