5 period symptoms indicate serious health problem

“Periods are a pretty good indicator of gynaecological health,” says Dr Christine Greves, a gynae at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
Basically, if something is wrong down there, it’s likely that your period will be affected.
Again, sometimes periods just get out of whack and it’s no biggie. But it’s a good idea to let your doctor know if you experience any of these symptoms:
1. You’re regularly passing big blood clots 
Having the odd clot during your period is normal, but if you’re consistently having blood clots that are large (think: golf ball-sized), it could be a sign of uterine fibroids, non-cancerous growths that can develop in your uterus, says Dr Jessica Shepherd, an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynaecology and director of minimally invasive gynaecology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

2. You repeatedly soak a tampon or pad in less than an hour
This is more than annoying: Bleeding this heavily could be an indication that you have polyps in your uterus or uterine fibroids, says Dr Shepherd.
If you experience shortness of breath and dizziness with heavy bleeding, you need to see a doctor ASAP, Dr Greves says.
This could be a sign that you’re anaemic and may have a hormonal imbalance that needs to be corrected in order to stop or slow the bleeding.

3. Your period lasts longer than seven days 
There are plenty of things that can make this happen, including stress,Dr  Shepherd says, and some women just have long periods. But if it’s not normal for you, a longer-than-normal period can also be due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and uterine polyps.
“In a worst-case scenario, it could be uterine cancer,” she added.

4. Your cycle is less than 20 days 
Again, everyone’s cycle is different but if you’re suddenly having short cycles, it could be a sign of ovulatory dysfunction or a thyroid disorder, Dr Greves says.
It could also indicate PCOS and uterine polyps, which can cause “weird, irregular bleeding”, Shepherd says.

5. You missed a period but aren’t pregnant or breastfeeding 
If you’ve been under a lot of stress or are doing a lot of high-intensity exercise, that can cause you to miss a period, Dr Shepherd says.
But thyroid issues can also make your period stop. If you miss a period and don’t have pain, you’re probably OK to wait it out. But if you keep missing periods, Dr Greves says you need to call your doctor.
It could be a sign of a hormonal imbalance that needs to be fixed