The menstrual cycle is an important indicator of women's health.
This process is designed to ensure the possibility of conceiving a child - such is its biological role. Therefore, most women are attentive to the appearance of “critical” days. But they don’t always go as we would like. Quite common phenomena include various menstrual cycle disorders. Often, women notice a lengthening of their periods when they last longer than expected, for example, two weeks. If such a situation becomes permanent, then a natural question arises about why the menstrual cycle is disrupted and what needs to be done to normalize it. In this case, you should trust only verified information and doctor’s advice.
Causes of menstruation lasting two weeks
The content of the article:
The duration of critical days exceeding a week may be due to the following reasons:
- Taking hormonal contraceptives. The amount of blood released while taking oral contraceptives may be reduced, and the duration of menstruation, on the contrary, may increase. This is especially true for the first 2–3 months from the start of taking the drug. But if the bleeding continues, this indicates that the product was chosen incorrectly and needs to be replaced.
- An intrauterine device, which is also a contraceptive. For her, long and heavy periods are normal, but in any case, consultation with a specialist is necessary. Especially if there is prolonged bleeding.
- Hormonal disorders that occur during the first menstruation in a teenage girl’s life or after childbirth, refusal to breastfeed, or during menopause. In these cases, the hormonal balance generally improves on its own, but some situations require consulting a doctor.
- Failures in the functioning of the endocrine system can be manifested by an increase in the duration of critical days, during which discharge can intensify and lead to anemia. In this case, hormone tests and ultrasound of the thyroid gland can explain the cause of the malfunction.
- Gynecological diseases, which are often treatable with timely consultation with a doctor. Malignant and benign tumors also often cause menstruation, which can last 2 weeks or more, each time changing the nature and amount of blood released.
- Stress, emotional tension, excessive exercise, injuries, excess weight or lack thereof, climate change can cause irregularities in the menstrual cycle.
- Disorders of hemostasis - blood clotting system.
- Ectopic pregnancy in some cases causes prolonged periods. This is one of the most dangerous factors, which can lead to pipe rupture, internal bleeding and peritonitis.
- Menstruation after miscarriage or abortion.
See also: How to calculate due date using menstruation
Period in 2 weeks
Metrorrhagia is a phenomenon in which bleeding begins in the middle of the cycle.
If your period comes 2 weeks after the previous ones, the reasons may be:
- Physiological.
- Pathological.
And if in the first case it is necessary to normalize your daily routine, balance your diet, and minimize physical activity, then in the second case you need the help of a doctor and treatment.
Physiological factors
These are the reasons why one day your period started early, for example, two weeks after the previous ones. Why does this happen? The following can affect the menstrual cycle and the timing of bleeding:
- Formation of the cycle. This applies to teenage girls who have just started menstruating. It takes up to 2 years to form a cycle. During this period, periods are irregular, maybe twice a month.
- Pregnancy. When conception occurs and the embryo attaches to the wall of the uterus, implantation bleeding is possible, which women mistake for regular periods. Occurs due to damage to small blood vessels. And if your period comes about 2 weeks after the last one, you should take a test or see a doctor.
- Artificial termination of pregnancy, miscarriage or childbirth. These events are a powerful impetus for changing hormonal levels. After childbirth, miscarriage or curettage, the body needs time to restore the cycle, and before that, bleeding occurs unpredictably.
- The beginning of menopause. After 45 years, the natural decline of reproductive function begins. During premenopause, hormonal levels change, the levels of estrogen and progesterone change, which affects the regularity and frequency of menstruation.
If there is a disease
Menstruation may occur in two weeks in the presence of inflammatory or infectious diseases, formations in the uterus, on the ovaries, as well as ectopic pregnancy.
Possible reasons:
- Endometriosis. Pathological proliferation of cells of the uterine mucosa in places unusual for them. The endometrium grows through the walls of the organ, affecting the ovaries and abdominal cavity. A large amount of tissue causes discharge after menstruation. They are dark and contain mucus.
- Endometritis. Inflammatory process inside the uterine cavity. It is provoked by hypothermia and sexually transmitted infections. If left untreated, the endometrium grows, polyps form, and discharge does not occur on time.
