Irregular periods are hectic since they are not predictable and often mess up your plans. While you can use some medicines to overcome irregular menstrual cycle, they may have undesirable side effects.
But you can try natural home remedies to correct your cycle and normalize it. Here are options to help you get rid of an irregular cycle naturally – after marriage and in teenagers.
Irregular periods and fertility
Can irregular menstruation cause infertility? When an irregular cycle occurs, it is usually hectic getting pregnant for various reasons.
- First of all, it is difficult to tell when you are fertile given that bleeding can occur at any time during the cycle.
- In fact, between 30 to 40 percent of all cases of infertility in women are caused by irregular periods.
- When you have irregular periods, no periods or abnormal and random bleeding, it will be difficult having a pregnancy given that you will not be ovulating.
- This condition is known as anovulation and is the reason for most cases of infertility.
Causes
this problem is caused by many different conditions all of which may warrant a visit to the doctor for a checkup and treatment.
While home remedies for irregular periods can still work, some cases may need medications and even surgery. The following are among the causes of irregular periods;
1. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
The polycystic ovary syndrome is a very common disease in women since it affects between 5 to 10 percent of them.
Although polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal imbalance, it is most known for its main symptom which is the presence of cysts on the ovaries. These cysts are often filled with fluid. PCOS can be so severe that it may lead to the failure of the ovaries leading to infertility.
The symptoms of the PCOS include:
- No ovulation or ovulation on an irregular basis
- Irregular bleeding, irregular or absent periods
- Insulin resistance which is an early sign of diabetes.
- Weight gain or obesity
- High levels of cholesterol with triglycerides
- High blood pressure
- Oily skin or acne
- Hirsutism which is the excessive growth of hair on the body and face
- Thinning hair
2. Hormonal imbalance
Given that the processes of the body are under the control of the hormones, any imbalances in the hormones would have a serious impact on the functioning of the body.
Besides the progesterone and estrogen hormones, there are many other chemicals and hormones that affect the body.
Hormonal imbalances can be caused by these conditions;
- Physical strain
- Natural causes such as menarche, menopause etc.
- Some medications can also affect your hormonal balance e.g. contraceptive birth control
- Diet
- Drastic weight loss or gain
- Stress factors
- Physical strain: when working out, your body will alter some bodily processes to serve the needs of the exercise routine. For example, the body can have a change in the production of progesterone and estrogen hormones leading to missed or generally irregular periods.
- Natural causes: most natural periods of the female reproductive system such as puberty, menarche, and menopause are characterized by steep changes in the level of hormones in the body. These surging hormones will likely lead to irregular periods and little can be done to steady them.
- Medications: medications such as contraceptives alter the hormones in the body leading to irregular periods. Irregular periods may occur for a while even after you have stopped using the contraceptives.
- Diet: what you eat will determine how available your hormones will be. If you don’t watch healthy food or starve yourself, you may miss your periods. You are also likely to experience irregular periods if you gain or lose weight drastically.
- Stress: stress has many negative effects on the body including causing the production of certain hormones which may inhibit the production of estrogen and other reproductive hormones. You might have noticed that any of the periods you could have missed occurred when you were stressed in a way.
3. Thyroid problems
Overactive (hyperthyroidism) and underactive (hypothyroidism) thyroid glands affect the menstrual cycle in different ways.
However, when too much or too little of a given hormone is produced, it will affect the menstrual cycles negatively by either by increasing or reducing the frequency of your periods.
4. Sexually transmitted diseases (STD)
While most sexually transmitted diseases can be treated with simple antibiotics, there are those that are so severe that they can adversely affect the female reproductive system.
Even the mild diseases such as yeast infections can also have severe consequences if left untreated.
Home remedies for irregular periods can be employed in doing away with some of the STDs and restore normalcy to the periods. However, most of these diseases may require seeing a doctor to prescribe a treatment.
