A normal monthly menstruation usually occurs on 1st to 7th day in a 28 day cycle, yet not everyone receives a regular period every month. Many women are often surprised with an early period that can sometimes cause confusion.
Periods that arrive early or late may be due to hormonal imbalances, and should be checked out if this occurs on a regular basis.
While irregular periods are certainly inconvenient, they are fairly common among women and can be caused by a variety of conditions that affect normal bodily cycles of menstruation and ovulation.
Early menstrual periods can be the result of anything from lifestyle choices to hormonal imbalances. They may also be the result of a gynecologic health issue that needs to be addressed.
Here are some of the main reasons for getting your period earlier than anticipated:
1. Hormonal Imbalance
A shift in the balance of hormones is often the culprit of early period cycles. Using oral contraceptive such as birth control pills can cause the menstruation cycle to begin at an earlier time than usual, especially if you skip a pill or two, since the hormones produced by the body become disrupted by the artificial hormones in the pill.
Birth control pills are supposed to be taken on a daily basis at the same time each day. This allows your hormones to stay in a steady state and allow your periods to come on a regular basis.
If you skip a few pills or take your doses at varying times throughout the day, then you may have irregular periods. You may also experience effects of abnormal bleeding after you stop taking the pill.
Other forms of contraceptives, such as IUDs, can also cause an imbalance of hormones that can affect your period and change your ovulation cycle.
IUDs come in hormonal and non-hormonal forms. If you decide on an IUD that does release hormones, then you may initially have irregular periods until your body adjusts to the IUD.
Hormonal disorders, which can result from diseases such as endometriosis, can also be a reason for period irregularity and should be checked.
Signs and symptoms of endometriosis include nausea, vomiting with painful periods (dysmenorrhea), pain during bowel movements (dyschezia) or urination, excessive menstrual bleeding, rectal bleeding, pain during intercourse (dyspareunia) [1].
2. Psychological effects
Stress is a common factor in the case of irregular periods, and dealing with psychological anxieties can have an effect on the body’s normal functioning.
Dealing with extra stress and anxiety can trigger chemical/hormonal responses and disrupt the normal body systems that regulate ovulation and menstruation.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, can decrease the production of estrogen and progesterone in the body resulting in abnormal ovulation, anovulation, or amenorrhea [2].
If you are feeling stressed out, then your body will produce more cortisol, which can disrupt your hormonal balance.
While stress and anxiety often cause late periods as well, it can disrupt the hypothalamus-pituitary axis (HPA) to make your period come earlier than expected.
With added stress, you may experience early or late periods, or a mixture of both if the stressor continues for months at a time.
3. Gynecologic conditions
Some gynecologic conditions can cause early menstruation, as well as bleeding in between periods.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition in which multiple cysts develop in ovaries leading to hormonal imbalance (higher levels of androgens and luteinizing hormone than FSH) in the body. Because of this reason, the follicles fail to mature causing anovulatory cycle and consequently irregular bleeding [3].
Endometriosis can also cause early periods as well as very painful menstrual bleeding.
4. Implantation bleeding
Sometimes, what you may think is your period coming early may not be your period at all. Many people mistake implantation bleeding for their period, and so the abnormal bleeding you are experiencing could be a sign of early pregnancy if you are sexually active.
Implantation bleeding happens when an embryo is implanted into the uterine cavity, causing some abnormal bleeding before your actual period begins.
If you are trying to get pregnant, or have had unprotected sex, then this spotting could point to pregnancy and not be an actual period.
5. Lifestyle choices
Factors related to your life, including diet and exercise, can have a great effect on the regularity of your period.
Excessive and strenuous exercise can disrupt your body’s menstrual system and result in an earlier period, or cause you to lose your period all together.
What you eat also has an effect on whether your period comes early or late, and how bad it is. Excessive weight gain and loss cause fluctuating hormone levels that can result in an early period.
Excessive weight gain can cause hormone levels to rise since adipocytes, or fat cells, can contribute to estrogen excess. If you have gained excessive weight very quickly, then you may experience period irregularities.
6. Menopause and puberty
Going through menopause causes the hormone levels to fluctuate within the body, which can result in irregular period cycles that can start as early as 10 years before menopause actually begins.
Since menopause results in the ceasing of the ovulation cycle in a woman, as a woman approaches menopausal age, their period may become more sporadic.
On the other hand, it is normal for teens to experience irregular periods as their body adjust to rise in female hormones after menarche, and so early periods are quite common during this time.
In order to better regulate your menstrual period, you can change up your lifestyle routine to get your cycle back on track.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding any dramatic weight changes can regulate your hormone levels and regulate your period.
Image: Pixabay
References
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1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354656
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167876017302696
3. https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-women-with-pcos-have-irregular-periods-2616650
Hi … I had sex with my boyfriend in the morning and in the evening I got my periods , which remained for about 4 days (normal). But after then I got 15 days early period (huge blood flow and clots). Is there any chance to be pregnant
Hello Anjali, please take PT 7 days after missed period to determine this.
