Menstruation: why are they needed, what are they, how they pass

The menstrual cycle is the successive changes in a woman's reproductive system that occur as a result of preparation for a possible pregnancy. The process is laid down by nature and is a consequence of the normal functioning of the body. Menstruation is typical for women in the reproductive period before menopause. Any disruptions in the menstrual cycle can be a sign of pathological changes that require medical intervention.

What are the names of menstruation according to scientific

Critical days in women will mark the beginning of a new cycle, from which the pre-ovulatory period is counted. Scientifically, regular bleeding is called menstruation. In medical practice, the terms "regulation" and "withdrawal bleeding" are also found, but they are less common. The word most often used is "menstruation".

Why do you need menstruation

Female menstruation is a natural process that is necessary for periodic renewal. The uterus, the main organ of the reproductive system of any girl, every month builds up a layer of the endometrium, which is the basis for anchoring a potentially fertilized egg. In the area of ​​the received cell space, pregnancy develops.

If fertilization does not take place, the body rejects the formed layer, which leads to the appearance of critical days in women. Menses contain particles of the endometrium.

Why are your periods

The first day of the menstrual cycle is marked by the separation of the endometrial layer from the uterine cavity, which was formed in the previous month. The process is accompanied by trauma to the blood vessels, which is the reason for the periodic discharge.

Important! The separation of the "carpet" from the endometrium is necessary so that in the next cycle there is a repeated preparation for a possible pregnancy by building up a new layer in the uterine cavity.

What happens during your period

All processes occurring during menstruation in girls depend on the stable functioning of the endocrine system - the correct formation of certain hormones. The bloody discharge contains clots of the endometrial layer that was formed in the uterus for the development of a fertilized egg and then rejected due to the lack of pregnancy. Also, normal menstruation contains epithelial cells.

Withdrawal bleeding usually results in dark-colored discharge that does not fold. In the first days of menstruation, you can find mucous clots - the remnants of the lining of the uterus. Towards the end of menstruation, only blood is observed, the amount of which gradually decreases.

A warning! It is important to distinguish between menstruation and blood loss. If the pads last for two hours or more, then you do not need to worry, this is considered the norm for menstruation.

The average volume of blood that the female body loses during menstruation per day is up to 80 ml. This amount does not pose a threat to health and is normal. The body can easily compensate for blood loss during menstruation by releasing additional cells from the depot.

All about menstruation in women

The process of puberty in girls begins at the age of nine, but this does not mean that menstruation during this period is the norm. Previously, the body goes through several stages of preparation. Then an individual monthly cycle is established.

When your period comes

Before the girl establishes a constant uterine menstrual cycle, the body undergoes several stages of preparation:

1. The appearance of hair on the pubis and armpits, as a rule, the growth process begins in these areas of the body at the same time.
2. The development of the mammary gland, in girls a secondary sex characteristic is formed - the breast.
3. The pelvic bones become wider relative to the rest of the skeleton.
4. Menarche appears - the first menstruation. Such periods are unstable, as the cycle is forming.

Breast growth can be observed up to armpit and pubis hair growth. The period from the onset of breast enlargement to menarche is usually 2-3 years. The average age for the first menstruation in girls is considered to be 13 years. Menstruation can be the norm at 14-15 years.

Important! If a girl does not develop secondary sexual characteristics, and also does not have periods at the age of 16, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Six months before the appearance of the first menstruation, the amount of discharge increases, whiter, which is the norm. It is important that they do not cause discomfort and do not have an unpleasant odor.

With late puberty, menstruation can begin at the age of 14-15, which is also considered the norm in gynecology.

How does your period go?

The normal menstrual cycle in women is 21 to 35 days. Anything that goes beyond this framework can be considered a necessity for a gynecologist's visit. On average, 28 days pass from the first day of menstruation to the beginning of the next.

The average duration of menstruation is 5-6 days. Abundant discharge with clots of the endometrium is observed in the first three days. In the future, the amount of blood during menstruation decreases.

What does your period look like?

Bloody discharge during menstruation is thick and dark in color. The normal course of the physiological process is the presence of clots and mucous lumps. The beginning of withdrawal bleeding can be considered the appearance of brown or red spots on the underwear.

The period of menstruation is often accompanied by some symptoms:

• tiredness, apathy;
• mood swings;
• increased appetite, cravings for sweets;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• painful sensations in the lower abdomen;
• feeling of an "inflated" abdomen.

Attention! Severe pain during menstruation is often hereditary and is not the cause of the pathology.

Where does your period come from?

Abundant discharge of blood and clots during menstruation occurs directly from the vagina. Their increased abundance is observed in the first two days, since it is during this period that the remnants of the endometrium leave the uterine cavity. The main danger is that pathological bleeding from the vagina is often taken for the start of a new menstrual "stage" due to the similarity of the symptomatic picture. The latter, unlike menstruation, do not stop their intensity for 4-5 days.

What are the periods

The characteristic of a normal menstrual cycle provides for a moderate profusion of discharge and a standard length of the period. In this regard, it is customary to divide the monthly by the volume of blood secreted and the duration of the regulation.

The average duration of withdrawal bleeding is 5 to 7 days.

Too long periods can be caused by the following reasons:

• any hormonal disruption of the endocrine system;
• the presence of neoplasms in the uterine cavity, often polyps, fibroids or malignant tumors;
• impaired blood clotting;
• pathological processes of the organs of the reproductive system;
• the presence of an ectopic pregnancy;
• hyperplasia of the uterine cavity, including the cervix;
• taking some medications.

