5 Reasons Why Doctors Ask About Your Last Period Date

Menstruation is the most crucial health parameter that helps doctors to ensure a woman is healthy. No matter what issue you have, a health expert will always ask you about the last date of your period among other things. Have you ever wondered why this question is a staple in the healthcare industry?

This is because it is an important factor to consider before running tests or concluding a diagnosis. It is often referred to as LMP, the first day of your last period. It remains crucial throughout the menstrual cycle until one attains menopause.

We connected with Dr Parinita Kalita, Senior Consultant of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, to understand how knowing the date of last menstruation helps doctors with diagnosis and treatment.

Verify Regularity Of Menstruation

For any menstruator, it is essential that periods are regular. It means that if a person has a cycle of 30 days, then it should be consistent throughout every cycle. Regularity in menstruation is one of the key factors to understand if a woman is healthy.

In many cases, irregular menstruation is a sign of hormonal imbalance, stress, polycystic ovarian disorder (PCOD) and whatnot. Therefore, the doctors enquire about the last period date to confirm that a person’s menstrual cycles are regular and they do not have any other underlying issues.

Confirm Pregnancy

A missed period is the primary sign of pregnancy. If the patient is sexually active or has been trying to get pregnant, the doctor would ask about the last date of her menstrual cycle to confirm if she has missed her periods.

It will help to decide if they need to run tests for pregnancy detection. In case a couple is trying to conceive, the missed period could be a good sign. However, if someone is not trying to get pregnant, the missed period would still convey a lot about a person’s health.

The doctor would also be cautious about the tests. For example, if the doctor suspects pregnancy based on the last date of the period, they would rule out X-ray, CT Scan or medication which can harm the foetus. They would first confirm the pregnancy and go ahead with the right course of treatment for an injury or disease.

Dr Kalita shared that 10 days after the LMP, a doctor would not conduct an X-ray or CT scan on a woman trying to conceive. The radiation during these tests could possibly harm the foetus.

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Calculate Delivery Date

The delivery date of an expecting woman can only be calculated after knowing the last date of her period. It allows the doctor to know when the foetus might have been conceived.

Thus, they can give an estimate of the due date. Hence, a pregnant woman must know the last date of her period to help the doctor drive the course of pregnancy. Nine months and seven days since the last period date is the expected due date for a pregnant woman.

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Conduct Tests & Decide On Medication

If a woman is pregnant, her last date of menstruation would help the doctor determinethe age of the foetus. It allows the healthcare expert to conduct appropriate tests and prescribe medication to the expecting mother that would benefit her as well as the baby.

Predict Phase Of Menstrual Cycle

The last date of the period also tells the doctor about the phase of the menstrual cycle. For example, tests for PCOD can only take place on the second day of periods. Similarly, depending on where a woman stands in her menstrual cycle, screening for breast cancer can be affected.

Thus, if the doctor knows about the date of your period, they can drive the investigation accordingly.

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