Hello .. My menstruation comes 7 day earlier than the regular day .. What is that means? Please reply thanks . 🙂
Hi there Jennifer, please read link below:https://womanjunction.com/top-reasons-for-getting-your-period-earlier-than-usual/
Hi i am kylie little i got my periods today they come and go i had them for 4weeks i dont know why am I pregnant
Hello Kylie, your period should never last for 4 weeks. Please read: https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
I am not due for my period for About another 2 weeks but I got it today.
I have never had sex but do toy myself
Could I be pregnant????
Hello Daisy, no once you did not have unprotected sex you cannot be pregnant.
Hi my wife periods come before 3 days of actual time .before period she feels like vomiting and after that periods comes only 2 days and light so is any problem .please assure me
Hello Sanjay, was this always the norm for your wife? This happens to many women around the time of their cycle.
Hi,
Since i got my first period it’s usually every time late i mean every month my periods get delayed for 4 or 5 days but since 4 months am getting early periods 1 or 2 days before the date . what does it means? Am trying to conceive.. Does it effect on pregnancy already i had late pregnancy now my child is 2 year old.. Am really confused..
Hello there Xyz, if your period is up to 7 days late take a pregnancy test. Please also read the link below: https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
Hello ,my name is Elm i always get a normal period but this month it started on the 14th yet i usually go on the 17th every month ,am worried?!!
Hi there Xabisa, please see link below to read more on irregular periods: https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
Hi im Samke im very worried about my menstrual cycle. Last month it was supposed to be da 12th but it came on the 7th what should be the cause of this? This also happened in july when I always tot my date was the 10th but it changed to the 12th. Im really worried plz help
Hi there Samke, please see link below on why this might be happening: https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
Hi
I usually have a 30 days cycle. My periods were pretty regular, they hit me on the same date each month (that’s 15th of every month) but the last month i had it on 13th. However i suddenly start bleeding a week early (8th of this month) with mild cramps this time. I and my husband are planning for the baby. Is it something to worry about?
Hi there Meno, this might or might not be something to worry about. Within the time your period is suppose to come back if it doesn’t then take a pregnancy test after 7 days. All the best.
Hello, I had protected sex and a week or two after I saw brownish discharge on my panties in the morning and then my period came 5 days early with pregnancy symptoms and since then I’ve not been myself. Feeling tired, yawning and the heartburn is killing me, although I took a test two days after my period and it was negative. I just can’t help but wonder if I’m pregnant or just driving myself crazy
Hello Arya, for the most accurate results pregnancy test should be taken 7 days after missed period.
Hello my name is Tina and I use get my period on the first of every month and it usually last 5 days but, it came really early, instead of September 1 it came August 29, and I’m really scared that’s never happened to me. My periods are usually consistent and my cycle has never changed what’s going on.
Hello Tina, this is a slight change and might have been due to disruptions in your life: stress, hormonal fluctuations, etc.
Hi my name is Gabrielle and I usually have a normal 28 day cycle . This month I was supposed to come on the 27th but it came on the 24th and it was lighter than usual but the cramping was worst. I was expecting to see spotting or something on the 27th but nothing was there. Not to mention it only stayed on for 2 days.
Hi there Gabrielle, this could have simply been due to stress or hormonal change. If this continue then please write us back. All the best.
Hello, so I got off depo about 1 year 5 months ago. The first three months was very heavy and lasted 7 days. Since then it has shortened to normal flow and last 5 days. Which is what it was before my 7 years on depo. My period came on July 29 and ended Aug 2. Now my period was supposed to come Aug 29 but came on the 24th and ended 26th. It was pretty light. I also had sore nipples the whole week before it came which is not normal at all i have never had sore breast unless preg. Please help.
Hi there Albany, this seems to be typical symptoms of an irregular period.
Hi my name is Demetria i have had my cycle very consistent over the years my days are always the same but this month it came on a week early with a lot of cramps a little bleeding my cycle wasn’t heavy and usually its heavy but this time it was very light and a little clotting I barely clot so it scared me can u help me whats going on?
Hi Demetria, please see link to read more on Reasons for Clotting during a Cycle: https://womanjunction.com/reasons-blood-clots-menstrual-cycle/
Hello,
It has been a year now since I gave birth, we are now trying to get pregnant and I have been tracking my menstrual periods and I have now noticed my period has been coming earlier than expected, 1st month 12 days early, 2nd month 6 days early and the menstraul flow has lasted 7 days each time with very heavy bleeding and with blood clots, may you please provide some insight, thank you.
Hi there Carolina, what you are experiencing now seems to be irregular periods, see the following link to learn more:
https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
Hi my name is Shakira and I had my period last month but I spotted 7 days before my actual period and this month and came on 6 days early. My breast has been sore for about 5 days now and my stomach been hurting for like a week now I had a headache for 2 days wats going on can you help me?
Hello Shakarra, are these symptoms being currently experienced with your period?
Yes it is. I been bleeding heavy since my day one of my period. And I’m still having these real bad cramps that won’t go away. What should I do
Hello Shakarra, please see your doctor ASAP for thorough assessment.