- Myoma. Benign tumor of the uterus. It looks like nodes of connective and muscle tissue. The reason for the formation is hormonal imbalance. Excessive amounts of estrogen provoke an increase in fibroid nodes, which causes bleeding in the middle of the cycle.
- Risk of miscarriage . Spotting after or before menstruation can be the beginning of a miscarriage, which the woman often does not know about. When there is a threat of bleeding, it is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen.
- Ectopic pregnancy. Characterized by the location of the embryo outside the uterine cavity, for example, inside the tube. Over time, the fertilized egg enlarges, stretches the tissues and tears them. Bleeding occurs, which the woman may mistake for her period. Their difference during ectopic pregnancy is acute pain in the lower abdomen and deterioration in well-being.
Video about uterine bleeding
Other factors
There are a number of other reasons that affect the cycle and lead to its disruption. Possible factors for frequent periods:
- Taking hormonal contraceptives. This type of contraception leads to a restructuring of the entire body, as a result of which menstruation does not occur according to the calendar in the first 2–3 months after the start of use.
- Intrauterine device. When it is installed, periods in some cases become heavy and prolonged. If they go every 2 weeks, the woman feels unwell, she should consult a doctor and have the IUD removed.
- Overwork and sleep disturbances. This is a stressful situation for the body, so the reproductive system begins to malfunction.
- Stressful situations. A woman’s emotional state directly affects the menstrual cycle. Stress, shock, nerves - all this leads to the onset of bleeding at the wrong time.
- Excessive physical activity. Lifting weights and playing sports can trigger your period a couple of weeks earlier than expected.
- Changing of the climate. Flights, changes in terrain, and vacations in the south are not always good for the body. The consequence is irregular discharge.
- Losing excess weight. Diets and fasting lead to a deficiency of useful nutrients in the body. Against the background of deficiency, the level of produced sex hormones changes. At first, menstruation occurs more often than usual, then the cycle becomes longer. If you do not normalize your diet, menstruation may stop altogether.
- Thyroid diseases. Lead to changes in the concentration of sex hormones in the body. The functioning of the reproductive system is disrupted, menstruation occurs every 14 days.
- Infectious diseases, colds, food poisoning. All this significantly reduces immunity, as a result, the reproductive organs do not function properly.
We recommend reading the article on how to restore your periods if they are lost. From it you will learn about the reasons for the absence of menstruation, the likelihood of pregnancy, the influence of external factors, as well as pathological causes.
Why do my periods come in chunks? Read about the reasons here.
Factors influencing the normal course of the cycle
To avoid cycle disruption and the appearance of heavy periods that last 2 weeks, first of all you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. It consists of following the rules:
- Maintain personal hygiene regularly.
- Don't get too cold. Any hypothermia, even the most imperceptible, is characterized by the appearance of critical days for a period of 2 weeks or more.
- Give up bad habits during menstruation, because... Drinking alcohol can cause prolonged and heavy discharge.
- Moderate exercise on any day, except critical days. During the menstrual period, physical activity should be avoided.
- Healthy nutrition, rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for the female body. “Harmful” foods such as fatty, salty, smoked and fried foods should be excluded.
- It is necessary to monitor your body weight, because... Normal weight is one of the main guarantees of the health of a woman’s reproductive system and her body as a whole.
- You should not use a sauna or hot tub during menstruation. During this period, it is better to replace them with a warm shower.
- Try to maintain stability of the emotional background.
You need to understand that even following all these rules cannot be a panacea against long periods. They can help prevent the onset of the disease, but if the pathological process has already started in the body, then, most likely, more serious measures prescribed by a specialist will be required.
Treatment
Menstrual irregularities should be treated taking into account their origin. When the examination managed to exclude certain diseases, the woman should first think about normalizing her lifestyle.
But if any pathology is confirmed, then only a doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment. You shouldn't even try to normalize the cycle yourself.
General recommendations
To restore the frequency and duration of menstruation, you should lead a healthy lifestyle. This requires your own efforts, and also involves following all the doctor’s recommendations for disease prevention. Women should follow simple rules:
- Eat properly.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Pay enough attention to physical activity.
- Fight excess weight.
- Minimize exposure to stress factors.
Normalizing lifestyle helps not only overcome functional disorders, but also prevent many diseases.
