Are frequent periods and heavy flow normal in teenagers?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 13-year-old female. I am a virgin, not on any medications and I started my period about two years back. My period has been coming nearly exactly every two weeks without fail since about a year ago. At the beginning, it was all over the place (which is to be expected), but it started evening out after a few months. It very occasionally comes slightly later. I also experience bad cramps (but nothing that a 0.5 fl oz dose of Nurofen cannot alleviate) along with my heavy flow. Could there be an underlying condition? Endometriosis or similar? Should I be worried?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

Let me start by saying that you are absolutely fine. It is a human tendency to expect a big condition when it is actually a simple one. We should always think of the common conditions first. You are having immature hormone cycles and spasmodic dysmenorrhea. Let me explain. You have started periods at the right time. But, even though you have periods, the hormonal balance between the brain, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland - ovaries are fully matured by 19 to 21 years only. Once this axis is fully mature, the hypothalamus produces hormones at the right time, makes the pituitary produce hormones in the right amount and which in turn gets the right level of hormones from the ovaries, and ovulation occurs at the right time.

Now in a few cycles, you do not ovulate. That is when you miss periods, or you only have a discharge pink or red color. Or else you have no proper periods and the thickness inside the uterus, the endometrium, keeps increasing, and finally, when it tries to come out of the narrow cervical canal, you get severe lower abdominal cramps. You will have the pain only till that clump of blood falls out. The normal frequency of periods will be 28 days plus or minus seven days, with bleeding for approximately five to seven days. Ovulation will be around the 13th to 15th day. Do not worry. At this young age, you cannot expect big conditions. I cannot say you will not have endometriosis, but chances are very remote. If you are fine with the medications for pain, you can go ahead with that. Over time, everything will be fine. I am sure.

Hope I have cleared your query. All the best.