Menstrual problems: what should normal menstruation be like? How many days does your period last? Menstrual irregularities

Menstruation is a mirror of a woman’s health; cycle irregularities are often the first symptom of the disease. It would seem that if all women encounter it, then everything is known about it, but questions often arise about what is normal and what is not, what can be ignored, and when treatment is necessary.

The menstrual cycle occurs due to cyclical changes in the ovaries and uterus, which are caused by cyclic hormonal changes. The regulation of the cycle is quite complex; it involves not only the genital organs, but also almost all hormone-producing glands of the body, as well as the central nervous system (brain).

The first menstruation (menarche) appears at the age of 11-15 years. An earlier or later onset of menstruation is a sign of a girl’s puberty disorder.

In the first 2 years, the formation of the menstrual cycle occurs, so during this period the cycle may be irregular.

Menstruation ends at the age of 45-55 years. During this period, periods may also be irregular, with a tendency to slow down. The last menstruation is called "menopause".

Duration

Cycle length is measured from the first day of menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation. On average it is 28 days. However, a cycle of 21 to 35 days is considered normal (provided that the cycle is regular).

The duration of normal menstruation is 3-7 days.

Abundant Menstruation is considered when more than 80 ml of blood is lost per day. Conventionally, more than 4 pads per day are required (conditionally because most women, regardless of the volume of discharge, change pads every three hours). Usually, with heavy menstruation, the discharge comes with clots. With heavy menstruation, it is advisable to monitor hemoglobin levels, as they can lead to anemia.

When using an IUD, menstruation is usually more abundant, however, its duration should not exceed 7 days. When using oral contraceptives and the Mirena IUD, menstrual blood loss decreases.

Regularity

Normally, the duration of the cycle is constant, fluctuations within 2-3 days in one direction or another are acceptable. Irregularity of the cycle indicates a hormonal imbalance and the fact that ovulation is either absent altogether or does not occur in every cycle.

Under the influence of certain factors (the onset of sexual activity, stress, illness, weather, weight loss or gain, overwork), the cycle may “go astray”, that is, menstruation either comes earlier or is delayed. Such failures 1-2 times a year are acceptable for every woman (if the cycle deviates by no more than 10 days), provided that the next menstruation arrives on time and the cycle becomes regular again. Otherwise, you need to consult a doctor, since if the cycle is not restored, this may indicate that a negative factor has caused a hormonal imbalance in the body.

Phases of the menstrual cycle

Two phases can be distinguished:

1. Follicular phase - lasts from the first day of menstruation until ovulation. During this phase, follicles mature and the uterine lining (endometrium) grows.

2. Luteal phase (corpus luteum phase) - from ovulation to the onset of menstruation. During this phase, the corpus luteum blooms in the ovaries, secreting the hormone progesterone, and preparations for the attachment of the embryo occur in the endometrium.

The duration of the first phase may vary. The duration of the second phase is constant and is 12-16, on average 14 days.

If pregnancy does not occur, degradation of the corpus luteum in the ovaries and rejection of the uterine mucosa occurs. Endometrial particles are mixed with blood and form menstrual flow.

Unpleasant sensations

Most often, women complain of pain during menstruation. However, many women believe that pain during menstruation is normal. This is not entirely true. During menstruation, only mild pain can be considered normal. Severe pain may indicate certain disorders, so you should not endure it heroically, you need to seek medical help.

Before menstruation, symptoms such as engorgement of the mammary glands, slight pulling sensations in the lower abdomen, and mood changes may appear. Typically, such phenomena occur during ovulatory cycles. However, pronounced premenstrual syndrome, which disrupts a woman’s quality of life, cannot be ignored. This condition requires correction. You can read more about premenstrual syndrome in the article PMS - premenstrual syndrome - a disease or bad character?

Restoring the menstrual cycle...

After childbirth, if a woman is breastfeeding, the cycle may be irregular for the entire lactation period (even if the mother feeds only once a day). Menstruation may even be absent altogether. The presence or absence of menstruation does not affect the quality and quantity of milk in any way.

