Female bodies start having periods when they hit puberty. Throughout their life, they experience different period colors and textures. However, we have found 5 interesting medical reasons due to why your period could be lighter than normal.
- Diet
You are what you eat and this could also translate to your periods. Some diets promote water retention.
If you eat such meals in greater quantities, they may cause hormonal imbalance. When your hormones are in disharmony, it results in the thickening of the vaginal wall. As such, you experience heavy flow as it is shed during menstruation.
Eat food rich in iron and potassium. These may include lentils, raisins, and bananas. When you stay hydrated, you enable a lighter flow, since menstrual fluid comprises water and blood.
Food can also impact your body weight and fat percentage. The heavier you are, the more likely your vaginal walling pores shrink, resulting in a thicker flow and more painful excretion.
Eating poorly or consuming less food can also mean being underweight, which can make your periods irregular due to a lack of sufficient hormones. Your body may retain blood to perform vital functions.
- Hormonal changes
Your menstruation is based on estrogen that triggers the shedding of the uterine walls if no sperm fertilizes it. Some factors can change your hormone levels, thus interfering with normal monthly outflow.
These include stress, the use of contraceptives, and even breastfeeding. You may wonder how these issues could result in a lighter-than-normal period.
Well, when you are in a chronic stressful situation, your body secretes chemicals that try to cope and calm you down. But this process also interferes with the hormones that regulate your menstruation. You may hence notice irregular and lighter flows.
Birth control pills also have the same effect. They deliberately block the natural menstruation cycle, thus could cause lighter periods.
Lactating mothers are also likely to experience lighter monthly shedding. The hormones responsible for milk production may block your natural menstruation mechanism. Thus you may have a light or spotting situation instead of full monthly flows.
According to Everyday Health, hormonal fluctuations impact the characteristics of menstrual blood. Estrogen promotes the endometrium’s growth, leading to thicker blood, while increased prostaglandins slow the blood release, creating a thicker appearance. Enhanced blood flow makes the blood brighter red. In the luteal phase, progesterone prepares the endometrium and older, oxidized blood appears darker. Individual health and variations also influence these characteristics.
- Age
Menstruation typically begins during your teen years. It starts as a light and irregular flow until you reach twenty years.
After this, your body would have set a rhythm that could more or less stay constant until the late thirties. But every woman and every period is different.
The women experiencing variations in their monthly flow would contend with this situation. Still, some women would enjoy steady and clockwork-like menstruation.
In the late thirties and early forties though, you may notice a slight change – with heavier and shorter periods. A large proportion of females are also affected, so you are not alone.
After your fifties, you may enter your peri-menopausal stage. Here, your periods would get irregular- sometimes skipping and other times compensating these skipped months with heavy flows.
As the years pass, your monthly flow remain lighter than before this stage. It later drops to spotting and eventually ceases altogether.
- Lifestyle
Every woman has a passion and some are exercise freaks. They want their bodies to remain athlete and well-toned.
So they indulge in extreme exercises. But little do they understand how this overexertion affects their menstruation.
Over-exercising causes rapid weight loss. You burn a lot of calories and fat in the process resulting in a low body fat level.
Intensive exercises could also lower your estrogen levels. In the process, it may signal your brain and ovaries to reduce your menstruation fluid. This may also cause your periods to become light or even stop altogether.
On the other hand, smoking and excessive alcohol intake are also instrumental in reducing your monthly fluid discharge.
Smoke atrophies your veins and vaginal lining, distorting the proper escape of vaginal fluids. Alcohol also clouds your pituitary glands, preventing them from working efficiently.
The pituitary is the brain section responsible for regulating your monthly outflow.
As reported in a Fibroid Fighters article and a study by Reuters, women who smoke or have a smoking history tend to experience more painful and heavy periods compared to non-smokers. Moreover, the study revealed that women who started smoking before the age of 15 were 50% more likely to suffer from chronic period pain and heavy bleeding. Smoking appears to have an association with menstrual discomfort and increased menstrual flow, particularly when initiated at a young age.
