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An early period here and there usually isn’t cause for concern.
Everyone’s menstrual cycle is different. Your cycle starts on the first day of your current period and ends on the first day of your next period.
A typical cycle lasts anywhere from 21 to 39 days, so the number of days spent bleeding varies from person to person. Most people bleed for two to seven days.
If your cycle is frequently shorter than 21 days — leading you to bleed earlier than you normally do — it could be a sign of something underlying.
Puberty typically starts between ages eight and 13. It’s driven by chemicals in your body called reproductive hormones. These hormones will continue to affect your menstrual cycle throughout your child-bearing years.
In the first few years after you get your period, these hormones can be irregular. This means that the number of days between your periods may be shorter or longer than average.
Puberty can also cause:
- enlarged breast tissue
- hair to develop on the armpits and groin
- pimples
- moodiness.
Perimenopause is the transition into menopause. It typically begins in your mid to late forties and lasts about four years.
Your hormone levels fluctuate wildly during this time, and you may not ovulate every month. This can cause irregular periods, so you may menstruate sooner or later than usual.
Perimenopause can also cause:
- periods to be lighter or heavier than normal.
- missed periods.
- vaginal dryness.
- hot flashes.
- difficulty sleeping.
- irritability.
Intense exercise can cause irregular periods or cause your period to stop altogether. Often, this condition is associated with athletes who train for several hours daily. It’s most common in sports with weight constraints, like ballet and gymnastics.
Exercise only affects your periods when you burn way more calories than you eat. Without adequate energy, your body doesn’t produce the amount of reproductive hormones it needs to ovulate normally.
Early, irregular, or missed periods are often associated with major weight changes. Period irregularities often occur with rapid weight loss. This can happen with extreme dieting, gastric bypass surgery, or eating disorders.
When the body enters starvation mode, it reserves its energy for essential life functions, like breathing. Your body will stop producing reproductive hormones, which leads to period irregularities.
5. Stress.
Severe stress can disrupt your hormone levels, causing irregular periods. If you experience anxiety or have recently been through a traumatic event, this may throw your hormones out of whack.
Stress can also cause:
- unexplained weight gain or loss
- difficulty sleeping
- difficulty concentrating.
Changes in your normal routine can affect your hormones and cause your period to come early or late. For example, some research suggests that people who switch between day and night shifts, like nurses, often experience irregular periods. Switching time zones may have similar effects.
Researchers don’t know exactly why this happens, but it may be related to a disruption in your circadian rhythm. This may, in turn, disrupt the sleep hormone melatonin.
More research is needed to explore a connection between melatonin and reproductive hormones.
Taking blood thinners (anticoagulants) may prolong your period and cause heavy bleeding.
Anticoagulants are released naturally during your period to help thin the lining of your uterus, so it can flow out of the vagina. Taking anticoagulants may cause this process to happen faster and result in a heavier flow.
The hormones present in hormonal birth control directly affect ovulation and menstruation.
If you’re taking birth control pills, the timing of your next period will depend on when during your cycle you started taking the pills and whether you’re taking a week of placebos (reminder pills).
Other hormonal birth control options, like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the Depo-Provera shot, can cause menstrual irregularities for the first two or three months. Side effects include irregular periods or daily breakthrough bleeding.
As you adjust to hormonal birth control, you may also experience:
- cramping
- sore breasts
- headaches
- nausea.
Emergency contraception (EC) is used to reduce your risk for pregnancy after having unprotected sex. You can get an EC pill or have a copper IUD inserted as EC.
EC pills contain hormones that disrupt the normal ovulation process. This may lead to an early or late period. If you use EC pills routinely, your period may become irregular.
It isn’t uncommon for people to experience breakthrough bleeding after their doctor inserts an IUD. It takes your uterus a few months to get used to the IUD, during which time you may bleed daily or irregularly.
Copper IUDs can also cause:
- heavy periods
- severe menstrual cramps
- cramping or backaches.
10. Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea are quite commonTrusted Source. These bacterial infections typically don’t cause symptoms. When they do, they’re known to cause spotting between periods or blood-tinged discharge.
They may also cause:
- pain during sex
- pain or burning when peeing
- abdominal pain.
11. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS is a common conditionTrusted Source caused by a hormonal imbalance. It affects 1 in 10 femalesTrusted Source of child-bearing age.
Many people don’t know they have PCOS until they have difficulty becoming pregnant. It can also cause:
- irregular periods
- missed periods
- excessive facial or body hair
- acne
- weight gain
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines your uterus begins to grow outside of the uterus. It affects around 11 percentTrusted Source of females in the United States between the ages of 15 and 44.
In addition to unexpected bleeding, endometriosis can cause:
- severe menstrual cramps
- chronic lower back pain
- pain during or after sex.
13. Uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes.
When diabetes is undiagnosed or poorly managed, blood sugar levels are chronically higher than normal. One 2011 studyTrusted Source found that many people with type 2 diabetes had irregular periods in the years leading up to their diagnoses.
Diabetes can also cause:
- increased thirst
- increased need to urinate, especially at night
- slow healing.
- sudden weight loss.
females will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime.
Thyroid conditions cause your body to make more or less thyroid hormone than your body needs. This hormone is essential to several body functions, including your metabolism and menstrual cycle.
Your individual symptoms will depend on whether your thyroid is underactive or overactive. In addition to early menstruation, you may experience:
- periods that are light or heavier than usual
- a heart rate that’s faster or slower than usual
- difficulty sleeping
- unexpected weight loss or gain.