After stopping breastfeeding, or after childbirth, if the baby is immediately bottle-fed, the cycle should recover within 2-3 months.

After an abortion Menstruation usually comes through the cycle, that is, after an average of 28 days, but may be absent for up to 3 months, since the body may need some time to restore normal hormonal levels after an abortion.

When using birth control pills containing only gestagens (Charozetta, Exluton) or the Mirena IUD, there may be amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) for some time. This does not affect the woman’s health; the cycle is completely restored in the first 2-3 months after discontinuation of the contraceptive.

When using combined oral contraceptives, the cycle is regular, and premenstrual syndrome is usually absent. Intermenstrual spotting is acceptable in the first 3 months of use; if it continues further, you need to change the drug.

Postpound on later

Sometimes situations arise when menstruation needs to be postponed for several days. This can be done with the help of monophasic combined oral contraceptives (there are 21 tablets in a package, all containing the same doses of hormones). To do this, after the package runs out, without taking a break, immediately start a new package, and take pills from it for as many days as you need to delay menstruation. After stopping the drug, menstruation should begin within a few days. You should start taking the next package after 7 days, regardless of whether your menstrual flow has ended or not.

This method cannot be used more than 2 times a year. If you have just started taking oral contraceptives, the method may be ineffective, and on the days of your expected menstruation you will still experience spotting, so if you do not use this method of contraception regularly, you may not be able to postpone your menstruation “for later”. So you need to plan this step in advance, at least three months in advance.

Two- or three-phase contraceptives (Tri-regol, Tri-Mercy, Triquilar, Triziston) are not suitable for delaying menstruation.

Myths about menstruation

The myths that you cannot get pregnant during menstruation and that sexual desire decreases during menstruation were debunked in the article “Love and Blood.”

It’s also a myth that you can’t get pregnant if you don’t menstruate for a long time. Ovulation occurs 2 weeks before menstruation, and for some reason it can happen when it is not expected at all. Therefore, if pregnancy is undesirable, you still need to protect yourself.

The fact that the menstrual cycle depends on body weight is not a myth, but the truth. It can be disrupted both with overweight and with insufficient body weight, since adipose tissue is hormonally active, its amount affects the level of female sex hormones estrogen. With weight loss, menstruation stops if a woman 165 cm tall weighs less than 47 kg. With obesity, menstruation may also be absent, or, on the contrary, it may be excessively heavy, even bleeding.

It is also not a myth that stress and depression can lead to absence of periods. For example, the concept of “wartime amenorrhea” is widely known. This is explained by the fact that subjective changes in mood lead to objective changes in the level of biologically active substances in the body. If menstruation is absent precisely because of some psychological disorders, the help of a psychotherapist is necessary.

The onset of menstruation is an important event in a girl’s life. By the beginning of the first critical days, the child must be mentally prepared. Many modern girls who know how to use the Internet, long before the onset of menstruation, know what this physiological process is. However, this does not free mothers from the need to tell their daughters about what menstruation is, when girls' periods begin, how they proceed and what to watch out for.

Let's discuss all the important questions: what signs can you use to guess that menstruation is about to begin, how to maintain hygiene these days, and whether you need to visit a gynecologist.

A few decades ago, girls began menstruating at almost 18 years of age. Nowadays puberty comes earlier. The occurrence of the first menstruation at 11–16 years of age is considered normal. For some girls, their periods come earlier, and for some, later.

This depends on several factors:

diseases that were suffered in childhood;
heredity;
nutrition;
living conditions;
physical development.

In addition, if the grandmother and mother started their periods early, then the child will most likely do the same. If a girl is ahead of her peers in physical development, then her period will come earlier. Conversely, if the baby grows up weak and often gets sick, then she will probably lag behind in puberty. Menstruation will occur later due to poor nutrition, deficiency of vitamins and nutrients necessary for the growth and development of a young body.

