Some of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections worldwide don’t cause significant identifiable symptoms. Because of this, these infections can spread from partner to partner without anyone of them being aware they have one. Most times, irregular periods can signify something not working right in a woman’s body. Still, STIs won’t affect your period, except they’re untreated and have progressed to a more severe condition. Notwithstanding, some STIs can sometimes change the patterns and characteristics of your period. This is why keeping track of the attributes of your menstrual cycle is essential. Can chlamydia affect your period?
Can chlamydia affect your period?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that typically doesn’t cause symptoms to appear in most cases. However, despite its asymptomatic nature, chlamydia can cause symptoms in some people. Can chlamydia affect your period? When chlamydia symptoms occur, some women can experience irregularities in their menstrual cycles as one of the indicators of the infection—about 25% of women with chlamydia experience irregular vaginal discharge and spotting. If you’re experiencing irregularities in your period, it’s best to consult your doctor to be on the safe side.
How can chlamydia affect your period?
Chlamydia won’t change the pattern or characteristics of many women’s periods. So ordinarily, the infection shouldn’t affect your period. However, chlamydia can cause other severe health conditions that can trigger a change in your menstruation. For instance, when left untreated, chlamydia can find its way to the reproductive tract and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Irregular menstrual cycles are one of the common symptoms of PID. Suppose you suspect that you have chlamydia or other associated STIs. To be safe, you should consult your healthcare specialist immediately for a chlamydia test.
What do women feel during their period?
Periods are a rite of passage for practically all women before menopause. It is common to experience some symptoms or degree of discomfort in the days leading to and during your period.
Some women are fortunate enough not to experience pain or discomforting symptoms when they’re on their periods. For many women, the symptoms of their periods can be annoying but easily managed with minimal disturbance to their everyday lives.
Most women get mild symptoms in the days leading up to the period and when blood flow is heavier on the first or second day of menstruation (premenstrual syndrome).
However, many symptoms are associated with women’s menstruation, which can change over time depending on the period cycle. Therefore, even though most women experience easily managed symptoms, some women experience severe symptoms that can affect their ability to carry out their day-to-day tasks.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs when a woman experiences physical and emotional symptoms before or during her period. These associated symptoms usually include sadness, bloating, anxiety, moodiness, and acne. These symptoms ease away after the first few days of the period starting.
Some of the typical symptoms of menstruation for most women include:
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Acne Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Tender breasts
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Lower back pain
- Acne
- Trouble sleeping
- Low energy
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Fluid retention
- Joint pain
What is normal or abnormal menstrual bleeding?
Women need to track the patterns of their periods to make it easier to determine when there is a derailing or a possible complication in the body’s operations. Several patterns of menstrual bleeding are considered normal for women to experience.
A healthcare specialist can help you determine if your bleeding is normal or abnormal, indicating a problem or complication. Irregular or abnormal periods may require more investigation and caution. You and your healthcare specialist would have to consider what constitutes normal menstrual bleeding before investigating further and making a decision.
Normal period
Some women experience light, short periods, and others can have heavy and more extended periods that last several days. Here are some features to note for normal menstruation:
A typical period lasts for about 3-8 days
The total loss of blood during a cycle is about 2-3 tablespoons (30-50 mL)
Your period happens every 20-35 days and is calculated from the first day of one period cycle to the next.
Abnormal or heavy period
Some women may experience heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). This condition can exhibit the following characteristics:
- Bleeding that soaks through pads or tampons for several consecutive hours
- Bleeding that continues past seven days
- Menstrual flow that requires more than one pad at a time
- Having to change tampons or pads during the night
- Period flow with blood clots bigger than a quarter
When to see a doctor
Tracking how frequently you get your period is a vital part of taking control of your cycle health. Your period should be regular and consistent, like clockwork. However, if you’re not getting your period as regularly, you don’t necessarily have to be worried. Sometimes there can be some difference in the cycle length, which some women can expect, and no significant cause for alarm. For instance, women on birth control pills can experience irregular periods as a side effect.
Only 20% of women will have period cycles identical in length from one month to the other. However, the length of your period cycle is one of many factors you need to pay attention to attentively.
You should consider visiting your doctor if:
- You notice sudden changes in the frequency of your period
- You experience bleeding between periods
- You get an unusually heavy flow
- Your bleeding continues beyond a week
- You’re experiencing extremely painful menstruation
- You’ve not seen your period in 90 days or the equivalent of three-period cycles
Consulting your healthcare specialist is vital because they can help you investigate further, discover the cause of your period irregularity, and determine the necessary treatment.
Read Also: Chlamydia in Throat: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you fail to treat chlamydia infection, it can result in PID, which can, in turn, affect your period in significant ways. PID disturbs the cells and linings inside the uterus when the infection reaches inside. As a result, the uterus lining is shed during menstruation. PID changes how the uterus disposes of the shed lining. Therefore, when you have PID, you will most likely experience unusually heavier flows than you’re used to. PID can also trigger an ectopic pregnancy which can also cause your period cycle to become irregular. You’re advised to carry out routine STI tests for safety.
If you’ve noticed irregularities in your period, you don’t necessarily have to be worried. Irregular periods don’t usually cause harm. However, if the anomaly continues for a sustained time, it may increase the risk of other complications like iron deficiency anemia. In addition, if your menstruation is too heavy, you may lose enough blood to have an iron deficiency because blood contains iron.
There are several signs to watch out for when considering irregular menstruation. Some of the symptoms of the abnormal period include:
- Intense pain or cramping
- Light bleeding
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bleeding or spotting between menstruation
- Heavy bleeding
- Bleeding or spotting
