Irregular menstrual cycles can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'very minor' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose irregular menstrual cycles, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Diabetes II | 92% | Confirm |
Hypothyroidism | 24% | Unlikely |
Ovarian Cysts | 20% | Unlikely |
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | 5% | Ruled out |
Adrenal Fatigue | 0% | Ruled out |
Aspartame/Neotame Side-Effects | 0% | Ruled out |
Perimenopause | 0% | Ruled out |
Are your natural menstrual cycles irregular? In other words, does the cycle length and/or the amount/duration of bleeding vary significantly from cycle to cycle? Do not answer if you have been using hormonal birth control for over 6 months.
Possible responses:
→ Don't know / used birth control for over 6 months→ No, my cycles are usually quite similar/regular → Yes, I have occasional moderate cycle variations → Yes, regular moderate variation / occasional major → Yes, regular major variations, very unpredictable |
Women with long or very irregular menstrual cycles may be at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
In some cases ovarian cysts can cause problems with menstrual periods such as abnormal or irregular bleeding, especially in women with endometriosis.