There are cases where girls' first periods begin at 8–9 years old. Early sexual development can be caused by hormonal imbalance and heavy physical exertion. If menstruation has not begun by the age of 17, then this is a reason to visit a gynecologist. The reason for delayed sexual development may be insufficient functioning of the ovaries, emotional stress, nervous overload, problems with hormonal metabolism, disorders arising from the pituitary gland, grueling sports training, unfavorable environmental conditions, and dieting.

Signs preceding the first menstruation

Any mother who monitors the condition and health of her daughter can notice the signs that precede the onset of the first menstruation. It is from this moment that we need to begin preparing the child for a new period of life. About a couple of years before the onset of menstruation, a girl’s figure changes (breasts enlarge, hips become wider). Hair begins to grow under the arms and on the pubic area. In addition, girls' periods are preceded by acne on the face and back.

A few months before the first critical days girls notice traces of unusual discharge on their underwear. They may be transparent, yellowish or whitish without an unpleasant odor. All this is normal and does not indicate any disease. If you experience symptoms such as itching in an intimate place, a strange smell inherent in the discharge, then you should visit a specialist.

A few days before the start of menstruation A girl may exhibit signs of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which occur in adult women:

frequent mood swings, tearfulness;
apathetic or aggressive state;
headaches that occur for no reason;
nagging pain localized in the lower abdomen.

How is the first menstruation, and how to prepare the child?

The first signs of menstruation in girls - bloody issues . They can be moderate or very scanty. During the first menstruation, about 50–150 ml of blood leaves the body (depending on the individual characteristics of the girl and hereditary factors). On the very first day, a small amount of menstrual blood is lost. The most abundant discharge is observed on the second day. Then their volume gradually decreases. The duration of menstruation can range from 3 to 7 days.

The first time a girl's period may be accompanied by weakness, discomfort in the lower abdomen . They can also be observed during the next menstruation. These symptoms occur in most adult women, so there is no need to worry about them.

Menstruation has a characteristic smell. It is explained by the fact that during menstruation the mucous glands of the vulva actively function, producing secretions.

The first spotting and mild nagging pain can frighten the child. The mother’s task is to explain to her girl that menstruation is a normal physiological process that occurs in the body of every girl and adult woman. The conversation should be friendly, not didactic.

The mother should tell her daughter:

About the menstrual cycle. Critical days occur every month. It is imperative to say how long girls' periods last. It should also be noted that the average duration of the menstrual cycle is 28 days, but during the first two years it may fluctuate.
The need to follow hygiene rules. Blood is a very favorable environment for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. They can lead to the development of serious inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system.
About the risks of sexual relations. With the onset of menstruation, every girl enters childbearing age, and intimate relationships with the opposite sex can lead to pregnancy, which is extremely undesirable at this age. Childbirth can be harmful to both the new mother and her baby. That is why a girl should know about what promiscuity and unprotected sex can lead to.

Features of the menstrual cycle

In teenage girls, the menstrual cycle (the period from the first day of the previous menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation) is 21–35 days. However during the first two years, not everyone experiences it regularly. For some it fluctuates constantly. For example, one menstrual cycle may be 25 days and the next 32 days. This is normal. It does not indicate that the girl has any pathology. If you have any suspicions, you can visit a doctor. The specialist will tell you exactly whether this is normal or an illness.

It is worth noting that The intervals between menstruation can range from one and a half months to six months. Don't worry if your period doesn't come on time. At a young age, menstrual function is not yet fully formed. This is why some girls experience long breaks. If your period does not come after several months, then you need to seek help from a doctor. A long pause between the first and second periods in girls may indicate a serious malfunction in the young body.

With the onset of her first menstruation, your daughter should be taught to keep a calendar in which she can mark when her periods began and ended. This information may not be useful in the first 1–2 years from the start of your period, because at this time the menstrual cycle has not yet fully established itself. But then the calendar will come in handy when consulting with a specialist if the cycle remains irregular. Too short or long periods, a small or large gap between menstruation may be a sign of some disease.

