As you probably learned back
in middle school, menstruation is
the monthly shedding of your uterine lining. Though it can be uncomfortable and
sometimes inconvenient, your period is your body's way of telling you that your
reproductive system is working properly.
Just as every woman is unique,
every woman's period has its own personality. Some periods are short, others
are long. Some are heavy, others are light.
After a few years' worth of
monthly bleeding, most women start to get a feel for their period's frequency,
duration, and flow. When something out of the ordinary happens -- such as spotting between
periods or an exceptionally heavy flow -- it's natural to wonder what's going
on.
Is There
Such a Thing as a Normal Period?
Not really. The average
woman's menstrual cycle is 28 days long, and the average period lasts for three
to five days, but there can be huge menstrual cycle variations from woman to
woman.
"Three days is normal for
some women, seven days is normal for others," says Franklin Loffer, MD,
executive vice president and medical director of AAGL (formerly known as the
American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). Similarly, the normal
period flow can be heavier in some women than in others.
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Rather than worrying about
the length or frequency of your period, you need to consider whether anything
has changed.
"A woman should really be
tracking her own menstrual cycle, because it provides huge numbers of clues
about whether something's not right," says Frances Ginsburg, MD, director
of reproductive endocrinology at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Conn., and
assistant professor of clinical obstetrics/gynecology in the Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Here are some common menstrual
period changes, and what they might mean.
Your
Period Has Slowed or Stopped
The big question if you're not
getting your period is -- how old are you?
The cause of a missing
menstrual period (called amenorrhea) varies by age. "To quit having
periods at age 25 is a significantly different issue than quitting at age
50," Loffer says.
For a woman in her 20s or 30s
who is sexually active, pregnancy is
always a possibility. "Even if a woman thinks she's protected, that's not
an absolute guarantee," Loffer says........
From
the outside, periods can sound amazing. You're born with hundreds of thousands
of eggs.
After puberty, a gland in your brain sends a monthly message that says, "Hey!
Release an egg!" to your ovaries.
The process happens about 450 times over your lifetime.
From the inside,
periods don't feel as awesome. For a few days every month, you can feel like a
different person, both physically and emotionally. And not in a good way.
Don't let those days
derail your life. You can still do everything that you would during the rest of
the month, if you know how to manage the baggage your monthly visitor may
bring.
Blood
Loss and Clots
Though it can vary
from month to month, periods usually start off with a light flow, get heavier,
then taper off.
On average, women
lose about 2 to 4 tablespoons of blood during each period. In terms of
pads or tampons, that means changing them out every 2 hours or more. If you
need to change out less than every 2 hours -- or have quarter-size or larger
clots -- let your doctor know.
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Small clots of blood are
common. Your body releases anticoagulants to
keep the blood from clotting as it moves through your vagina. But on days when you're bleeding or
cramping heavily, it may not be released in time.
Cramping
To get the blood out
of your uterus, the muscles tighten and relax. That's the sharp ache you feel
between your stomach and
lower back.
Cramps can
start before your period and last throughout the bleeding process. If they feel
mild, like someone's giving your ovaries a solid squeeze, it's normal. Try an
over-the-counter medication for pain relief. If they take your breath
away or have you doubled over in pain, check in with your doctor.
Moodiness
You love everybody.
You can’t stand anybody. All at the same time. Hello hormones.
Before and during
your period, hormones are hard at work moving your body through each phase.
When those hormones rise and fall, so does your mood.
During PMS and your period, expect to feel
everything from crabbiness and anger to feeling more anxious or down than
normal.
You can't avoid the
mood swings that come with your period, but it does help to get good sleep, stay active, and steer clear of caffeine and
unhealthy foods to keep the lows from feeling too low. These choices can also
cut down on breast tenderness, acne, bloating,
and food cravings that
come with the menstrual cycle.
Cycle
Issues
Your menstrual cycle
begins the first day of one period and ends on the first day of the next. The
average is 28 days, and anything between 21 and 35 is normal.
It also depends on ovulation,
or when your ovaries release an egg about halfway through your cycle. This may
not happen every month, especially at first.
Tracking your period
can help you understand your own personal pattern. Chart out every day for a
few months, including symptoms (mood swings, bloating) and when your period
starts and ends. Be detailed about your blood flow: is it light, normal, or
heavy?
Skipping
a Period
A missed period doesn't
always mean you're pregnant.
It's normal not to have one once in a while, especially if your body is dealing
with something big, like stress,
sickness, or heavy exercise.
If you miss more
than one period, and you’ve taken a pregnancy test to make sure that’s not
the reason, talk to your doctor.
Nausea
PMS can make you want to eat the house
down. But nausea is
a normal part of your period.
One of the hormones
released during your cycle is called prostaglandin. Though most of it sheds
with the uterine lining, some gets into your bloodstream. This can cause nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea,
and headaches.
Many
over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen cut
down on prostaglandin production and may help ease these symptoms as well.
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