Why did my period come back after a week

Causes and when to see a doctor

Some people may experience periods that start as they expect, then stop and start again. Occasional irregularities in the menstrual cycle are not unusual and can be due to lifestyle factors and hormones fluctuations. In some cases, irregular periods can be a sign of hormone imbalances or an underlying health condition.

A period typically lasts for 5 days but can range from 2–7 days. An individual’s menstrual flow is usually heaviest during the first 2 days of their period.

Read on to find out more about irregular periods, what can cause them, and when to see a doctor.

Share on PinterestIt is not unusual for a person to have irregularities in their menstrual cycle.

The menstrual cycle is typically 28 days but can vary between 21–35 days. An irregular menstrual cycle is one that is shorter or longer than usual or involves a lighter or heavier flow.

Menstrual irregularities may also involve light bleeding or “spotting” between periods.

Irregular periods are common, with 14–25% of people experiencing irregular menstrual cycles. They may also experience uncomfortable symptoms, such as menstrual cramps.

Each person will have a slightly different menstrual cycle and period. Mild variations in flow, duration, and symptoms are usually nothing to worry about.

Menstrual blood consists of blood and tissue from the lining of the uterus. This lining is the endometrium.

The role of the endometrium is to receive and nourish a fertilized egg. As the person’s cycle progresses, the endometrium grows thicker. If an egg is not fertilized, the endometrium sheds away. The menstrual blood and tissue then pass through the cervix and out of the vagina.

Sometimes, menstrual tissue can block the cervix, preventing or limiting blood and tissue from leaving the body. This blockage may create a pause in a person’s period. Once the blockage clears, the period will resume as normal.

Periods can also change from month to month due to:

stress
over exercising
taking certain medications
being unwell
poor nutrition
sudden changes in weight
being underweight
using hormonal birth control

Share on PinterestHormone levels may affect menstrual flow.

Hormone levels change throughout a period, and this may affect menstrual flow.

At the beginning of a period, levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone drop. This provides a signal for the endometrium to begin shedding, and for the period to start.

Towards the end of the period, estrogen levels begin to rise again. Increasing estrogen levels cause the menstrual tissue to thicken. This hormonal change can affect the menstrual flow.

Certain medical conditions can cause hormone imbalances that may interrupt or interfere with menstruation. The following conditions may result in irregular periods:

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an imbalance of hormones that affects the ovaries and ovulation.

The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. However, high levels of male hormones such as androgens and testosterone may play a role.

Females who have PCOS may experience an irregular menstrual cycle. They may also miss periods, or find that their periods stop altogether.

Other symptoms of PCOS include:

acne, which may be on the face, back, or chest
thinning hair, loss of hair, or baldness
excess facial hair
weight gain
difficulty losing weight
darker areas of skin around the neck, groin, and under the breasts
skin tags around the armpits or neck

Lifestyle factors can help a person manage PCOS and balance their hormone levels. Examples include:

losing excess weight
eating a healthy diet
taking regular exercise

Certain medications can also help to balance hormone levels and reduce symptoms of PCOS.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis happens when the endometrium grows outside of the uterus.

Endometriosis may affect menstrual flow and can cause painful symptoms during periods. A person may also experience spotting between periods.

Endometriosis may occur as a result of menstrual tissue passing through the fallopian tube and into other parts of the body. Other causes may include:

genetics
high estrogen levels
problems with the immune system

Symptoms of endometriosis can include:

stomach pain
pain in the lower back and pelvic area
painful sex
painful urination during menstruation
painful bowel movements during menstruation
infertility

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief medication may help to relieve mild symptoms of endometriosis. Hormonal birth control may help to manage the symptoms.

Other types of hormone medication may be necessary for people who are trying to become pregnant.

In severe cases, a person may require surgery to treat their endometriosis.

Share on PinterestA person should talk to their doctor if they have severe cramps during their period.

Occasional irregular periods are common, particularly for adolescents who have recently had their first period.

Certain lifestyle factors, such as stress, diet, and exercise, can also affect a person’s menstrual cycle.

People should see their doctor or gynecologist if they notice any of the following:

their period frequently lasts longer than 8 days or less than 2 days
they do not have their period for 3 months, despite not being pregnant
their periods are less than 21 days apart or more than 35 days apart

People should also see a doctor if they experience any of the following symptoms:

severe cramps or other pain during a period
bleeding in between periods
much heavier bleeding than usual, or excessive bleeding needing a change of sanitary products every hour
much lighter periods than usual
feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or nauseas during a period
sickness or fever when using a tampon
severe premenstrual symptoms, such as depression or anxiety
any menstrual issues that stop people from continuing their normal activities

It can be helpful for a person to keep track of their menstrual cycle and any symptoms they experience. They can then relay this information to inform the doctor’s diagnosis.

