• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Lifestyle / Living with Fibroids / 5 Reasons Your Period Is Heavier Or Lighter Than Usual

5 Reasons Your Period Is Heavier Or Lighter Than Usual

menstrual cycle

When your menstrual cycle becomes heavier or lighter without explanation, it’s good to do a check-in. Are there changes in your health? In your diet? While the length of a period may vary – anywhere from 3 to 5 days, it’s important to note that average blood loss is anywhere between 30-40 milliliters (ml), with 9 out of 10 women losing less than 80ml, the NHS says. Meanwhile, heavy menstrual bleeding, also known as menorrhagia, is 60ml or more during a cycle. While there’s no real way to measure “heaviness,” if you track your period each month you may periodically notice a difference in flow. Here are three reasons why your period may be heavier or lighter than usual.

You have uterine fibroids.

Nearly one-third of all women develop uterine fibroids — non-cancerous tumors — at some point in their lives.

To add some perspective, by age 50, 70 percent of whites and 80 percent of Blacks had fibroids, according to a study. In many cases, women were unaware that they had them.

As for what causes the growths, the Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reports that no one knows for sure. However, researchers believe there’s a link between estrogen and progesterone levels as well as genetics.

You May Also Like
9 Foods You Should NEVER Eat after Age 30

It’s important to note that not all women with fibroids have symptoms. Those who do often find fibroids hard to live with due to experiencing pain and heavy menstrual bleeding.

Fortunately, treatment for uterine fibroids is available but dependent on your symptoms.

You’d Had Some Life changes

Let’s face it, life happens to all of us at different times in our life. We have highs and lows in life and our bodies can sense that. As a matter of fact, our bodies are sensitive to change. Even stress can cause abnormal periods. Knowing this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that big life changes may affect your cycle. It’s common to experience heavy period flow after pregnancy or childbirth, or during the time your body transitions to menopause (perimenopause).

RELATED: Menstrual Cycle Warning Signs

You have pelvic inflammatory disease.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a bacterial infection of a woman’s reproductive organs, can also result in an abnormally heavy period. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), untreated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), having more than one sexual partner, douching, and a previous bout of the infection can cause PID.

You May Also Like
Learn About Merck's Research Studies For Patients With Kidney Cancer

Symptoms of PID include pain during sex and/or urination, body aches (specifically in the lower abdomen), fever, nausea and vaginal discharge — often green in color and a heavy period. PID can also cause serious problems for

Continue Reading

The Latest In Living with Fibroids

fibroid diet

The Fibroid-Fighting Diet

When discussing fibroids, it's essential to recognize the profound implications these tumors hold, especially for Black women. Statistically, fibroids disproportionately impact this community, with a significant number of Black women being diagnosed at some point in their lives. The reasons read more about The Fibroid-Fighting Diet
halle berry diabetes

Halle Berry: Over 50 ‘Just Keeps Getting Better With Time’

From films like Boomerang, X-Men, Swordfish, Monster's Ball and more, Halle Berry‘s timeless beauty has helped made her one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. Fifty-seven year old Berry is basically the spokeswoman for healthy aging, but she acknowledges read more about Halle Berry: Over 50 ‘Just Keeps Getting Better With Time’
foods that shrink fibroids fast

8 Foods Fighting Back Against Fibroids

We all know how important a healthy diet is. We hear our doctors and fitness trainers preach about how we should stay away from foods with high sugar and sodium levels and focus more on foods like fruits, vegetables, and read more about 8 Foods Fighting Back Against Fibroids
NSAIDs

5 Ways To Protect Your Body When Using NSAIDs

For many people with chronic conditions, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is the only way to manage their pain. While these drugs are usually effective for easing pain and inflammation, they can also have significant side effects when taken for read more about 5 Ways To Protect Your Body When Using NSAIDs
weak bladder

10 Great Ways to Strengthen a Weak Bladder

It’s a common misconception that incontinence is unavoidable as you age. Health experts agree, however, that it’s more likely that your bladder needs to be strengthened to keep functioning well. There are also a few health conditions that can affect read more about 10 Great Ways to Strengthen a Weak Bladder
menstrual

Dreading That Time Of The Month? Try These Home Remedies

It’s that time again, the time every person with a uterus dreads: your monthly. For some, getting their menstrual every month is a walk in the park. They experience light to moderate bleeding and flow, no cramps, no backaches and read more about Dreading That Time Of The Month? Try These Home Remedies

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

6 Things In Your Home That Can Cause Cancer

things that cause cancer

3 Supplements You Should Be Taking Daily

daily report

World’s Oldest Woman Shares Secret to Long Life on Her 117th Birthday

World’s Oldest Woman Shares Secret to Long Life on Her 117th Birthday

Hip-Hop Legend of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony in ICU

Hip-Hop Legend of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony in ICU

Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Passes Away of Cancer at 43

Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Passes Away of Cancer at 43
Find a Culturally Sensitive Doctor

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.