dips and spikes in our emotions and our health.
For the most part, once our lives return to normal, so do our periods.
On the other hand, a woman will sometimes skip her period for a few months and then start a heavy period that lasts for days or even weeks. This can be a sign that a woman is entering perimenopause (see above).
A Note About PCOS…
More and more, women of all ages are appearing in clinics with irregular periods due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), an easily recognizable and treatable condition that frequently occurs with insulin resistance. With PCOS, the ovaries produce a quantity of follicles that generate high levels of estrogen but never release an egg. The excessive estrogen stimulates the uterine lining to thicken to a point where it must slough off. Women with this condition are not having what are considered “real” menstrual periods because they do not regularly ovulate.
What if I’m just spotting or not getting a period at all?
We’ve all heard stories from friends who’ve suddenly lost a lot of weight or begun a strenuous exercise regimen, then stopped getting their period. Anorexic women or those who exercise two to three hours a day can find their menstrual cycles diminish or stop due to a decrease in body fat. These women have low estrogen and are not ovulating. This is called stress-type hypothalamic amenorrhea, and it occurs when poor nutrition and stress alter the brain’s chemistry and hormone pathways. The brain can’t trigger the right hormones for follicle development, which make the necessary estrogens. Women with this irregularity tend to be at higher risk for bone loss (osteoporosis) and other degenerative conditions and should be evaluated.
Why does my period come twice a month?
In addition to missed periods, we also see women who get more than…