Is it normal to 2 periods in one month

Having too much thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism. It's most often associated with less frequent or missed periods, or even the absence of periods.

Uterine polyps , also called endometrial polyps, are soft growths in the endometrium. They can range from sesame-seed sized to larger than a golf ball and are not usually cancerous. Uterine polyps become more common with age and are rare in anyone under You may develop one or many. Uterine fibroids are another type of non-cancerous growth on the uterus, but they develop from the muscle tissue rather than the endometrium.

They may be inside or outside of the uterus and, as with polyps, you can have one or several. Both polyps and fibroids can cause menstrual irregularities, including more frequent periods, longer and heavier periods, and bleeding between periods.

They can also interfere with your fertility and cause miscarriage. Other symptoms of uterine polyps include:. Other symptoms of uterine fibroids include:. Treatments for polyps and fibroids range from hormonal therapies and symptom management to surgical removal of the growths or, in more serious cases, hysterectomy.

Birth control pills suppress your normal menstrual cycle with hormones that prevent ovulation. The pills usually come in a three-week supply followed by a week of placebos pills that don't contain hormones , and the lack of hormones during the placebo week is what makes you have a period. When you go off of the pill, or even miss just a pill or two, your body may react like it does during the placebo week and start shedding the uterine lining. This can happen even if it hasn't been very long since your last period.

A similar process happens if you make a mistake with a birth control patch or ring. The proper way to resume your birth control after missing one or more doses varies by type, so be sure to read the information that comes with your contraceptive or ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist what to do.

And don't forget that you may need a backup method of contraception or emergency contraception to avoid an unintended pregnancy. Sometimes, normal vaginal bacteria or sexually transmitted infections, especially chlamydia and gonorrhea , can move from the vagina up to the uterus and cause pelvic inflammatory disease PID. The risk of this is higher during your period and when your cervix is open, such as if you've recently had a baby, miscarriage, abortion, or IUD placement.

PID can cause irregular menstrual cycles or spotting and cramping between periods. Other symptoms include:. Repeated bouts of PID can cause scarring on the fallopian tubes that can lead to chronic pelvic pain , ectopic pregnancy , and infertility.

Antibiotics can clear up the infection but can't get rid of the damage it does to your reproductive organs, so it's important to get prompt treatment. Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, which can cause fatigue and weakness.

If you experience these symptoms during or after a heavy period, see your healthcare provider to have your iron levels checked. Cancers of the reproductive organs can disrupt your hormones and menstrual cycle. While most menstrual irregularities aren't a sign of cancer, they can be. This makes it important for you to see your healthcare provider any time your menstrual cycle changes without a clear reason, such as missing a few birth control pills. While cervical and ovarian cancers are tied to menstrual irregularities, they're generally associated with long and heavy periods and less associated with more frequent periods.

Uterine cancer can cause you to have periods more often. Two types of cancer are possible in your uterus:. Either type of cancer can cause more frequent periods that may be very long and heavy, especially if you're over They can also cause bleeding between periods and spotting or bleeding after menopause. Treatments for uterine cancer depend on the type you have and how healthy you are. They may include:. Weight gain and obesity can affect the frequency of your period in a couple of ways.

Rapid weight gain can throw your cycle off because it affects the hypothalamus , which is a part of your brain that regulates hormones. That can lead to hormonal fluctuations that may include more- or less-frequent periods. Obesity has a complex relationship with menstruation. High levels of fat, also called adipose tissue, can upset the balance of sex hormones and lead to excess estrogen, which can make you have short menstrual cycles and more periods.

It also can cause heavier bleeding, more cramps, and more prolonged pain during your period. These problems are most pronounced when the adipose tissue is concentrated around the abdomen. Losing weight, or maintaining a healthy weight, can help keep your menstrual cycle regular.

If you need help losing weight, talk to your healthcare provider about what options you have. Being overweight may increase your risk of polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , which can prevent ovulation and cause infrequent periods that tend to be longer than usual.

Changes in your day-to-day routine may have an impact on your menstrual cycle and lead to having more periods, including:. All of these factors put the body under stress, which throws off the hypothalamus and leads to the release of excess cortisol a stress hormone. All that cortisol causes changes to your hormone regulation that can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and either more or fewer periods. Typically, a return to your normal routine will get your cycle back on track.

If it keeps being irregular, talk to your healthcare provider. Vitamin C, ginger, and turmeric have all been touted as having qualities that will induce a period. However, there is no scientific research proving that these or other natural substances can bring on menstruation.

Good nutrition, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you avoid menstrual irregularities, though, so you can better predict when your period will occur. You may not ovulate if you have short menstrual cycles and get your period more than once in a month. According to some research, if your cycle is fewer than 25 days, ovulation may not occur every time.

