The average of women’s menstrual cycle is every 28 days. A menstrual cycle is normal as long as it is in the range of 24-38 days. If the cycle goes earlier or later than the ideal range and changes every month, it can be considered as an irregular menstrual cycle. There are a variety of reasons why you may be experiencing menstrual irregularity, from hormonal imbalances in the body to serious health problems. An irregular menstrual cycle must be handled depending on finding out what’s causing your irregular periods, but there are some remedies you can try at home to get your menstrual cycle back on track.
- Practice Yoga
Yoga has been proven to be an effective treatment for problems related to the menstrual cycle. A 2013 study with 126 participants found that 35 to 40 minutes of yoga, 5 days a week for 6 months lowered hormone levels related to irregular menstruation. Yoga can also reduce pain, reduce anxiety and restlessness, and improve mood during menstruation.
- Maintain Healthy and Ideal Body Weight
Obesity and underweight are the most common causes of an irregular menstrual cycle. So, we should maintain our body mass index (BMI) in the ideal range as recommended by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, which is 18.5-22.9. Even though losing weight could help regulate your periods, don’t go on extreme diets to lose weight instantly, because it can also affect the hormones in the body.
- Exercise Regularly
Doing regular exercise can help us to achieve the ideal body weight. A clinical study in 2021 also proved that exercise can reduce the intensity and duration of pain (dysmenorrhea) associated with the menstrual cycle. In general, exercise also has many benefits for the body, such as reducing stress, which is one of the most common causes of the irregular menstrual cycle.
- Increase Your Daily Consumption of Ginger and Cinnamon
A 2014 clinical study of 92 women with heavy menstrual bleeding showed that daily ginger supplements may help reduce the amount of blood lost during menstruation. Consuming ginger in the first 3 days of menstruation has also been shown to be an effective treatment to reduce the pain. Cinnamon has bioactive compounds that are useful to cure various problems related to the menstrual cycle. Cinnamon can also significantly reduce menstrual pain and bleeding, and relieve nausea and vomiting for women with dysmenorrhea.
- Pay Attention To Your Daily Vitamin Intake
Vitamin D deficiency often follows an irregular menstrual cycle. Vitamin D is often added to some foods such as milk and cereals. In addition, you can also get vitamin D intake through sun exposure or supplements. Vitamin B is believed to reduce symptoms before menstruation as known as premenstrual symptoms (PMS). An example is vitamin B-6 which can relieve the anxiety that often occurs along with PMS and menstruation.
Although you can do home remedies with the methods above to improve your menstrual cycle, but don't hesitate to check and consult your gynecologist. Especially if you experience severe symptoms such as excessive bleeding, prolonged pain, fever, and if the irregular menstrual cycle doesn’t improve in the long term. Don't forget to read other articles on women's health only on Fitie!
Source: Hudson, H. & Santos-Longhurst, A. How to Get Regular Periods Naturally: 8 Home Remedies for Irregular Periods. Healthline. [online]. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/irregular-periods-home-remedies#1