Hygiene and diet during menstruation

Hygiene is an important issue that mothers should cover when teaching their daughters about menstruation. During menstruation, all girls and adult women use pads and tampons. For girls, pads are the most preferred. Tampons interfere with the natural flow of blood. Gaskets are much more convenient to use. It is best for girls to buy these intimate hygiene products with a cotton layer. Pads with a mesh coating (“plastic” layer) are less hygienic and cause sweating and irritation of delicate skin.

During menstruation, pads should be changed every 2-3 hours. The longer the pad is attached to your underwear, the less useful it will be (the number of bacteria will rapidly grow exponentially). If you do not replace the gasket for 6 or more hours, serious harm will be caused to your body. Infectious-toxic shock may develop - a condition that occurs as a result of the action of microorganisms and their toxins (body temperature rises, blood pressure decreases, confusion is observed, coma is possible).

What you need to know about using pads during menstruation in girls:

be sure to wash your hands before changing the gasket (dirty hands can transfer pathogenic microorganisms to a clean gasket);
do not use pads that have expired (the less time has passed since the manufacture of the intimate hygiene product, the higher the degree of protection it has);
do not use pads with aromatic fragrances (chemical components often provoke allergies and skin irritation);
do not save on buying sanitary pads (intimate hygiene products, sold at low prices, are often made from low-quality raw materials, which poses a danger to the girl’s health);
It is not recommended to store pads in the bathroom (a large amount of moisture is an ideal environment for the active growth of microbes that can penetrate intimate hygiene products).

Special attention should be paid to underwear. Girls should wear regular panties made from natural fabrics. Thongs are beautiful and sexy underwear that many teenage girls dream of, but wearing them is completely unhygienic. A narrow strip of thong can be called a kind of bridge for moving microorganisms between the anus and vagina. Intestinal microflora should not enter the genitourinary system, as it can provoke the development of inflammatory diseases.

The onset of menstruation in girls is not a reason to take a bath often. The most suitable option is daily shower . You also need to wash yourself at least 2-3 times during the day. It is not advisable to use soap. Gynecologists recommend using special intimate hygiene products (gels, mousses, etc.), which contain lactic acid. This component does not negatively affect microflora, unlike regular soap.

Preferably during the first and subsequent menstruation avoid physical activity . Sports activities will have to be postponed. It is allowed to perform light physical exercises and do recreational gymnastics. In addition, girls need psychological peace.

Another important point to pay attention to during menstruation is dieting . The word “diet” does not mean reducing the amount of food consumed, but rather revising the diet and removing spicy foods from it. Because of such food, there is a rush of blood to the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. This may lead to increased uterine bleeding. Alcoholic drinks are also contraindicated.

Different women experience their periods differently and this is due to a number of reasons. How long a girl’s period lasts on average is influenced by lifestyle, heredity, the structure of the uterus and the secretion of hormones.

How many days does the first period last?

Girls' first menstruation (menarche) is the main indicator of puberty, which normally occurs between 9 and 15 years of age. The duration of the first menstruation can vary dramatically and depends on the physiology of the body. On average, the first period lasts about 5 days and is most often quite scanty compared to subsequent periods. On the first day of menstruation, teenage girls may experience aching pain in the lower abdomen, nausea and dizziness. All this signals the establishment of a cycle and is the norm. If one of the symptoms becomes alarming, then a mandatory consultation with a doctor is necessary.

How to count the beginning of a cycle?

The period of time from the beginning of one menstruation to the next is called the menstrual cycle. The question of which day is considered the beginning of menstruation is quite simple to answer. The first day of bleeding is considered the beginning of the cycle, the last day before the start of a new menstruation is the last day of the cycle. Typically the cycle lasts from 28 to 35 days. To make it easier to control your cycle, you can create a menstrual calendar, in which you should mark the start and end dates of menstruation. To get the date of your next menstruation, you need to add the cycle duration to the end date of your period. If critical days have not occurred within 10 days from the start of the expected date, then this is considered a delay.

How many days should women have their periods?