5. Diabetes
During your periods, you might have noticed an increase or decrease in your blood sugar levels. Most people will not have any serious issues as far as their blood sugar levels are concerned. However, if you have diabetes, the case would be different.
The menstrual cycle is characterized by the fluctuating amounts of the progesterone and estrogen hormones in the bloodstream. Both of these hormones have a resistance to insulin hence their presence and absence will influence the amount of sugar in the blood.
6. Pregnancy
You cannot rule out a pregnancy if you have irregular periods. Once you become pregnant, the first major sign is missing your next period.
If you have not done anything on your body to affect your menstrual cycle in any way and you miss your period, pregnancy is the first suspect. If this situation was preceded by unprotected sex, then you could have conceived.
7. Gynecological issues
If you had a miscarriage or such other problem, you may experience irregular bleeding. Such a case requires that you pay your gynecologist a visit to find a solution to the problem.
Some of these issues can be solved with home remedies for irregular periods while some will require the attention of a doctor to solve.
Irregular periods after marriage and in teenagers
Once you get married, one of your main purposes would be getting children. That can only occur if you conceive successfully. However, if you have irregular periods, it can be hard getting pregnant since it would be hard finding the right time to conceive.
Middle-aged women may not face many issues with irregular periods unless they have an underlying problem. This is because their menstrual cycles would have stabilized enough to present them with regular periods. Any anomaly in the periods would this be due to another issue.
For teenagers, having irregular periods is a common phenomenon. This is because most of them would be experiencing periods for the first few times. The surge of hormones makes it difficult to have steady periods at this time.
In most teenagers, the first periods will be experienced at the age of 12 where they would have irregular periods for a while. From that point, they can either have regular periods after two years or by the time they are seventeen years of age.
Due to the irregular periods in teenagers, it becomes hard to notice the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) since they could be easily assumed to be the behavior of normal early periods. If by the age of 17 years the periods have not stabilized, you should pay your doctor a visit.
Home Remedies
There are many types of medicine that can be used to treat irregular periods. However, in the case that you cannot access the services of a doctor immediately, here’s how to overcome irregular periods naturally with these home remedies.
1. Yoga
When you undertake yoga exercises, you are helping your body release endorphins which help the body deal with stress easily. It does not mean that you limit yourself to yoga alone since many types of exercises can be undertaken with the same or even better results.
It all depends on how much your body can take and how much you are willing to do. You do not have to work out for hours on end. Rather, simply taking a few minutes to physically engage your body can do the trick. In fact, physical exercises that are too heavy also lead to irregular periods and should thus be avoided.
3. Dietary changes
Having a poor diet can lead to either losing too much body weight or gaining the same. In either case, you may experience irregular periods.
The solution to this problem is eating a healthy and balanced diet. However, while a balanced diet will provide you with the nutrients you need, you can eat specific foods that target the menstrual cycle to help in normalizing it. These foods include some of the most common home remedies for irregular periods such as;
- Cinnamon; you can have half a tea spoonful of cinnamon mixed with warm water everyday. For the best results, you can add in some lemon, honey and almond milk. This mixture is known to help in the regulation of periods mainly due to having cinnamon in it. Given the close relationship between insulin and the menstrual cycle, the regulation of insulin in the body by cinnamon will help in having a steady and predictable menstrual cycle.
- Pawpaws and pineapples; pawpaws (papaya) and pineapples also help in the regulation of the menstrual cycle due to having large amounts of bromelain. The bromelain has the effect of softening and breaking down the uterine wall to ease periods.
Raw papaya remedy for irregular menses
3. Eliminate stress
Stress is one of the major causes of irregular periods and it can be solved easily. Some of the most common ways of eliminating or preventing stress include;
- Trigger identification; the first step to eliminating or preventing stress is to identify exactly what causes it. Once you do, it would be much easier seeking a solution directed at the problem than having no direction in your pursuit of a stress-free life.
- Good food; don’t always fulfil your cravings for sweet and salty foods as they are not the healthiest. A good diet will give you the energy you need to tackle stressful situations.