- Pregnancy
You have to know what regular menstruation fluid is, to determine whether you are having a lighter-than-normal discharge.
But all these change when you conceive. Here, the ovary releases a mature egg that drops down the fallopian tube to await fertilization.
If no sperm attaches to the egg, it self-destroys and oozes out as menstrual flow 11 days later.
When you engage in intercourse and the sperm attaches to the egg, the egg becomes fertilized. Thus, it isn’t expelled from the body. Instead, it travels down to the uterine and starts growing as a fetus.
Once fertilization occurs, your ovaries stop sending any eggs down. Thus you can’t have your periods when you are pregnant.
But in the initial stages of pregnancy, you may experience implantation bleeding. This is when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining.
It usually lasts for three days. To be sure, you need to take a pregnancy test when you notice spotting after missing your periods.
According to the March of Dimes, some women may experience light bleeding during pregnancy, which is not the same as a menstrual period and is generally not a cause for major concern. It could be due to implantation, cervical changes, or sensitive cervical tissues. However, heavy bleeding during pregnancy, especially with severe pain, may indicate serious issues like miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or placental problems. Infections or medical conditions could also cause heavy bleeding. Seeking immediate medical attention is crucial if any concerning symptoms occur during pregnancy to ensure the well-being of both the mother and baby. Every pregnancy is unique, and professional guidance is essential for a safe and healthy outcome.
In conclusion, we provided five medical reasons why you could be experiencing periods lighter than normal. Learning more about those medical methods can be beneficial for you and help you identify if you have any of them.
Should You Be Worried If Your Period Is Light?
Menstruation is a natural and normal process that occurs in women of reproductive age. However, many women may experience variations in their menstrual cycle, including the flow of their periods. Some may have heavy and long periods, while others may have lighter and shorter ones. This can lead to concerns and worries, especially for those who are used to having a regular and consistent flow. In this paper, we will discuss whether or not women should be worried if their period is light.
Firstly, it is important to understand what is considered a normal menstrual flow. A normal period can last anywhere from 3-7 days, with an average blood loss of 30-40ml. The flow can range from light to heavy, with most women experiencing a mix of both throughout their cycle. However, a light period, also known as hypomenorrhea, is defined as having a total blood loss of less than 10ml or a duration of less than 2 days. This can be concerning for some women as it may deviate from their usual cycle and cause them to question their overall reproductive health.
One of the main causes of a light period is hormonal imbalances. The menstrual cycle is controlled by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which work together to regulate the shedding of the uterine lining. If there is an imbalance in these hormones, it can affect the thickness of the uterine lining, leading to a lighter period. This can be caused by factors such as stress, excessive exercise, changes in weight, or certain medications. In most cases, these hormonal imbalances are temporary and do not require medical intervention.
Another common cause of a light period is pregnancy. When a woman becomes pregnant, her body produces higher levels of estrogen and progesterone to support the growth of the fetus. This can result in a lighter or even missed period. If you are sexually active, it is important to take a pregnancy test to rule out this possibility.
Some women may also experience light periods due to underlying health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disorders, or uterine abnormalities. These conditions can affect the regularity and flow of periods and should be addressed by a healthcare professional.
While a light period may be a cause for concern, there are also some benefits to having one. For example, women with lighter periods may experience less discomfort and cramping compared to those with heavier flows. Lighter periods also reduce the risk of anemia, a condition caused by a lack of iron in the body due to excessive blood loss during menstruation.
In conclusion, a light period may be a cause for worry, but it is not always a sign of a serious health issue. It is important to pay attention to any changes in your menstrual cycle and consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns. If you have a history of irregular periods, it is also helpful to track your cycle and keep a record of the duration and flow of each period. This information can be useful in identifying any patterns or changes in your menstrual cycle. Ultimately, every woman’s body is unique, and what may be considered normal for one may not be for another. If you are worried about your light period, it is always best to seek professional medical advice to ensure your reproductive health is in good condition.
