What Your Period Is Telling You About Your Health

What Your Period Is Telling You About Your Health

Your period is that one thing that has happened so often to your body, that you pretty much go into auto-pilot when it hits.

Let’s calculate the duration for you then — if you’re 22 and your menstrual cycle began at 14, you’ve gone through a whopping 100 cycles ever since. You don’t realise it, but eventually you get used to it being around (although the dread prior to it may never cease).

No matter how long you’ve been battling the bloodshed, the start of your period goes through the very same stages of grief. You begin with denial, move onto anger, try to bargain till sadness settles in, and finally accept that your bleeding sesh has begun for that month!

This cyclical affair with your period basically hinders you from actually noticing the signs that are pointing to your overall health — just because you’ve got your period, doesn’t mean that you’re A-okay.

Here’s what your body is trying to tell you about your overall health, through your monthly menstrual cycle. Take notes.

 

Period signs 2_Hauterfly

Very Light Flow

Having a period where you barely bleed sounds like a dream, right? Well, not really. If you suddenly start bleeding less and aren’t on birth control, then it might be a lot graver than you think. Light bleeding could indicate a thyroid problem or even scar tissue present in the uterus.

 

Period signs_Hauterfly

Heavy Bleeding

A nightmare for most, having a really, really heavy flow where you need to change your pad or tampon a crazy amount of times in the day isn’t exactly normal. Besides being a literal pain in the fanny, a heavy flow indicates fibroid tumours or a hormonal imbalance such as Polycystic Ovarian Disorder (PCOD).

 

Period signs_Hauterfly

Irregularity

Again related with hormonal imbalances such as PCOD or a thyroid issue, irregular periods are mainly a big deal if they’ve suddenly become highly unpredictable. If you’ve always been irregular, then it isn’t an alarming issue.

 

Period signs_Hauterfly

Skipped Periods

Besides the obvious pregnancy scare, a skipped period can be induced by a whole lot of things. If you’ve had a change in lifestyle, i.e. have lost or gained weight or are really stressed out this month, a skipped period is sometimes inevitable.

However, if it is neither of the above and Aunt Flo just isn’t visiting, then consult your doctor as it might be a sign of prolactinoma, which is a benign tumour-like growth in the brain that sometimes needs to be surgically removed.

 

Period signs_Hauterfly

Extreme Cramps

Cramps during your period is quite normal, but if it’s so bad that it hinder your everyday activities, you might need to take it seriously. Extreme cramps could be a sign of cysts, fibroids, or endometriosis, therefore a doctor’s visit is called for — just to be safe.

Tatiana Dias

Tiny but fierce, our Fashion & Beauty Writer grooves to her own soundtrack. An animal lover at heart, she plays proxy mommy to pretty much all the strays she meets.

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