However essential the monthlies are to procreation and female health in general, having them is always a pain.
As women, most of us have a love-hate relationship with our periods. We love it when they happen on time and are neither late nor early, and do not cause us too much of discomfort or hormonal hullabaloo; but still hate having them in general.
And while a late period could put us into panic if we are sexually active and practicing birth control (pregnancy scare!), having your period a week early is just as bad. If you have had a regular cycle up until now, it’s usually a tad alarming too. Here’s all that could be behind you getting your period a week early…
Hate Getting Period a Week Earlier?
Having a sudden early onset of periods can be quite the pain, literally and figuratively for it ruins so much. Be it that weekend you were planning with your significant other, or a quick vacation, or even that all-important job interview/presentation you had planned to ace – unexpected periods can put a spanner in your works, literally and figuratively.
Other than taking you unaware and causing embarrassing bleeds that show through your clothes, getting your period early also means that you need to figure out the hows and the whys behind it, instead of getting yourself all worked up.
How The Normal Period Cycle Works?
Not every woman’s period is the same, and normal periods tend to be a little different for everybody as well. Most girls will start their periods in their pre-teens or early teens, say 11-13. That said; it’s fairly normal for a girl to start having her period anywhere from eight years old to say about 15.
A period cycle is counted from the first day of a period to the first day of the next period, mostly this is 28 days, especially if you are on the pill and regulated by it.
However for adult women, normal cycles can range from 21 to 35 days while for teens this could 21 to 45 days as well. [1]. The actual menstrual flow aka your period could vary as well and the bleeding could be as little as two to three days or as much as a whole week.
Mostly though, within three years of you starting your first period, your periods should have stabilized into a cycle you know is yours. And it may not be run of the mill “normal” to begin with.
Sometimes your cycle may also vary, be 27 days or sometimes 30 and another time you may get only a 24-day respite before you start with your menses again. This is still normal [2]…
When Should I See A Doctor About My Periods?
To heavy or too light a flow, a debilitating pain during the period and sudden irregular cycles after years of having normal ones are times you should head to the doc about your periods to rule out any hormonal or health issues.
Also if your period skips a month or two and you are not pregnant, if you feel sick after tampon use or even the fact that you are 15 and still not had your period yet could all be cause to make an appointment.
Reasons For Getting Your Period A Week Early
So we have established that sometimes, getting your period a week early is basically no biggie. There are so many different reasons for getting an early period, including harmless ones like a change in diet or physical exercise, stress, weight, sleep or any other little or big change in your routine.
Face it, the human body is a weird thing indeed, with plenty more weirdness that science is still at a loss to understand. If you have been through any changes in life, and your period comes early, be happy that your body is well and responding to that external stimuli. It really is no big deal.
Reason 1: You Are Stressed
Stress tends to affect periods in weird ways. Too much of it can throw your body out of whack and cause stress hormones to rise, which in turn affects the pituitary gland that in turn affects the ovaries – causing early periods, late periods and even missed periods [3]…
If you have got your period a week early, see if there is anything in your life stressing you out, and then try to make positive changes around it to regularize your menstrual cycle [4]
Reason 2: You Have Lost Or Gained Weight
How much you weigh can affect your periods in myriad ways. Simply because how much you weight affects hormone production and so in turn changes your cycle for good, or bad.
A sudden weight loss brought on by too much of dieting, a hardcore exercise routine or even an illness can cause your till now normal cycle to shrug off its responsibility and go haywire.
Similarly, a serious weight gain, which in turn could also be a sign of hormonal imbalance to begin with, can throw your menstrual cycle out of gear and cause you to get your period a week early, or even a week late [5].
To regularise your period, stay within healthy weight parameters and eat balanced meals.
Reason 3: You Have Started Or Stopped Birth Control
Be it those tiny pills, that IUD or any other birth control mechanism, these things try to regulate your cycle through hormones and may temporarily cause a hormonal imbalance in your body, before it all simmers down to normalcy (and in the case of pills, lighter periods that are like clockwork!).
Starting or stopping birth control can cause your periods to misbehave and come early, late or skip a time entirely [6].
Reason 4: There Has Been A Change, Any Change
So while things like these are completely unrelated to your periods (or so you may think), sometimes just a change in your lifestyle can bring about a change in your period, causing you to get your period a week early, a week late or mayhaps none at all.
Pregnancy can bring about spotting (and sometimes, unfortunately, a miscarriage as well) and you may mistake this for an early period, especially if you are unaware about you being pregnant.
You might have popped a morning after pill (Oh my god I forgot my birth control). Or you may have started a diet, or stopped one, or just hiked yourself silly, or moved cities… You may suddenly be having an active sex life, or broken up with the love of your life, breaking your heart in the process.
Many an extrinsic factor can affect your period, and frankly, it is okay that your body is aware of these changes and accordingly responds to it [7]
Reason 5: You May Have An STI/STD
So in case you were bit adventurous in the sack with the wrong kind of guy, you may have landed up with an STI – and sometimes STIs remain sneakily inconspicuous with the only symptom being bleeding between periods, which you may mistake for an early period.
However if your “early period” has a way lighter than normal flow, its time you think about your bedroom activities and head to the doctor [8].
Reason 6: You Have Pre-Existing Gynecological Issues
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, uterine fibroids, endometriosis (abnormally heavy endometrium) and or any other uterine or ovarian issue, irregular periods may just be part and parcel of your life.
If you have not yet been diagnosed but have faced irregular periods for long, its time you did go and get yourself checked to rule out any minor or serious underlying health issues that may be causing those irregular periods [9].
So that’s it, the reasons behind you getting an early period can be something as simple as stress, or as serious as an STI/STD. Remember to rethink all that has happened to you before making any snap judgments and feel free to visit the doctor in case you feel that something is up… The key is not to panic and find out the underlying cause, so that you can make positive changes around it.
