What Are the Treatments for Irregular Periods?

Many women suffer from irregular periods. Irregular can mean anything from several months between periods to three weeks between periods. Every 25 to 28 days is considered normal for a period.
If you have irregular periods, you know it can cause anxiety. You do not know whether you missed a period because you're pregnant or because you're so irregular you can't keep up. If you have periods that are too close together, you'll feel tired and run-down from the constant bleeding.

Birth Control Pills

• Methods are available for treating irregular periods, and taking birth control pills is one of them. When you take birth control pills, the levels of estrogen and progestin are kept on an even keel, without major fluctuations. Ovulation occurs regularly, just as it should, and periods happen when they should.

Dilation and Curettage for Irregular Menstrual Bleeding

• Sometimes, even though you're on birth control pills for irregular periods, it'll be necessary to have a procedure known as dilation and curettage (D and C). This is especially true if your periods are extremely heavy or come too close together.
  This procedure, usually performed on an outpatient basis, consists of the surgeon dilating the cervix and vagina so he can insert an instrument called a curettage into the uterus. The uterine walls are then scraped free of all the lining.
  Recovery time is relatively short. Best of all, once you have stopped bleeding from the procedure, you will almost always be able to tell a difference in your periods. They will be lighter and more regular.

Weight Loss

• Being overweight can cause your periods to be irregular. If you are overweight, reaching your ideal weight might be all that is necessary to correct irregular periods. Lose the weight wisely by eating properly and exercising.

Being Underweight

• Just as being too heavy can cause your periods to be irregular, so can being too thin. Professional female athletes and women who participate in marathons or other sports competitions often find that their periods are irregular. If you engage in strenuous physical activity and notice that your periods are becoming irregular, cutting back on your routine might solve the problem. If, however, your thinness is caused because you can't or don't eat properly, then you will need to make dietary changes, and increase your calorie intake.

Problems with Internal Birth Control (IUD)

• Intrauterine devices that have been inserted for birth control can cause irregular periods. If you have just started using an IUD, then it might take a little while for your body to adjust, at which time your periods will become regular again.
  However, if you have been using an IUD and your periods suddenly become regular, or they do not regulate after a sufficient length of time has passed for your body to adjust, usually three to six months, seek medical advice. It might be necessary to have the IUD removed so your periods can regulate themselves again.