A doctor may request blood tests to check hormone levels and may also carry out a pelvic exam. If the doctor suspects an underlying health condition, they may also request an ultrasound scan of the ovaries.

Irregular periods are not always a cause for concern. Periods that stop and the restart are often the result of normal hormone fluctuations during menstruation.

A person should see a doctor or gynecologist if these irregularities occur with every period, or if they experience other symptoms. A doctor can check hormone levels and may perform other diagnostic tests to determine the cause of irregular periods.

Bleeding between periods | healthdirect

Vaginal bleeding between your periods is not uncommon, but it should be checked by your doctor if it happens more than once. You should also go to your doctor if you bleed after sex.

If you are bleeding very heavily or you feel faint or that you might pass out, call triple zero (000) immediately and ask for an ambulance. If calling triple zero (000) does not work on your mobile phone, try calling 112.

What is bleeding between periods?

After puberty and before menopause, women experience normal vaginal bleeding each month during their menstrual period. Normal vaginal bleeding, or a “period”, varies widely between women and can be different for you at different stages of your life. Generally, all women experience a menstrual period around once a month, approximately every 21 to 35 days, and it can last anywhere between 1 and 7 days.

Bleeding between periods is any vaginal bleeding that occurs outside of a normal period. Bleeding between periods may be similar to a normal period, may be heavier with a larger blood loss, or may be a very light blood loss (also known as “spotting”). Bleeding between periods may be once off or may last for a number of days.

What can cause bleeding between periods?

There are many things that could cause bleeding between periods, such as changes to your hormones levels, use of hormonal contraception or contraceptive devices, an infection, or an injury.

Other causes of bleeding between periods may include:

endometriosis
polyps (growths) in your uterus or cervix
inflammation of your cervix
abnormalities in the cervix or uterus
fibroids
an ectopic pregnancy or the start of a miscarriage
cancer

Changes to your hormone levels

Young women often spot, or bleed very slightly, when they ovulate (release an egg from the ovary). It happens about 10 to 14 days after their period and is usually caused by a temporary drop in levels of the hormone oestrogen. This is quite normal.

As well as reduced oestrogen levels, you may also experience other hormonal imbalances, which are completely harmless. This could be as a result of stress, or a recent change of diet.

Girls who have just started their periods and women going through menopause are more likely to have irregular periods, which can be confused with bleeding between periods.

Your doctor may organise a blood test to investigate your hormone levels and will advise you on possible treatments.

Use of hormonal contraception

Bleeding between periods often happens when you start to take hormonal contraceptives. This is because your hormone levels drop. It is also called breakthrough bleeding, and usually happens about 2 weeks after your last period.

Breakthrough bleeding should stop after 1 or 2 months. Your periods will usually become more regular within 6 months. Bleeding between periods can also happen if you forget to take one of your oral contraceptive pills.

However, if bleeding occurs at other points during your menstrual cycle, you should consult your doctor in order to rule out the possibility of other conditions.

Hormonal contraceptives such as hormone containing intra-uterine devices (IUDs) contraceptive injections or rods can also cause breakthrough bleeding or irregular periods. Sometimes this may be because the device isn’t inserted properly, especially if it’s also painful. Check with your doctor as they may be able to give you medicine to control the bleeding and rule out other causes, like an infection.

Infections and injury

Vaginal bleeding between periods may be the result of an infection in the vagina, cervix or uterus. Some sexually transmitted infections, like chlamydia or gonorrhoea, can cause bleeding. A yeast infection, or vaginal thrush, can also cause vaginal irritation and bleeding.

An injury to the vulva, vagina or cervix can cause bleeding between periods. Injuries can result from a variety of methods, including from rough sexual activity or incorrectly inserting or removing something into the vagina, like a tampon.

Changes to the cervix

Bleeding between your periods may be caused by changes in the cells of your cervix. This may be due to inflammation, hormonal changes, a Human Papilloma Virus infection or cervical cancer. If you have bleeding between your periods, your doctor will be able to examine your cervix using a speculum and can take a sample of cells for a cervical screening test.

Endometriosis

Sometimes bleeding between periods is caused by endometriosis. Endometriosis is when some of the cells similar to those that line the uterus (womb), called the endometrium, grow in other parts of the body. They usually grow in the pelvis, but can move to almost any part of the body.

