Published : December 26, 2022 2:58 PM IST
An average menstrual cycle is of 28 days which means that these many days must pass between your first day of the period and the first day of the next period. However, the period length and the gap between the two cycles differ from woman to woman. In reality, there is no perfect cycle and it is different for all.
For most of us, our periods typically occur every 21 to 35 days. The length of the menstrual phase also varies between two and seven days. If your two consecutive periods are too close or too far apart, this might not always be a cause for concern but sometimes it can indicate some underlying health condition. Changes might also occur during the perimenopause phase.
If your periods are frequent than every 21 days, there could be some factors like stress, flu, significant weight changes, uterine fibroids, hormonal birth control or ovulation problems. Sometimes they can be apart for 35 days. This could also be due to stress, intense exercise and other similar factors.
For most women, the typical length of the menstrual phase can be between two to five days. For women who have periods just for two days or one that lasts for seven days, it is also considered normal unless the length of the phase suddenly changes. Causes could be breastfeeding that can cause a delayed, shortened period. Sometimes a miscarriage can be taken for a period. This bleeding can be light spotting to heavy flow.
Birth control pills are known to cause a thinning of the uterus lining. This can lighten and shorten the menstrual phase. Medications like steroids, antidepressants and blood thinners can also affect the volume of blood released or its length. Sometimes there could be a complete absence of periods and for others, periods can excessively heavy, prolonged, and irregular.