Your menstrual cycle can tell you a lot about your overall health, and every person’s pattern is a little different. Tracking yours on a paper calendar or an app helps you learn what is usual for you.
- Note the first and last day of each period.
- Record how heavy the bleeding is.
- Write down pain, mood changes, headaches or tiredness.
- Flag any sudden change from your usual pattern.
Bring your notes to appointments, because they give your doctor useful detail. Talk to a doctor if your periods stop unexpectedly, become much heavier or more painful, come unusually often, or if you bleed between periods or after menopause.
Severe pain, dizziness or very heavy bleeding needs prompt medical attention.
