Why Is My Period Lasting For 10 Days?

The average menstrual period lasts for 5 days. Bleeding for more than 7 days is abnormal and is known as dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB). 

If you have menstrual cramps, avoid aspirin as it can prolong bleeding.  Ibuprofen is more effective and may reduce the amount of blood that you lose.

What Might Cause a Period to Last for Ten Days
A period lasting for 10 days may be caused by a change in hormone levels, or by an underlying medical condition. This could be due to a change in contraception or, for older women, it could be due to the approaching menopause.

Other symptoms caused by changes in hormone levels may include excessive body hair, hot flushes, mood swings, dryness and tenderness of the vagina, and tiredness and fatigue.

Your period may also be lasting this long due to:

• Uterine fibroids or polyps (non-cancerous growths in the lining of the uterus)
• Endometrial hyperplasia (build up/thickening of the lining of the uterus)
• Thyroid and pituitary disorders
• Diabetes
• Certain drugs such as steroids and blood thinners
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Poly-cystic ovary syndrome

It could even simply be due to a change in diet or exercise routine, stress, weight loss or gain, or recent illness.

What To Do Next
You should consult your doctor for professional advice, especially if your periods have been prolonged for three or more cycles, or if your extended periods are interfering with your quality of life. 

Your doctor will probably perform a pelvic examination, and may perform a diagnostic test, such as a Pap smear (examination of cells scraped from the tip of the cervix), endometrial biopsy (tissue sample from the lining of the uterus) or a pelvic ultrasound.

How Is Disfunctional Uterine Bleeding Treated?
Treatment depends on the cause. Oral birth control pills are often used to control the menstrual cycle and an intrauterine device (IUD) can be helpful for pain and heavy bleeding. 

Severe symptoms may need surgical treatment, such as an endometrial ablation or resection (cauterizing the lining of the uterus).  However, hormone therapy will usually relieve the symptoms.

Having a period last for ten days is a little long. And although it's not uncommon, it could be due to some health problems. One health problem that this could be attributed to is hormonal imbalance.

However, this should be judged in relation to other health issues that you have, and you haven't mentioned anything else that you might be suffering from.

I also used to have periods that lasted for ten days, and after spending extensive time researching the topic, I was able to cut my periods from ten days down to four days. I did this through the use of a natural progesterone cream that is used to balance hormones.

Hope this helps.

I am 25 years old and I am going into the tenth day of my period. I have a really bad back and I noticed I don't fit into my clothes lately.

My blood flow became heavy again on the sixth day and it just isn't showing any signs of getting lighter. I am not on the pill and I use no method of birth control. I just don't understand what's going on with me. I am just so exhausted.

I'm not a medical doctor but this doesn't sound normal, Sheabear.  Normally, you should not be seeing bright red blood at the end of your period; the discharge (at the end of your period) should be more of a brown color. It may not be a cause for alarm, but it wouldn't hurt to give your doctor a call about this.

Your body might be changing, so just chill and call a doctor. I hope you are okay.

No that's not normal. Have you been tested for endometriosis? Your cyst also may be flaring up during your periods due to the high levels of hormones.

I had a hysterectomy at the age of 24 due to my painful and heavy periods. I had to wear a tampon and a pad and would need to change it every 15 minutes. My white blood cells were so low and I had no iron count whatsoever.

Keep talking to your doctor so you can figure out what's going on. Hope I helped a little. Good luck.

Hi kitana! I've lived through it! I've just turned 46 and had a hysterectomy at age 41 due to very painful fibroids.

I started having periods at age 12, and from the beginning I either had extremely painful periods, where I had trouble getting up, going to the bathroom or walking, or I bled like a stuck pig for a week to 10 days at a time!

I had one live pregnancy who is now 21 and is almost fit to live with! Over the years I had a few problems, had the recommended tests, and they showed nothing. When I turned 40, I started having terrible pain and was barely able to stand up straight.

That's when my long-time doctor told me he could do a myomectomy and remove the fibroids. The doctor told me that I'd be back within 6 months for another surgery if I had the fibroids removed, or I could have the hysterectomy and be done with it.

My husband and I had a few visits to the doctor, and we talked about it at length. We decided that me having the hysterectomy would be the best thing for us, and things have been good since. Until the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) came along in 2006 that is!

Good luck, and please be sure to let us know how it goes!

No, that isn't normal, you should call your gynaecologist.

My friend has her period three times a month. Ask your mom if she has had something like this in the past - that's how my friend got it by the way. I suggest you go see your doctor asap.

No, it is not normal, the normal cycle is 2-8 days.

No, it is not normal to bleed for ten days during menstrual periods. Normal periods can last for 2-7 days. Investigation is necessary to find out the cause.

This is just discharge, it's normal.