Endometriosis can also cause heavy bleeding, irregular bleeding, painful periods and longer periods than normal.

Endometriosis is common and it can make it difficult to get pregnant. If you think you may have endometriosis, talk to your doctor as there are many different treatments available.

Fertility treatments

Vaginal bleeding may occur during certain fertility procedures — for example, during the egg collection stage of IVF treatment. Usually it is mild to moderate bleeding with some cramping. However, if you experience heavy bleeding, you should contact your fertility clinic or doctor for advice

When should I see my doctor?

Bleeding between periods is common — in fact, it happens to most women at some point during their lives. However, it is not considered normal to bleed frequently in one month, or to bleed between your periods for several months. Bleeding after having sex should always be discussed with your doctor. There are many possible causes for bleeding between periods and a lot of them aren’t serious, but you should speak to your doctor if you bleed between periods as it can occasionally signal something serious.

How is the cause of bleeding between periods diagnosed?

Your doctor may ask you about your general health and the nature of your normal periods and about the bleeding between your periods. They may also ask whether you could be pregnant.

Your doctor might feel your tummy, do an internal examination to check your vagina and look at your cervix using a medical device called a speculum. They may also swab your vagina to test for infections and take a cervical screening test to see if there are any changes in your cervix. You doctor may also ask you to do a blood test, a pregnancy test or go for an ultrasound.

Your doctor may also refer you to a gynaecologist, who is a medical doctor who specialises in women’s health.

How is bleeding between periods treated?

If you have not yet discussed your vaginal bleeding with your doctor, its important you make an appointment to do so, as vaginal bleeding cannot be treated without knowing the cause.

If your doctor has diagnosed the cause of your bleeding, you can treat the bleeding by following their advice, such as by taking a course of antibiotics if you have an infection, or by changing to a different form of contraception if the bleeding is caused by the contraception you have been taking. If the bleeding is light and isn’t bothering you, and a serious cause of the bleeding has been ruled out, it may not be necessary to do anything at all.

Not sure what to do next?

If you are still concerned about bleeding between periods, check your symptoms with healthdirect's online Symptom Checker to get advice on when to seek medical attention.

The Symptom checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether it’s self-care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero (000).

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Periods after periods: causes of intermenstrual bleeding

Menstruation is vaginal bleeding that occurs at the end of the menstrual cycle. Every month, a woman's body prepares for a potential pregnancy. The uterine lining (epithelium) thickens and the ovaries release an egg that can be fertilized by sperm.

If the egg is not fertilized, it means that the pregnancy has not occurred. In this case, the body sheds the thickened uterine epithelium. This causes bleeding, which is called menstruation or menstruation.

Most women have their first period between the ages of 11 and 14 and continue regularly throughout their reproductive years, up to menopause, which on average occurs around age 50.

The average menstrual cycle is about 28 days. This means that between the first day of menstruation and the first day of the next, about 28 days pass.

However, not all women have a cycle of exactly that many days, it can be from 21 to 35 days and can vary from month to month. The difference up to a week in the length of the cycle in the vast majority of cases is not a sign of pathological processes in the body and is considered a kind of norm.

The duration of menstruation is also different for different women and can vary from month to month. Usually it is 2-7 days. Most often, in the first days of the cycle, bleeding is stronger and weakens over time, ending with spotting.

Intermenstrual bleeding

Intermenstrual bleeding is any vaginal bleeding that occurs between two periods (after the end of the cycle or before the expected period).

Usually this bleeding is either scanty dark brown spotting or slightly more profuse red.

Such bleeding may occur either from the uterus or from the cervix, vagina. Most often, more abundant spotting is associated with the uterus.

It is very important to understand the difference between menstruation and intermenstrual bleeding.

Menstruation—heavier bleeding that can soak a pad or tampon completely
Intermenstrual vaginal bleeding is scanty, not enough to soak a pad. Such bleeding is usually called spotting.

Of course, this division is rather arbitrary, because for many women in the last days of the cycle, bleeding becomes spotting, so do not worry if such bleeding occurs in the period about a couple of days before or after the start of menstruation - they should be considered part of the menstruation . However, such highlights should also be noted. To do this, you can use a regular calendar or our special application.

Most women experience this type of discharge between periods at least once in their lives.

Vaginal bleeding between periods can have many causes, most of which are harmless, but can sometimes be associated with serious problems that require medical attention. If you notice unusual spotting between cycles, it's worth visiting your doctor to determine the cause.

