Periods are a natural change in a female’s life that can significantly alter it. As females grow familiar with it, they learn how to cope with their mood swings and cramps. 


A period is set to occur once every month and accompanies a wave of hormones that can directly affect your daily life, work tone, and mood. There is a different definition of normal for periods because all women experiencing have unique symptoms to deal with. 


It can be light or heavy, depending on the individual’s body system. Based on proper research conducted by doctors over the years, a period comes when the uterus lining sheds through the cervix and vagina. 


A menstrual cycle can last from just two days to even ten long days. However, it is okay for your period to transition in some years. Therefore, in this article, we will look in detail at light periods, what to do if you are experiencing them, what to do if you aren’t someone who has light periods, and the causes and symptoms. 


It is essential to remember that either your period can be on time without any rising concerns or be quite unpredictable and cause problems.


Overview of Light Periods


Even though periods are bound to happen in every woman’s life, they vary from person to person, nature wise. So if one’s period is lighter or heavier this month, they won’t be the first to question it. 


In most cases, the period starts with light bleeding due to inevitable fluctuations and gets heavier as time goes on. The length of the days you bleed, or the day you begin your period can also change. 


It is essential to understand that such alterations are standard and shouldn’t cause your worry or concern. However, a light period isn’t always acceptable and could indicate an underlying medical health issue. 


It would help if you stayed till the end of this article to discover the causes, symptoms, and what can be done to cope with lighter periods. 


Causes of Light Periods 


This may come across as a shock, but there are countless reasons why one could be going through light periods. Some of these causes are explained in detail down below. 


Stress 


According to the research conducted by various professionals and doctors, if you are currently going through a stressful and challenging time, then it might impact your menstrual cycle. 


Stress overall isn’t suitable for your body, and thus, any stress can harm the process of your cycle. Stress due to an extreme load of work, relationship issues, or the daily nagging at home can contribute to it. 


One can go through light periods due to extreme working out and changing your eating habits. You’re most likely to get lighter periods if you have been working out consistently but are eating way too little. 


Age  


Your periods can be lengthy or accompanied by a heavy flow if you are in your early teenage years. This is because the process is foreign and takes time to adjust. 


On the other hand, if you cross the age of 45 or 50, your body is entering menopause. During menopause, you may experience irregular periods that would resemble a lighter period. 


Such occurrences happen due to the imbalance of hormones during menopause or at the beginning when you are undergoing your first period.

 

Diet and Body Weight 


The amount of body fat and your diet can directly influence your menstrual cycle. If you are highly underweight, you experience irregular periods due to the hormones not working correctly. 


In addition to that, losing and gaining a lot of weight can also contribute to the irregularities in your cycle. 


Pregnancy 


Most people think that it is impossible to get your period or have any spots while a woman is pregnant. However, this isn’t always what happens. 


While being pregnant, the bleeding that happens in the early stage of pregnancy isn’t a period, but it can occur during that same time. It is usually caused due to implantation bleeding. 


Implantation bleeding can be referred to as spotting or light periods. This light amount of bleeding happens post-pregnancy around the 10th to 14th mark after the fertilisation process. This is characterised as expected and doesn’t require medical attention.


More reasons for having light periods could be; hormonal disturbances, side effects of specific medication, breastfeeding, etc. 


Symptoms of Light Periods 


It’s not hard to keep track of some quite noticeable symptoms that will easily give the fact away that you are going through light periods.


The following points will help you identify the problem yourself:


  • Bleeding for fewer than two days. 
  • Not bleeding heavier than mere spotting.
  • Missing one or more than one regular flow. 

You could undergo such an unusual period due to some changes. Therefore, it could be something not problematic at all. However, you can still visit the hospital for peace of mind.  


Treatment of Light Periods 


Your light period could mean just a month’s happening. But, as discussed above, many factors can influence it. 


Once you meet your doctor, they might discuss all symptoms and then come up with a conclusion as to why you might be experiencing lighter periods. 


It is also possible that your doctor might recommend some lifestyle changes and a few medications to overcome the problem you’re facing with your periods. 


Conclusion 


Looking towards the brighter side, lighter periods are usually not a sign to worry about. However, some women have periods that last only 2-3 days. 


If you observe that you have missed a period or are going through light periods, you might want to take a pregnancy test to be double sure. But, again, your part plays an essential role as you must keep track of the changes, symptoms, and light periods to get a proper analysis of the situation by your doctor. 


It is essential to track and keep a true history because it could be the reason for an underlying medical issue related to your lighter periods. Thus, meet your doctor and get to the root of your problem.