Normally, menstruation lasts from 3 to 7 days, but it also happens that menstruation stretches for more than a week, or quickly ends before the due date. If these temporary deviations are accompanied by unbearable pain, nausea, vomiting and weakness, then this may indicate menstrual irregularities. Every woman simply needs to know how many days a normal period lasts in order to notice possible abnormalities and diseases in time. Cycle irregularities can signal a hormonal imbalance or prevent a desired pregnancy.

Long periods

If your period is one or two days longer than usual, and there are no other alarming signs, then most often there is no reason to worry. But you should definitely consult a doctor if your long periods are too heavy (you use more than one pad in 3 hours), if they are too painful or have clots.

Menstruation that lasts 2 weeks is considered very long and can occur due to:

side effects of installing an intrauterine device;
taking hormonal contraceptives;
hormonal imbalance during the first year after the onset of menstruation, after childbirth or during menopause;
thyroid diseases;
adenomyosis (disease in the muscular layer of the uterus);
endometrial polyps;
fibroids or uterine cancer.

Short periods

The short duration of the cycle should also alarm the girl, especially if a small amount of blood is released in the form of a “spot” or the discharge is different in color (light or dark brown). The reason why periods end quickly may be the following factors:

How long menstruation lasts normally is a topic that is important for every woman. This is a natural physiological process that the fair sex faces. And if everything is in order with the cycle, menstruation comes on time, it is believed that the development of the female body is normal, and the woman is capable of conceiving and bearing a baby.

One of the problems in the functioning of the reproductive system is. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Of course, if you have problems with menstruation, you should visit a doctor. But before that, it’s worth finding out what is normal and what is pathology.

If a woman knows about the norms of the menstrual cycle, then she will be able to understand in a timely manner that problems have arisen in the functioning of her body. The factor of individuality should also be taken into account, because how many days menstruation lasts depends on the individual organism.

It is believed that menstruation should last at least 3 days and no more than 7. This period is characterized by the following symptoms, in addition to bleeding:

general weakness and increased fatigue;
pulling character;
decreased performance.

If critical days fit this description, then everything is normal.

Menstrual days also happen differently for everyone. But the following options can be distinguished:

from the first day, the discharge contains blood clots. Gradually, every day the volume of menstruation decreases and by about the 5th or 7th day the discharge stops.
The beginning of menstruation is a dark-colored daub, rather scanty in volume. Further, the discharge becomes more intense, the peak occurs in the middle of the critical days.
The discharge varies throughout the entire period. They can be present at the beginning, and then increase in volume, or, conversely, the abundance is replaced by daubs and back.

First

How long does the first period last? Here, too, everything is individual. Menarche, or the first menstruation, is an indicator that a girl is going through puberty. It begins on average between the ages of 9 and 15 years.

The duration of the first menstruation in a young girl differs significantly from the characteristics of the body of an adult woman. The reason is physiology and an unstable cycle.

The first menstruation in adolescents lasts about 5 days on average. The discharge is often scanty and may be accompanied by unpleasant aching abdominal pain and dizziness.

After childbirth

Another question that worries women is how long periods last after childbirth. In the first days after the birth of a child, lochia is released from the genital tract. The composition of this discharge is different from normal menstruation.

After a normal birth, lochia can last for 5-6 days. The discharge is characterized by abundance and the content of blood clots; in color they are more similar not to menstruation, but to simple blood.

About a week after birth, the lochia becomes darker, and then the color changes from brown to yellowish. The average duration of lochia secretion is up to 40 days.

A woman should be especially attentive to her body during this difficult period and be sure to consult a doctor if she observes the following symptoms:

lochia contains a lot of blood clots;
excessive discharge;
discharge is accompanied by severe abdominal pain;
an unpleasant odor appears;
there is too much mucus or pus in the lochia;
the temperature rises, which is not easy to reduce;
sudden cessation of vaginal discharge.

How to calculate?

If you are interested in how long women's periods last, you can count the days of your cycle and compare them with the norm. To do this, you can use a regular calendar, where you should note the duration of your periods and the interval between them.

