Your menstruation is not only there to tell you if you’re pregnant
or not. It can be a great indication of health issues. It’s important to tract our periods and see if there are any irregularities in them. However, a lot of women are not completely aware of how a normal menstrual cycle should be. How can you detect any irregularities, if you don’t know what normal is? Do you know how long your period should be? What’s the right texture is? Is your period too dark or too light? All of these questions will be
answered below.
To start off, let’s go back to the basics. What is the menstrual cycle and why do we get them? Women go through monthly cycles as a preparation for possibilities of pregnancy. Women go through ovulation every month. During this period hormonal changes occur in the uterus to prepare itself for pregnancy. Once the ovulation period takes place and there was no fertilized egg, the lining of the uterus starts to shed. This is what creates the blood that pour out of the vagina.
What is considered a healthy menstrual cycle?
Your menstrual cycle doesn’t have to be always on the dot. Some women may experience a cycle every 21 to 35 days. So, anything between these days is normal. If you experience periods every two months or have it twice a month, then this is something you need to check up on. This could be a sign of hormone problems. Your menstruation can last from two to seven days and like
above. Anything beyond those lines need to be checked. If you have periods that are longer than 7 days, you may suffer anemia
in the long run. Though, in the beginning of your menstrual cycle; the first few months can be a lot longer and irregular. When you age, the menstruation will tend to become mo re regular and shorter.
Defining a Normal Period
The definition of a normal period will mostly depend on you. Women are different in a lot of ways. Some women experience periods that last up to seven days without feeling any pain
or cravings. Some women experience 2 days of period and still get anemia from heavy flows. What really is normal, is what way
beyond your regular cycle is. Have you been experiencing more pain, cravings, mood changes and skin problems? All of these things can be an indication of internal changes that needs to be more thoroughly checked.
What Affects Your Period?
There are a lot of things that can affect your period. One of the most known ones is of course contraception. Birth control pills, patches and other means can have a significant effect on your period and may take a few months for period to go back to normal after using these items. Another form of medication that can affect your periods are ones that alter your chemistry such
as anti-depression medication. Underlying illnesses such as thyroid problems can affect your period. Eating disorders can
also stop menstruation all together; extreme weight loss and over exercising are some of the common causes of menstruation irregularity. Regaining back menstruation after dealing with an eating disorder may take a long time and will require a fit and healthy body. Malnutrition can also cause changes in your menstrual cycle. Stress is also a big factor that affects menstruation. People that tend to be incredibly stressed are more likely experience irregular periods. Breast feeding after pregnancy can delay the menstruation cycle. Pelvic inflammatory disease causes irregular menstrual bleeding. As you see, these are a lot of possible causes, identifying which ones you have will require a professional opinion.
What You Need to Watch Out For
Changes in your periods that you should watch out for is the appearance,length, side effects and flow. Is your blood clumpy and dark or light and jelly like? Is your period a lot shorter or longer than the past ones you’ve had? Have you been experiencing more severe symptoms than usual? Is your flow a lot lighter or a lot heavier? Have you been experiencing abnormal bleeding? All of these changes should be tracked. This can help your doctor determine underlying illnesses or treatments in case of an illness.
Some irregularities cannot be prevented, particularly if you
are taking hormone altering contraceptives. These contraceptives are specifically created to stop the fertilization of the egg and ovulation, this changes how our body naturally reacts; it may take a while for your menstruation to go back to normal
after years of use. Also, you have to have regular pelvic exams.
This will help give your doctor a better perspective of your reproductive organs and can help you maintain a regular period. This will also help with early detection and preventive measures to take. If you ever experience feeling sick or feverish after
using a tampon, bleed between periods and have severe cramps go to your doctor immediately.
