THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT MENSTRUATION [MENSTRUAL CYCLE]

The term 'menstruation' and 'menses' are derived from the Latin mensis meaning month. The time between each menses is colloquially called a menstrual period and the proper medical term is menses. Menstruation is a monthly shedding of a female's uterine lining which is the inner layer of the womb;the cells that line the womb{uterus}. The menstruation should last about 3 to 5 days. It contains blood and tissue that exits the woman's body through the vagina. 

Day 1 is the first day of your menses while day 14 is the day you ovulate depending on your cycle. When the egg is not fertilized, hormone levels drop and at about day 25, the egg dissolves and cycle begins again at day 30. The cycle usually varies in length from about 2 to 7 days but with time, it regulates. We have abnormalities during periods like amenorrhea [no period], dysmenorrhea [painful period] and abnormal bleeding. The average age for a girl's first period is 12 but the usual range of age is between 8-15 years old. Women have periods until about menopause which ranges from
ages 45 to 55.

Women should change pad before it becomes soaked with blood about every 4 to 8 hours. Am not a fan of tampons being that it can encourage bacteria to grow if left for long in the vagina. Tampons can also make cramps worse. It's also made with chemicals linked to health risks like cancer and vaginal infections.

The menstrual cycle provides important body chemicals called hormones, to keep you healthy. It also prepares your body for pregnancy each month. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long. The rise and fall of levels of hormones during the month control the menstrual cycle.



WHAT HAPPENS DURING MENSTRUATION

In the first half of the cycle, levels of estrogen {female hormone} starts to rise. Estrogen plays an important role in keeping you healthy, especially by helping you to build strong bones and to keep them strong as you get older. Estrogen also makes the lining of the uterus{womb} grow and thicken. This lining of the womb is a place that will nourish the embryo if pregnancy occurs. At the same time, the lining of the womb is growing an egg or ovum in one of the ovaries. At about day 14 of an average 28 day cycle, the egg leaves the ovary. This is called ovulation. After the egg has left the ovary, it travels through the Fallopian tube to the uterus. Hormone levels rise and help prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy. A woman is most likely to get pregnant during the 3 days before or on the day of ovulation. Keep in mind that women with cycles that are shorter or longer than average may ovulate before or after day 14. A woman becomes pregnant if the egg is fertilized by a man's sperm cell. If the egg is not fertilized, it will break apart, then hormone levels drop and the thickening lining of the uterus is shed during the menstrual period.



SYNOPSIS OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Day 1 - This occurs after hormone levels drop at the end of the previous cycle, signaling blood and tissues in the uterus to break down and shed from the body. [Bleeding lasts for 5 days].

Day 7 - Bleeding stops. Hormones cause the follicles to develop on the ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg.

In between day 7 and 14, one follicle will develop and reach maturity. Around day 14, hormones cause mature follicle to burst and release an egg from the ovaries, called ovulation.

The next few days, the egg travels towards the uterus. If a sperm unites with the egg here, the fertilized egg will continue down the Fallopian tube and attach to the womb. If egg is not fertilized, hormone levels drop around day 25. This signals the next menses to begin and the egg will break apart and be shed with the next period. Your period may not be the same every month and most likely different from other women's periods.



PROBLEMS WITH MENSTRUATION

Amenorrhea - Lack of menses; caused by either pregnancy, breastfeeding, eating disorders, weight loss, stress or serious medical conditions... If your cycle comes regularly it means that your body is working normally. Not having menstrual periods can mean your ovaries stopped producing normal amounts of estrogen. Missing these hormones can affect your overall health. It's important to talk to a doctor if you have this problem.

Dysmenorrhea - Painful periods; includes severe cramps. In teenagers pains are caused by too much of a chemical called prostaglandin, responsible for controlling blood flow and inflammation. In older women, pain is sometimes caused by a condition called uterine fibroid or endometriosis. Uterine Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the womb while Endometriosis is an abnormal growth of cell in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside the uterus. It isn't cancer or a fatal disease. Pain usually doesn't elude if not treated. The exact cause of this pain is yet to be discovered. Some women, taking a warm bath can ease their cramps while some, over the counter medicines can also help like Ibuprofen, Naproxen e.t.c.

Abnormal Bleeding - can be caused by innumerable reasons. Some are not serious and are easy to treat. Others can be serious and treatment depends on the cause. Hormonal changes can cause long periods along with irregular cycles. Abnormal bleeding can occur with health problems like cancer, fibroids or polyps[abnormal tissue growth]. See a doctor if you notice any irregular bleeding.



GLOSSARY

Embryo - An unborn or unhatched offspring[fertilized egg].

Follicles - Are small sacs filled with fluid that are found in woman's ovaries.

Menopause - A natural decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches 45-55 years.

Ovaries - Reproductive organ in which eggs{ova} are produced. ['Ova' is the plural of 'ovum.']

Thanks for reading!