The norm is menstruation for 5-7 days and a cycle from 21 to 35 days. If there is a difference in the number of days between cycles, then it should not be more than 7 days. If the menstrual cycle falls within the specified framework, then it is called regular.

The following situations can influence how long the menstrual cycle lasts:

diets;
weight changes both down and up;
climate change;
overwork and stress;
acute and chronic diseases.

In view of this, the work of the organs of the reproductive system cannot be constant and unchanged, and sometimes deviations from the norm occur.

Long menstruation

If menstruation continues for a couple of days, and the woman is not worried about her health, then there is no need to worry. However, if long periods are characterized by profuseness and intensity (more than one pad within three hours), are accompanied by severe pain, or contain diarrhea, you need to go to the gynecologist.

Menstruation that lasts more than two weeks may occur due to the following reasons:

hormonal disbalance;
inflammatory processes of the genital organs;
side effect of the IUD (intrauterine device);
adenomyosis;
endometrial polyps;
malignant neoplasms of the genital organs;
problems with the thyroid gland.

Short menstruation

Considering how many days girls' periods last, it is worth remembering the possibility of periods that are too short.

It’s worth thinking about if during menstruation the discharge is too scanty, or it’s just spotting. There may be several reasons for too short periods:

failure of the ovaries;
use of hormonal contraception;
past inflammation;
curettage of the uterus;
injuries of the genitourinary system;
dysfunction of the endocrine system;
emotional instability;
stressful situations;
excessive physical activity.

Read about what normal discharge should be, what white, yellow or brown discharge means, when you should worry and whether you need to go to the doctor.
Why does my stomach hurt before my period and why do I feel sick? Details in.

What to do?

If a woman experiences problems with the menstrual cycle, it is necessary to find out their causes. In the case of stress or a flight to a different climate, it makes sense to wait until the next period. But this is if there are no other symptoms in the form of severe pain or large clots.

If deviations from the norm are observed in the next month, you must consult a doctor for examination and treatment. It makes no sense to wait for the cycle to recover on its own; such an expectation can cause even more harm to the body.

The only thing a woman can do to help herself, if there are no serious problems with the functioning of the reproductive system, is to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. The following is recommended:

eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible;
give up alcohol and smoking;
walk more and play sports, cycling, rollerblading, etc. are suitable;
try to avoid emotional turmoil and stress.

Video about cycle duration

The topic of menstruation does not escape any woman, since it is a normal physiological process. Regular periods and a stable cycle indicate that the girl is normally developed and is able to conceive and bear a child.

But, often, women and girls of different ages face problems with menstrual irregularities. The reasons for this phenomenon may be different and why this happens should be determined by a gynecologist. But even before visiting a doctor, girls can try to figure out for themselves whether they have any problems. To do this, you just need to know how many days there should be critical days.

How many days should menstruation last?

Knowing how many days menstruation should last, you can notice deviations in time. Since each organism is unique and functions individually, there is no clearly established time for the duration of critical days. But there are still limits to the norm.

Typically, menstruation lasts from 3 to 7 days and is accompanied by weakness, decreased ability to work and nagging pain in the lower abdomen. This condition is normal and does not cause suspicion.

If a girl notes that menstruation lasts less than 3 or more than 7 days, you need to consult a gynecologist. Such disturbances in the duration of menstruation may be symptoms:

inflammatory process of the reproductive system;
hormonal imbalance.

Whether menstruation can be called regular depends on the number of days in the cycle. What is this anyway?

Some may mistakenly assume that a cycle is the number of days between periods. But that's not true. In fact, this time is counted from the first day of one menstruation to the first day of the next, inclusive. What does "inclusive" mean? The fact that the first day of one menstruation must be taken into account.

To make it easier to understand, you can use the formula:

(Date of current menstruation - date of previous menstruation) + 1 day = cycle length.

The ideal cycle is 28 days.

Factors influencing duration:

stress;
overwork;
chronic and acute diseases;
ecology;
climate change, etc.

Considering the above circumstances, it is not surprising that the functions of body systems periodically undergo certain changes. The work of the reproductive system is no exception. Therefore, the rate of deviation from the ideal cycle can be up to 6-7 days, up or down.

