For many years, menstruation has been a taboo in society. This has caused a great ignorance of the variety and richness that the menstrual cycle implies. So much so that, when the period lasts longer than normal, it is always scary, but it does not have to be pathological every time.
The mean duration of bleeding ranges from 4 to 8 days, but varies depending on the population studied. However, some women do not meet this criterion, as they have a longer or shorter period than usual. Why can these changes occur? Keep reading to find out.
When is the period considered longer than normal?
First of all, it is necessary to distinguish the type of vaginal bleeding and if it is linked to menstruation. Depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle in which the bleeding occurs, we can rule out whether it is an alteration of the period or not.
To know if menstruation is within normality, we must keep track of our cycle, the duration and amount of bleeding. Depending on these characteristics, we have different alterations:
Eumenorrhea: is when menstruation has a duration and quantity that places it within the average. That is, it lasts between 4-8 days with a flow of 80 milliliters.
Hypermenorrhea: menstrual bleeding occurs in excessive amounts in terms of volume, exceeding 80 milliliters.
Polymenorrhea: the duration is excessive, for more than 8 days.
Proiomenorrhea: this is an alteration that changes the total days of the cycle, making them short, below 28 days between one menstruation and another.
Therefore, if we see that the bleeding days are lengthened by more than 8, we will be facing a polymenorrhea. However, this variation is almost always accompanied by excess bleeding, which changes the medical definition of menorrhagia .
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