Introduction
Have you skipped your period? Do you have discomfort before, during, or after your menstrual cycle? Alert! These are the red flags you should not overlook.
Women’s general health is impacted by menstrual problems.
The first occurrence of the menstrual cycle, the duration of the menstrual cycle, heavy bleeding, clots, and prolonged intermenstrual bleeding are factors that determine good menstrual health.
Period red flags appear in different forms while you are on your period.
Cramping, continuous discomfort, tiredness from sexual activity, and other issues are some of the most typical ones.
These can be brought on by a combination of factors, such as stress, hormonal changes, or vaginal issues. Pay attention to these signs!
Here are some typical period red flags that you should never ignore:
Colour of the blood
Pink, red, and brown shades of menstrual blood are standard. The shades of period blood can imply different things.
Pink blood is frequently observed as a woman’s menstruation begins.
At this point, some new, vivid red blood may mingle with the vaginal discharge, lightening the colour and giving it a pinkish appearance. The blood may seem pink if your periods are mild.
Bright red blood: During your period, you can notice that the blood is bright red when your uterus begins to aggressively shed blood.
This only indicates that the blood in your body is new and has not been in the uterus or vagina for a while.
Dark red blood: Blood that is dark red merely means that it has been in the vagina longer. Blood clots can even show signs of it.
You need to watch this type of hormonal disturbance, and it can even mean the presence of uterine fibroids if the colour remains the same for a long time.
Brown or black blood: Blood that has taken longer to leave the vagina can sometimes be brown or black in colour.
When your menstruation cycle is ending, the black blood occasionally combines with vaginal discharge and takes on a brown appearance.
Haemorrhoids could be one of the causes of brown or black menstruation.
Another possibility is that your body is unable to handle the blood loss quickly enough since it is so substantial.
Get in touch with a health expert if this continues for a long time.
Heavy bleeding
Heavy bleeding can be alarming since it can be an indication of thyroid dysfunction, fibroids (benign uterine tumours), hormonal imbalance (usually an excess of oestrogen and a deficiency of progesterone), stress, or thyroid malfunction (typically hypothyroidism).
If you have consistently had really severe bleeding, you can also have a clotting issue.
According to many health studies, if your period lasts more than seven days, and you change tampons or pads more frequently than every two hours each day, then it is a red flag.
Longer periods
An extended period is one indication that you have an imbalanced set of hormones.
If your periods typically last four to five days but have been lasting seven or eight days, there is a problem.
Menstrual cramps, mood swings, excessive perspiration, acne outbreaks, ovulation pains, and an abnormally high amount of vaginal discharge compared to pre-menstrual fluids are other symptoms you should be aware of.
Period cramps
The level of period cramps is different for everyone. In many cases, period cramps last for a short period of time but on the other hand, they can last for more than 3 to 4 days. Period cramps affect your day-to-day routine and also disturb the sleep cycle.
Many times the cramps become so unbearable that the only way to get comfort is to take painkillers.
If the period cramps are unmanageable and unbearable for a long time, then you must check with the doctor. Severe period cramps can result in fibroid, adenomyosis or endometriosis.
Missed periods
It is a myth that you miss your periods only when you are pregnant. There are many physical and psychological factors that can delay periods.
Stress, PCOS, excessive physical activity, sudden weight loss, and consumption of contraceptive pills can affect your period cycle.
Final thoughts
Women’s menstrual health is a crucial thing that needs to be focused on. Many times we ignore the signs our body gives us during periods.
Signs like heavy bleeding, missed periods, the colour of blood, period cramps and more are the most severe red flags that you should never avoid. Here we have elaborated on the commonly overlooked period red flags.
Also, ayurvedic medicines and herbs are a good option which can considerably reduce the problem of missed and delayed periods.