Drug therapy
When it comes to pathology, drug correction becomes the basis of treatment. Each disease requires adequate therapy, so the necessary medications are prescribed by a doctor based on the diagnosis and condition of the woman’s body. The following medications are mainly used:
- Hormonal (combinations of estrogen and progesterone).
- Hemostatic.
- Vitamins and microelements.
- Antibiotics.
- Herbal medicines.
The doctor will tell you which medications should be taken in a particular case. He will determine the therapeutic dosage and course of administration.
Operation
In some cases, you even have to undergo surgery. This applies to tumor diseases, as well as inflammatory processes spreading to the peritoneum. Depending on the pathology, the following methods are used:
- Laparoscopic.
- Hysteroscopic.
- Open access transactions.
If you have long periods, you must first establish the cause of the cycle disruption. Based on the results of diagnostic measures, a treatment program is formed. However, many cases also require your own efforts to change your lifestyle.
What can you do if you have a long period?
If menstruation does not end 2 weeks after it starts, the woman needs to see a doctor as soon as possible, who will refer the woman for a thorough examination to identify the causes of the menstrual cycle. Based on the data received, the specialist will prescribe remedies to stop pathological periods and to eliminate the root cause that caused them.
If menstruation is very heavy and accompanied by clots, which poses a threat to the patient’s health or even life, a specialist may decide that she needs hospitalization and constant monitoring by a doctor in an inpatient setting. There, the woman can undergo examinations to identify the cause of the disease.
See also: Does a cold affect a delay in menstruation?
It is important to remember that you should not take medications that have not been prescribed by your doctor. Those. In no case should you self-medicate, otherwise it can lead to dangerous consequences, such as infertility and even a threat to life.
What diseases can cause long periods?
Wondering why menstruation lasts for 2 weeks, medicine has come to the conclusion that some diseases of the reproductive system can be serious causes of this pathology:
- Endometriosis is the growth of the mucous layer of the uterus beyond its boundaries. May be accompanied by pain, menorrhagia (long periods), infertility, adhesions, and menstrual irregularities.
- Benign tumors of the ovaries and uterus. These include polyps, fibroids, fibroids, and endometrioid ovarian cysts. May manifest as long-term and short-term intermenstrual bleeding, enlarged uterus, and pain in the lower abdomen.
- Malignant neoplasms.
- Inflammatory and infectious diseases of the pelvic organs: adnexitis, endometritis. Such ailments, in addition to long periods, can be manifested by symptoms such as elevated body temperature, pain in the lower abdomen, and pathological discharge from the genital tract.
Thus, continuous critical days can be a symptom of a large number of serious diseases that require immediate detection and treatment. Therefore, to the question of what to do if your period lasts more than 2 weeks, there should be one answer: urgently go to the doctor.
Diagnostics
Additional methods must be used to confirm the diagnosis. Since a general and gynecological examination is not enough, laboratory and instrumental examinations are used. Its complex includes:
- Biochemical blood test (hormonal parameters).
- Bacteriological analysis of secretions.
- Colposcopy.
- Ultrasonography.
- Hysteroscopy.
After receiving all the results, we can talk about whether there are pathological reasons for prolongation of menstruation.
When is it time to see a doctor
If your critical days began on time or with a shift in one direction or another (later or earlier), and their duration has exceeded their usual duration, do not panic and rush to search for information on the Internet. Each woman may have some individual reason for the appearance of menstruation, lasting 2 weeks or more. And only a qualified doctor can determine this reason and only during an in-person examination.
See also: How long after Vizanne do menstruation begin?
First of all, the specialist collects the patient’s medical history, then prescribes her to take blood tests and undergo an ultrasound examination. This may be necessary for the doctor to make the correct diagnosis. Having collected all the required data, you can draw conclusions about the diagnosis or decide whether to order an additional examination.
To stop bleeding, the drugs Vikasol, Etamzilat, Dicinon, etc. are prescribed. If the bleeding is intense, the doctor may refer the woman to the hospital. Also, the patient can independently call an ambulance, which will take her to the hospital.
Uterine bleeding is a rather dangerous phenomenon. In this case, it is better to play it safe than to waste time and subsequently treat complications.