- Exercising; already mentioned as one of the best home remedies for irregular periods, exercising may take different forms depending on your fitness targets, time available and financial position.
- Meditation; you can find some still and quiet time through meditation which has been proven to be a very important stress reliever with scientific evidence.
- Enough sleep; sleep is one of the most ignored aspects of the body. Very few people know exactly how many hours they need to be asleep to stay healthy. While sleeping too much has its effects on the body, too little sleep is more harmful to your health than most people know.
- Vacations; it doesn’t have to be a trip to the Himalayas to be called a vacation. Rather, find a way to get away from the hustle and bustle of your life. Even a weekend spent with family and friends can be good to your health.
- Gratitude; this involves writing a list of the things you are thankful for in your life every now and again. This will help you see the positive side of life.
- Plan well; you might have noticed that if you rush through life, you will have stress more often. However, if you plan your schedule well to allow enough time between activities, dealing with stress will be easy.
- Think positively; at times, you may have to force yourself into positive thinking to avoid stress and its effects.
- Believe in yourself; self-belief has been known to boost people’s confidence and happiness levels. These two aspects are the best you can have when it comes to dealing with stress.
Ayurvedic medicine
Ayurvedic medicine is as close to the home remedies for irregular periods as it can get. While it is classified as a medicine, it is made up of herbs which ensure that you get a solution to your irregular periods but without any side effects on your body. They are given preference owing to their natural way of getting rid of irregular periods.
Some of the herbs found in ayurvedic medicine that help treat irregular menstrual cycle include;
- Saraka Indica; the Indian name for this herb is Ashoka. Saraka Indica has many benefits when it comes to relieving you of your menstrual pains. It also has many uses including aiding your reproductive system have regular periods. If you have severe premenstrual symptoms, this herb will ease them away.
- Asparagus Racemosus; commonly known as Shatavari, this herb has the ingredients to improve the general health of the body in great ways. Not just that, it is known to increase libido and relieve you of stress.
- Symplocus Racemosa; commonly known as lodhra, this herb is made from the bark of a tree and it performs greatly as an astringent. If you experience excessive vaginal discharge (leucorrhea), then this herb will be beneficial to you. Also, if your menstruation is excessive, painful or often delayed, the presence of this drug in the ayurvedic medicine will offer a good solution. It also plays a major role in preventing and treating cancer of the female reproductive system.
- Asphaltum/shilajit; this particular herb has direct effect on the stamina and libido of those who use it. It will thus serve a great purpose when taken. It also helps in doing away with both mental and physical causes of stress.
- Giloy/guduchi; giloy is mainly taken to improve the functioning of the whole body. This involves making homeostatic processes more efficient, reducing calcium deficiency, and improving the immunity of the body.
- Emblica Officinalis; traditionally known as Amalaki, this herb plays the all-important role of rejuvenating and improving the body. It does this since it is a natural antioxidant which does away with free radicals that harm the body. It will also improve your immunity and vitality which will help you deal with daily stressors without issues. Its effects on improving the appearance of your skin and preventing ageing are also well-known. Amalaki also has important roles to play in preventing anemia, reducing stomach acidity, boosting immunity and digestion, preventing ageing, controlling blood sugar and many other roles. It is the herb with the most roles to play.
- Commiphora Mukul (guggul); if you are anemic, guggul is the herb that will help you when you take ayurvedic medicine. Besides that, it will also provide you with the revitalization of the body in many different ways. It will also give you a healthy heart to prevent most heart diseases. Those with hypothyroidism will also immensely benefit from this herb. Due to its role in aiding metabolism, this herb also helps you cut weight if that is your goal.
Most of these herbs can be bought on their own and used as home remedies for irregular periods. However, given that ayurvedic medicine has no artificial components and combines all these herbs into tablets, you are guaranteed of having everything in one place. The individual properties of these drugs combine to give you the best remedy for your irregular periods without any side effects.