Thus, a cycle of 21 to 36 days is considered normal. It is important to take into account that the difference between each cycle should not exceed 5-7 days. Menstruation that occurs at such intervals is considered regular.

To make it easier to calculate days, it is convenient to use a calendar. It should indicate the number of critical days. This method also helps to remember the dates and duration of each menstruation, which allows you to quickly report the data to the gynecologist.

Everyone's menstrual period is different. But there are several standard schemes.

As usual, this happens normally:

Menstruation is heavy from the first day, often with dark clots. Every day the volume of discharge decreases and on days 5-7 (depending on the individual duration) it ends.
Menstruation begins with a scanty dark spot, and towards the end it becomes more abundant. Thus, the heaviest discharge occurs on days 3-4.
Allocations may vary. At the beginning they are abundant, and after a couple of days their volume decreases until they smear. On day 5, blood is released intensively again, and by day 7 everything goes away.

These are only approximate data. The same schemes apply for periods lasting less than 5 days. In this case, everything can go the same way, but changes occur not after a few days, but after a few hours within one day.

Normal volume of discharge during menstruation

According to the volume of discharge, menstruation can usually be:

plentiful;
normal;
meager.

The normal amount of blood is easily determined independently. It is believed that on the days of the most intense discharge, girls should use about 6-7 pads per day, changing them every 3-4 hours.

If you have to change pads more often, and no matter how much you change them, blood still leaks onto the underwear - this is too abundant. In the case where one pad lasts for 6 hours, or even more, the discharge is very scanty.

What do deviations from the norm indicate?

Having found out how many days menstruation should normally be, girls can analyze their condition. If you notice some discrepancies in yourself, it is important to consult a doctor to find out why this is happening.

Perhaps the specialist will not find anything wrong, and such a duration is a feature of your body. This is the best variant. But it could be different.

Heavy menstruation, more than 7 days, may be a sign of diseases such as:

uterine fibroids;
endometriosis;
dysfunction of internal organs;
poor blood clotting;
precancerous condition of the pelvic organs.

Constantly scanty periods may indicate the following problems:

infertility;
disruption of the ovaries;
hormonal disorders;
ectopic pregnancy.

What to do if your periods become unpredictable?

Some representatives of the fair sex notice that their regular cycle has changed dramatically: sometimes their periods start earlier, sometimes they don’t appear for a long time, and when they appear, they last longer than the prescribed 3-6 days. Why do such jumps occur and what can be done to ensure that menstruation returns to normal?

As mentioned above, cycle shifts of up to 6 days in any direction are possible under the influence of unfavorable factors. If the nature of the discharge has not changed, then in most cases such a cycle shift does not pose a danger.

When a failure occurs for other reasons, you may have to resort to serious examination and treatment (in no case using traditional methods). You cannot ignore such cycle changes and expect that everything will go away on its own. These disorders have their own medical definitions, symptoms and treatment methods.

There are the following types of menstrual cycle disorders:

Algomenorrhea. Most girls face exactly this type of violation. With it, the cycle remains normal, lasting as long as it should - 3-6 days. Severe pain, reminiscent of contractions, nausea and vomiting are noted.

Amenorrhea. The most difficult condition, which is determined by the complete absence of menstruation. For pregnant and lactating women, the manifestation of natural amenorrhea is the norm. But for others, especially girls 15-20 years old, it can be fraught with dire consequences.
Metrorrhagia. In other words, uterine bleeding that appears between menstruation. If in the middle of the cycle blood appears and continues for about 5-6 days, this is probably a manifestation of metrorrhagia. It may be a consequence of stress or a sign of a benign formation in the uterine area.
Dysmenorrhea. Premature onset or temporary delay. Why might such an imbalance occur? Most often, the cause is a sharp change in living conditions (change of climate, time, etc.).
Oligoamenorrhea. In this case, menstruation occurs extremely rarely and is very scanty. This state of affairs can lead to infertility.