Why longer periods

Hal Danzer tells Bustle over email. Most periods last three to five days , but anywhere two to seven days is common. If your period is always seven days long, you likely don't have to worry, but if your period suddenly jumps from four to nine, you may want to go get it checked out. A number of factors can affect the length of your period, and while some indicate other health issues, many are no big deal. Here are seven possible causes of longer periods — and when you need to worry about them.

The reason you get a period at all is because of hormones, chemicals in your body that send signals for different organs to do different things. Your period comes when your body senses you're not pregnant, estrogen and progestin levels drop, and prostaglandin levels rise , according to Flo. That tells your uterus to shed the lining it built up for a potential pregnancy. If your body is changing your hormone levels such that estrogen and progestin levels stay suppressed, that can in turn cause a longer period.

This is usually not something to worry about. If your period isn't extra uncomfortable, or you're not bleeding excessively each day, then don't worry about this change, but see your gynecologist if you have any questions at all.

Your thyroid is a little gland at the front of your neck that secretes hormones that influence a lot of different processes in your body , according to the Society for Endocrinology, including your period. Thyroid changes can be due to a lack of iodine in your diet, or because of autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Polyps are abnormal growths of tissue that can occur in any organ , including the uterus.

Up to half of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, often before the woman even realizes she was pregnant, according to the March of Dimes. Sometimes the only sign is an extra-heavy or long period. Your menstrual cycle length should return to normal within one to two cycles; if it stays abnormally long after three cycles, call your doctor, Dr. About one in women suffer from repeat miscarriages, so it's important to rule out a condition that affects fertility, like endometriosis.

It's named for the cysts that grow on the ovaries, preventing eggs from maturing, and often causing fertility issues. PCOS also wreaks havoc on hormone levels, causing weight gain, excess hair growth, and you guessed it prolonged periods, Dr. You'd think that not ovulating would give you a free pass on bleeding, but the opposite is often true, he adds—no egg means long, wacky cycles. If you're experiencing super-long periods along with other signs of PCOS , like migraines, facial hair growth, and weight gain, talk to your ob-gyn about getting tested for the condition.

One in eight women will suffer from low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, at some point in their lives, according to the OWH. Your thyroid is a little butterfly-shaped gland that controls the hormones that regulate many systems in your body, including how fast you burn calories, how fast your heart beats, and yes, menstruation. Having too little thyroid hormone can cause your period to be super long and heavy, the OWH explains. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, and hair loss, so if you're experiencing any of those, along with longer-than-normal periods, bring it up to your doctor, says Dr.

It's rare, but it's possible that extra-long periods are a sign of an underlying illness, like a hematologic blood disease, says Dr. Some of the underlying diseases associated with bleeding, like hemophilia or Von Willebrand disease, are genetic, so if you have this you likely already know about it. Still, if your periods are lasting a super-long time, and you've already been cleared for other conditions, it's worth checking in with your doctor about tests to rule out a blood disorder that you might not be aware of.

Toth explains. Basically, your body senses something in your uterus that isn't supposed to be there, and tries extra hard to get rid of it. Polyps and fibroids sound scary, but they're pretty common—up to 80 percent of women will have at least one before they're 50, per the OWH.

On their own, they don't indicate a serious disease, like cancer. Important to note: Black women are two to three times more likely to have fibroids than white women, and the reasons for their increased risk are not well understood or well studied due to lack of representation of Black women in research, notes Dr.

But for many people, these benign growths don't have any symptoms, and if they do, it's usually prolonged periods, says Dr. Most likely your doc will just recommend keeping an eye on them, but if they cause pain or grow very large they can be surgically removed. Abnormal vaginal bleeding—such as bleeding after vaginal sex or bleeding and spotting between periods —can be a sign of cervical cancer.

Yet another reason to check in with your doctor if you notice something strange going on with your period. Because cervical abnormalities can be detected through Pap and HPV tests, make sure you stay on top of those, and always tell your doctor about your family history of female cancers. Oh yes, simply getting older can mess with your period. Menopause, which technically means you've gone 12 or more months without a period, hits women around age However, your body starts the natural decline in hormones that leads up to menopause a.

When this happens, you may notice your periods getting longer or shorter, your cycle becoming more random, and other slight changes in your menstruation. If you've ruled out everything else, and you're in your mid- to lates, your prolonged periods might simply be due to the natural process of aging.

There is, however, such a thing as early menopause, which can affect women even in their twenties. So talk to your doctor if this runs in your family or if you're showing other signs of menopause , like a low sex drive or insomnia.

Meditation , getting enough sleep, and regular exercise are also effective ways to manage stress. Medications such as anti-inflammatories, aspirin, or other blood thinners can also affect your menstrual cycle, says Dr. As such, it is important to take medicines as directed and if your period becomes heavier or prolonged, to contact your doctor, says Dr. You may need blood work to determine if you are taking too much medicine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories may be used to treat your heavy and prolonged periods.

An unusually heavy period can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy a pregnancy found outside of the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tubes , says Dr. But is it cause for concern? Gynecologist Erin Higgins, MD , offers advice on what might be causing your period to overstay its welcome and how to manage it. The average period is two to seven days in length, so bleeding for eight days or more is considered long.

Periods lasting for eight days or more should be investigated, says Dr. Heavy periods requiring multiple pad or tampon changes a day or infrequent periods occurring less than every 5 weeks should also be evaluated. A change in cycle characteristics such as a noticeable difference in frequency, heaviness or spotting between periods is also a reason to seek medical care.

Long periods can be the result of a variety of factors such as health conditions, your age and your lifestyle. Underlying health conditions that can cause long periods include uterine fibroids , endometrial uterine polyps , adenomyosis , or more rarely, a precancerous or cancerous lesion of the uterus.

A long period can also result from hormonal imbalances like hypothyroidism or a bleeding disorder. Many women struggle with long and heavy periods for years without knowing there are ways to manage and improve their symptoms. I encourage all patients to seek out medical care if they have questions about their menstrual cycle or other gynecologic issues.