Hormonal changes

The menstrual cycle is regulated by the hormones progesterone and estrogen. A change in their level can cause intermenstrual bleeding. The level of these hormones during the cycle is not constant and can additionally change for a variety of reasons:

- taking hormonal oral contraceptives and emergency contraception
- ovarian dysfunction
- thyroid dysfunction

Many women experience minor bleeding during ovulation due to the rupture of the follicle and the release of the egg from the ovary. They are absolutely normal. Ovulation usually occurs around day 14 of the cycle, and bleeding usually does not last longer than a couple of hours.

It is also normal to bleed a little during the first few months of taking oral contraceptives (OCs). Try to take your pills at the same time each day, this can help as even a few hours difference can cause your hormone levels to fluctuate. If such bleeding does not go away after 3 months after the start of the intake, then you should consult a doctor.

Infections

Infections of the reproductive system can cause intervaginal bleeding and inflammation.

Causes of infection can be:

- vaginal douching
- sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia
- consequences of trauma after penetrative sex
- pelvic inflammatory disease

Pregnancy

Approximately 25% of women in the early stages of pregnancy (at 5-8 weeks, that is, after 1-4 weeks of the expected date of the onset of menstruation) have spotting, which does not affect its further development and is normal. Also, sometimes a little bleeding can occur for 5-7 days after fertilization. Usually such discharge is light brown or pink.

But since any bloody discharge during this period can be symptoms of potentially dangerous conditions not only for the fetus, but also for the woman, in this case it is necessary to consult a doctor immediately, and if the bleeding is severe, then call an ambulance.

Such bleeding may also be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy, which can lead to death if left untreated.

Injury or injury

If the tissues of the vagina are damaged or there is a wound on them, this can cause bleeding. Most often, women get such injuries during penetrative sex. The chances that this can happen are especially high if the vagina is dry, so if you feel uncomfortable during sex, you need to ask your partner to stop and use additional lubricant next time. Vaginal dryness can be caused by a number of reasons: changes in hormone levels, lack of arousal, or even diabetes.

Other diseases and health conditions

Unfortunately, although in most cases intermenstrual bleeding is not a cause for concern and is associated with quite common causes (eg ovulation), sometimes it can be a symptom of other health conditions that require medical attention. This symptom is typical for: polycystic ovaries, polyps and fibroids, as well as for some types of cancer (cervix and uterus). Please remember that in order to monitor these conditions, it is necessary to take a Pap test at the gynecologist every 3 years.

It is very important to keep track of the length and characteristics of your cycle, including the spotting that occurs between them. Usually, such discharge between periods is not a cause for concern and does not require medical intervention and immediate medical attention, but if they are repeated for several cycles and are not associated with ovulation, you still need to go to the gynecologist to clarify the reason.

Seek immediate medical attention if:
- You are pregnant or suspect that you may be pregnant
- If bleeding is heavy and accompanied by other symptoms (nausea, dizziness, severe pain) and is not early onset of menstruation

Monthly one week after the end of the previous ones.

09 2012, 17:38

09 December 2012, 17:41

09 December 2012, 18:17

9000 #3

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09 2012, 19:26

09 December 2012, December 09 December December 9 20:21

TANYA. K

I have been taking Yarina for 2 months now and I have symptoms similar to those during pregnancy. bleeding started even though my period should be 10 days later. Is it possible that I am pregnant?

If you have spotting because you interrupted the intake, consult the instructions, but rather see a doctor (on the question: drink more of them, and when you can be sure again. you won’t get pregnant, or stop drinking altogether , because you knocked everything down with a break). If you have now started using again, then use a condom. because because of your break, the pills are no longer effective.

December 25, 2012, 13:35

December 25, 2012, 13:51

irina

after giving birth, I have heavy bleeding for two months. for the same as a year and a half. and they come with big lumps. I'm worried what could it be?

December 25, 2012, 14:07

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February 19, 2013 10:30

#11

June 21, 2013, 20:42

#12 9000 9000 23 August 10, 2013 04:24

#14

September 17, 2013, 12:43

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anna

my period ended on 9 and 17 started again. passed one day or rather very smeared! and ended! what is this??? Help ....

October 11, 2013, 17:41

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January 14, 2014, 16:02

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Svetlana

Hello, please, I began to do on 09/26/2013 ended 31. 09.2013 and 10.10.2013 started again and very plentiful. I am 28 years old and I have never had such a period between periods is 21 days and the duration is 5-6 days. what could it be?