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Periods can last anywhere from a few days to an full calendar week and have a lighter or labored flow . If a lighter flow is your body ’s instinctive rhythm , it will very in all likelihood not have an impact on your overall health or fertility .
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But if you notice your period is of a sudden becoming lighter , that may be a foretoken that something unlike is go bad on with your body .
What Is a Short Menstrual Cycle?
“ A typical menstrual cycle lasts around 21 to 35 days , so anything short than this is deliberate a short cycle , ” saysAmy Lasky , MD , an obstetrician – woman’s doctor at Stony Brook Medicine in Lake Grove , New York . That normal range of mountains can translate into anywhere between three to seven twenty-four hours of monthly bleeding , and mass tally up those days differently . For example , Dr. Hoffman say , some multitude count the light recognise before or after a period as part of the entire duration , while some do n’t .
factor like age , utilisation , and birth control can impact the duration of a bicycle and excuse why there is so much variability .
Reasons for a Short Menstrual Cycle
There are several reasons why a catamenial cycle may suddenly prevail short , as opposed to a short cycle being your normal beat .
Age
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Birth Control Method
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Early Sign of Pregnancy
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
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Lifestyle Factors
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When a Short Cycle Is a Problem and When to See a Doctor
Remember , a short hertz is n’t typically an egress if that ’s your usual monthly pattern . But you may want to consult with your healthcare provider to decree out pregnancy or other wellness concerns if your period becomes light or irregular when it typically is n’t .
“ If your catamenial cycle is outside the 21 to 35 day range — peculiarly if it ’s outside that range for more than six months — that ’s a good time to talk to your doctor , ” Lasky enounce .
Keep cartroad of your full point in a diary or calendar if you ’re relate it has become shorter . You ’ll have the most accurate info to share with your gynecologist and be able to easy detect a menstruation figure that ’s not normal for you .
The Takeaway
Kara Smythe , MD , has been figure out in intimate and reproductive health for over 10 years . Dr. Smythe is a add-in - manifest fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , and her interests include better maternal health , insure access to contraceptive method , and promote sexual health .
She graduate magna cum laude from Florida International University with a knight bachelor ’s degree in biology and earned her medical degree from St. George ’s University in Grenada . She completed her abidance in obstetrics and gynecology at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn , New York . She ferment in Maine for six years , where she had the perquisite of caring for an underserved universe . Smythe is also passionate about the way that public wellness insurance policy form single wellness outcome . She has a master ’s arcdegree in universe health from University College London and recently completed a societal science inquiry method master ’s degree at Cardiff University . She is currently working on her Ph.D. in medical sociology . Her enquiry examines people ’s experiences of accessing , using , and cease long - act two-sided contraceptive method . When she ’s not working , Smythe enjoys trip the light fantastic , photography , and spend sentence with her family and her computed tomography , Finnegan .
Menstrual Cycle & disorder