Known as implantation bleeding , this blood flow is usually much lighter than your normal period. With so many factors influencing your menstrual cycle, it's likely that you'll experience some menstrual irregularities during your lifetime.

You shouldn't assume the worst every time things are off by a few days, but you should let your healthcare provider know about any menstrual irregularities you have. Catching a problem early can prevent it from having a much bigger impact on your health and your life. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.

Cleveland Clinic. Normal menstruation. Updated August 25, TeensHealth from Nemours. Irregular periods. What are the common treatments for menstrual irregularities?

Updated January 31, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Perimenopausal bleeding and bleeding after menopause. Updated October Menopause, perimenopause and postmenopause. Updated December 24, Delamater L, Santoro N. Management of the perimenopause. This is true in both underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism and overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism. According to the U. Both conditions are treatable, so people should see a doctor if they think they may have a thyroid condition.

Uterine fibroids are growths that occur in the uterus. Fibroids are usually not cancerous but can cause bleeding, especially heavy menstrual bleeding. While doctors do not know what causes uterine fibroids to develop, they do know that they tend to run in families, and changes in hormone levels can affect them. Doctors can often diagnose the condition by conducting a pelvic examination or performing imaging studies, such as an ultrasound.

People should also speak to a doctor about heavy bleeding, such as passing blood clots that are the size of a quarter or larger or bleeding through one or more pads or tampons every hour. Having too many periods can also result in blood loss that leads to anemia or low blood counts, so it is essential to seek medical advice. If a person frequently has two periods in one month, this may indicate an underlying medical condition that could benefit from treatment.

Menorrhagia refers to heavy, prolonged menstrual periods that disrupt normal activities. It is extremely common, affecting over 10 million women in…. A late menstrual period can be worrisome, especially when periods are usually regular and unexpected pregnancy is a concern.

However, other factors…. For many, it can be hard to distinguish between spotting and periods. Spotting is quite common and is usually no cause for concern.

It may just…. Vaginal bleeding between periods is a common experience with many possible causes. While fibroids can affect women of any age or race, Black women are about three times more likely to develop them compared to white women, and their symptoms tend to emerge at an earlier age with greater severity.

Head to your ob-gyn for an ultrasound, a uterine biopsy, or a hysteroscopy a scope that looks into the uterus. Hormonal medications such as progestins sometimes in the form of an IUD and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists may lessen symptoms of polyps and shrink uterine fibroids. Sometimes, surgery or other medical procedures might be necessary to remove the growths. Vaginal and cervical infections are incredibly annoying for a number of reasons, not least of all that they can cause bleeding outside of your period.

Check in with your doctor ASAP; these infections can be quickly and effectively treated, usually with antibiotics. An underactive or overactive thyroid gland can cause your period to come twice in one month. If you have hyperthyroidism where your thyroid produces too much of the thyroxine hormone , you may also lose weight unexpectedly, feel nervous or anxious, have a rapid heartbeat, or have trouble sleeping. Hypothyroidism too little thyroxine hormone can cause weight gain, constipation, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to cold, among other symptoms.

Your risk of developing a thyroid disease could vary by race, potentially due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. According to a study in JAMA , Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder often at the root of hyperthyroidism, is more common in Black, Asian, and Pacific Islander women compared to white women. This is diagnosed with a blood test and typically treated with medication. Hypothyroidism drugs restore your levels to a normal level so symptoms should disappear and you start feeling better soon.

Hyperthyroidism medications can clear up symptoms within a few weeks by keeping your thyroid from overproducing hormones. Most of the time this treatment permanently fixes the issue, although sometimes you may need surgery. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormone imbalance that affects between 8 and 20 percent of women, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Dweck explains. While PCOS causes irregular periods, many women actually experience less frequent or skipped periods. Other commonly associated symptoms include acne, difficulty maintaining weight, hair growth in places typical to men like the upper lip or chin , and fertility issues, she says.

As WH has previously reported , PCOS doesn't seem to be more prevalent in any one racial or ethnic group, but your symptoms could differ. For example, Latinx people tend to develop more severe PCOS symptoms like acne, hair loss on the scalp, and unwanted hair growth elsewhere. Black individuals with PCOS may be at an increased risk of developing heart disease.

On top of this, systemic racism and implicit bias create barriers to proper diagnosis and treatment: BIPOC might not be able to access quality health care for an exam, and medical providers may not take their symptoms as seriously as those of white women.

If you think there's a chance you have PCOS, schedule an appointment with your doc to be evaluated with a pelvic exam, ultrasound and blood test. And since PCOS symptoms are often linked to weight gain, your practitioner may suggest lifestyle changes to help you lose weight.