Why menstrual cycle early

You can use pads, tampons, or menstrual cups to manage bleeding. Be sure to change tampons at least every 4 to 8 hours. Pads or menstrual cups may be best at night. Many women can improve their symptoms by getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. It also may help to limit alcohol and caffeine. Try to reduce stress. A heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm bath also can help with cramps. You can take an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen or naproxen before and during your period to reduce pain and bleeding.

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. The menstrual cycle is the series of changes your body goes through to prepare for a possible pregnancy.

About once a month, the uterus grows a new, thickened lining endometrium that can hold a fertilized egg. When there is no fertilized egg to start a pregnancy, the uterus then sheds its lining. This is the monthly menstrual bleeding also called menstruation or menstrual period that you have from your early teen years until your menstrual periods end around age 50 menopause. See a picture of a woman's reproductive system. The menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of menstrual bleeding, Day 1, up to Day 1 of your next menstrual bleeding.

Although 28 days is the average cycle length, it is normal to have a cycle that is shorter or longer. The phases of your menstrual cycle are triggered by hormonal changes. On Day 1 of your cycle, the thickened lining endometrium of the uterus begins to shed. You know this as menstrual bleeding from the vagina. A normal menstrual period can last 4 to 6 days. Most of your menstrual blood loss happens during the first 3 days. This is also when you might have cramping pain in your pelvis, legs, and back.

Cramps can range from mild to severe. The cramping is your uterus contracting, helping the endometrium shed. In general, any premenstrual symptoms that you've felt before your period will go away during these first days of your cycle. During the follicular phase, an egg follicle on an ovary gets ready to release an egg. Usually, one egg is released each cycle. This process can be short or long and plays the biggest role in how long your cycle is.

At the same time, the uterus starts growing a new endometrium to prepare for pregnancy. The last 5 days of the follicular phase, plus ovulation day, are your fertile window. This is when you are most likely to become pregnant if you have sex without using birth control. This phase starts on ovulation day, the day the egg is released from the egg follicle on the ovary. It can happen any time from Day 7 to Day 22 of a normal menstrual cycle.

During ovulation, some women have less than a day of red spotting or lower pelvic pain or discomfort mittelschmerz. These signs of ovulation are normal. After the teen years and before perimenopause in your 40s, your luteal phase is very predictable.

It normally lasts 13 to 15 days, from ovulation until menstrual bleeding starts a new cycle. This 2-week period is also called the "premenstrual" period. Many women have premenstrual symptoms during all or part of the luteal phase. You may feel tense, angry, or emotional.

Or you may have tender breasts or acne. A day or more before your period, you may start to have pain cramps in your abdomen, back, or legs. It is normal to have less energy at this time. Some women also have headaches, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, or fainting. When premenstrual symptoms make your daily life difficult, you are said to have premenstrual syndrome PMS. Menarche say "MEN-ar-kee" is a girl's first menstrual period. A first period usually happens after breasts, pubic hair, and underarm hair have begun to grow.

Menarche is a sign of growing up and becoming a woman. It can happen as early as about age 9 or up to age The first few periods are usually light and irregular. About 2 out of 3 girls have a regular pattern of menstrual periods within 2 years of menarche. For more information, see Menarche. Drastic weight gain or weight loss can also seriously change your hormone levels and throw your menstrual cycle off balance.

But be aware — stress can also make your period late. The same goes for sleep. These fluctuations will balance themselves out as soon as your schedule settles down. It takes some girls up to a year to have a regular menstrual cycle.

However, doctors may recommend hormonal therapy when females enter puberty very early or very late. They may also perform a physical examination and run lab tests, including blood and imaging tests. Parents and caregivers may wish to seek medical advice if a child has a menstrual period or develops other features of puberty before they reach 8 years of age.

Meanwhile, female adolescents who do not show signs of breast development by the age of 13 years may have delayed puberty.

Delayed puberty can happen for numerous reasons, including insufficient body fat, genetics, and problems affecting the ovaries. Perimenopause, the transition to menopause, usually begins between the ages of 47 and 51 years. It can cause fluctuations in levels of hormones, specifically estrogen and follicle stimulating hormone FSH. Some people get their periods a few days early due to rising levels of FSH.

People can usually expect lighter and less frequent periods as levels of estrogen decrease throughout the transition. Perimenopause refers to the time when the body naturally transitions into menopause. It is not a health problem that requires medical treatment. However, perimenopause and menopause can cause mild-to-severe symptoms, and certain adjustments and medical interventions can help make the transition easier. A doctor can tell whether a person is entering perimenopause by reviewing their medical history and possibly conducting a few routine tests.

It is advisable to see a doctor about any significant changes in menstrual cycles. Also, people currently going through perimenopause should tell a doctor if they experience:. Certain sexually transmitted infections STIs , including chlamydia, gonorrhea , and syphilis , can cause vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods. However, these bacterial infections do not always cause symptoms.

If people do have symptoms, they usually include:. STIs are very common. Doctors treat these STIs with antibiotics. The right type and dosage will depend on the underlying condition requiring treatment. If you just didn't ovulate that cycle because you stayed up too late or you went on a big trip or you broke up with your boyfriend or you suddenly gained weight or you've been on a big diet and you've lost weight, all those things can interfere with your normal ovulation.

If it happens once, no big deal. If it happens three times, that's a deal and we'll work it up. Subscribe to Our e-Newsletter. Find a doctor or location close to you so you can get the health care you need, when you need it. Jones, so I don't think my period is normal.

Let me explain Jones: Please explain. Causes for an Irregular Period Dr.