For many women, periods are a massively personal and private topic that they don't discuss with anyone else, but because of this, they might find themselves struggling with their menstrual cycle in silence.
Dr Susanna Unsworth, a women's health expert for the NHS, has had numerous conversations with women who have experienced period problems for years before seeking medical advice, as they thought it was 'normal'.
This sort of discussion is something the gynaecologist finds incredibly upsetting and as such, she's working to reduce the taboo around period talk and also encouraging women to seek help when something isn't quite right.
Speaking to The Mirror, Dr Unsworth explained how long a period should typically last, why some women have heavier periods than others, and when you should speak to a doctor about any issues.
The expert began by saying that the maximum amount of time a period should last is for between seven and 10 days.
"If your period is ongoing for more than 10 days it would be wise to speak to a doctor, as that's really the maximum that a period should last," she told the publication.
And it's not just the period itself you need to consider, but also your full cycle.
According to the NHS, the average woman will have a period every 28 days, but if your cycle is getting shorter and is less than 24 days then Dr Unsworth recommends getting this checked out too.
She went on to explain how everyone's period experience is different but that no one's period should be having an impact on their daily life.
"If you talk to one person you might find that their period is very different to yours," she said. "What I would say is that if you're having periods that are having an impact your daily life and stopping you from doing things, that's a time when you might want to look at talking to a doctor about it.
"We don't always know why some women's periods are heavier, some women do just naturally experience heavy periods, but most of the time that's usually diagnosed by excluding any other underlying problem.
"There are lots of different things that can have an impact on periods, such as hormonal changes, conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome that can affect how regular your periods are and how heavy they are, and then there are physical things that can have an impact like fibroids, which are muscular growths inside of the womb, or polyps.
"If you feel that your periods are really heavy and that's impacting on your ability to do normal daily activities, if your period cycle changes length and becomes either longer or shorter, if you start getting bleeding in between periods or bleeding after sex, then these are all things that are worth speaking to a doctor about.
"I always feel really sad when I speak to women, especially young women who feel like their periods are stopping them from doing things, your period should never be a reason not to do something, so if you're at that point then it's worth speaking to a doctor as it shouldn't be like that."
Dr Unsworth, who also works as an in-house gynaecology expert for the intimate wellbeing brand INTIMINA, also urges people to give menstrual cups a go as they are better for the planet.
"There are lots of different products available to help manage your periods. Traditionally there were just pads and tampons available but I think we all recognise now that these aren't great for the environment," she added.
"It's good that there are more renewable products available like menstrual cups as these are a really good way of controlling your period when you've got it and they are reusable.
"It's important to stress that menstrual cups can be used by anybody and there are different sizes available and INTIMINA make some great ones for all ages, including younger girls who have only just started their period and they also make a menstrual cup that can be kept in while having sex on your period, which means you don't have to worry about any mess."
Do you have a health story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email courtney.pochin@mirror.co.uk
