Period, being a very regular thing, in most cases, women don’t pay much heed to how long it lasts. But, the fact is- it can tell a lot about your overall health, to be very practical. Can you remember when did your last menstrual period begin? Yes, you might answer it right.
But, can you tell me how long it lasted? Probably not, as you hardly cared on this like the most of the women. Anyway, it’s important to take care of all these tiny womanish things. And, if you’re not still aware of this, it’s time you should pay attention.
How Long Should a Period Last?
Menstrual period usually lasts 3 to 5 days on average. However, if you have irregular menstrual periods, the duration may vary ranging from 2 days to 7 days as well. It mostly happens when a girl begins to have menstrual periods. And, this can take a couple of years to become regular. Apart from this, a few things are there that can affect your regular menstrual period cycle. Check here for getting more details about how long a period lasts.
Not sure whether you are having irregular periods? Let’s explain a bit to you in the following;
What Is Irregular Period?
According to a research, it’s estimated that around 14 to 25% of women have a period cycle that can be classified as an irregular menstrual cycle. Unlike regular periods, irregular periods arrive all of a sudden, can be lighter or heavier, and last shorter or longer than the usual. Depending on your menstrual cycle, periods before 21 days or after 35 days from your last menstrual period can be regarded as irregular period.
What Can Affect Your Menstrual Period Cycle?
Your regular menstrual period cycle can be affected by several factors including contraceptive methods and lifestyle changes. You can experience irregular periods even when trying a new contraceptive method that includes birth control pills, IUDs, vaginal rings etc. Besides, emergency contraceptives like Morning After Pills can also affect your menstrual cycle.
Apart from these, here are a few other things are there including lifestyle changes that can affect your regular menstrual cycle;
- Increased Stress
- Excessive Exercise
- Extreme Weight Loss
- Changes in Diet
- Reproductive Organ Infections
- PID and PCOS
How to Regulate Your Menstrual Period?
As mentioned earlier, you may experience irregular periods due to a number of factors. However, when it comes to regulating the menstrual cycle, most of the women prefer bringing changes in lifestyle. And, you may expect them to work unless you are experiencing irregular cycle due to medication.
First of all, try to determine the possible reasons that may cause irregular menstruation and take actions accordingly. Manage your stress, have a balanced diet and avoid losing weight pressurizing your health. Then again, make sure to call in a doctor if your periods are consistently irregular.
While we are about to conclude the post, we expect that you went through the lines and came to know how long a period should last. Though there’s no definitive rule regarding the duration of the menstrual period, you can consider anything between three to five days as normal.