A short period of menstruation is also not always the norm.

Reasons for reducing the duration of menstruation:

• congenital physiological feature;
• inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs;
• deficiency of hormones, diseases of the endocrine system;
• diagnosed endometriosis;
• damage to the uterine walls, resulting from surgery or pathologies during labor.

Attention! Non-standard duration of regulation is possible in the presence of excess weight or autoimmune diseases. In some cases, your period may not come for several months.

The volume of blood released over the entire period of menstruation is about 250 ml. This amount is considered safe for health and is within the normal range for gynecology. You can independently determine the amount of blood loss by the frequency of replacing sanitary napkins. If it is required more than once every two hours, it makes sense to talk about a pathological process.

Too heavy periods, also called menorrhagia, can be caused by:

• pathology of the pelvic organs;
• the presence of infections of venereal etiology;
• inflammatory processes in the appendages caused by hypothermia;
• failure in the process of blood clotting;
• the presence of neoplasms;
• hormonal disruption, disruption of the endocrine system;
• adenomyosis.

Scanty discharge during menstruation, also called hypomenorrhea, can be caused by:

• recent birth or abortion;
• hypothyroidism, manifested by malfunctioning of the thyroid gland;
• lack of weight by age, anorexia, poor nutrition;
• polycystic ovary;
• violation of the organs of the reproductive system;
• overweight, which leads to a malfunction of the endocrine system;
• increased load, stress;
• the onset of menopause;
• recent surgery, after which the body did not have enough time to recover.

How often do girls have periods?

Normally, the periods of the menstrual cycle replace each other at regular intervals with a deviation of no more than 1-2 days. The starting point is the first day of the appearance of red or brown spots on the underwear. Despite the very name "menstruation", in modern gynecological practice the following rates of uterine bleeding are considered acceptable:

1. The duration of the cycle from the first day of regulation to the onset of the next withdrawal bleeding is from 21 to 36 days.
2. The duration of discharge during menstruation is from two to seven days with a mandatory decrease in their number after the second day.

The ideal average cycle is a period of 28 days, when menstruation occurs no more than 3-5 days with a total blood loss of 50-100 ml.

Attention! The absence of menstruation every 28 days against the background of stress is not always a consequence of pathology. The doctor can determine the exact cause of the hormonal imbalance during the examination.

How many days after ovulation menstruation begins

The most stable duration of a woman's cycle is the luteal phase, this is the period from ovulation to the beginning of menstruation. On average, it is 14 days. If brown spots appeared on the underwear earlier, it makes sense to talk about intermenstrual bleeding, which may indicate pathological processes in the pelvic organs.

The duration of the luteal phase is often individual, especially if there was late ovulation. On average, menstruation begins 10-14 days after the follicle leaves the egg.

How should menses go in a healthy woman

The ovarian-menstrual cycle in a healthy woman is characterized by the following features:

1. The duration of the period from the first day of menstruation to the beginning of the next is 28 days.
2. Allocation of average abundance in the first two days of menstruation, the amount of blood decreases from the third day, absolute purity is noticeable after the fifth.
3. In the blood secreted during menstruation, endometrial clots and minor inclusions of mucus of epithelial cells may be present.
4. The color of the discharge on critical days is darker than normal blood.
5. Changing the gaskets during menstruation should be carried out no more than once every 2-3 hours.
6. There should be no spotting between periods.
7. Painful discomfort is moderate, easily eliminated with mild antispasmodics.

A warning! Too strong pain during menstruation may indicate the development of oncology.

Last menstruation

The last menstrual period marks the beginning of menopause and usually occurs in women aged 45-50 years, in gynecology, a slight deviation from this interval is allowed due to physiological features.

Menopause before the age of 45 is considered early, after 50, respectively, late. The last discharge can be quite abundant and differ in a relatively long duration. Lean periods before menopause are also noted.

What is the menstrual cycle

In gynecology, the menstrual cycle is understood as changes in the female body that are regular. The main task of these processes is to ensure the possible conception and further development of the fetus until the moment of delivery. The natural end of menstrual "circles" in a woman's life is the onset of menopause, the period of menopause. This is considered the end of childbearing age.

The menstrual cycle in women consists of three phases, each of which contains certain processes of restructuring the body. In gynecological practice, a special scheme for days is adopted as a basis, approximately determining their duration.

The first phase of the menstrual cycle: follicular

The initial phase of the menstrual cycle in women is follicular by day, the duration is up to 14 days. Its countdown begins from the moment the uterine bleeding starts. This period can normally last from two to seven days, depending on age, genetic and physiological characteristics. The onset of menstruation is characterized by painful discomfort in the abdomen, general malaise.

Important! The average volume of bloody discharge during menstruation per day should not exceed 80 ml.

The main purpose of this stage of the menstrual cycle is to start the process of follicular growth, which provides FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone). Inside the cell, there is an immature egg surrounded by fluid. Further, there is a "natural selection" among the follicles - the one that first reaches 14 mm in diameter remains for development, the rest are absorbed.

The second phase of the menstrual cycle: ovulatory

The middle of the period is the ovulatory phase, during which all the forces of the reproductive system are thrown exclusively at the maturation of the egg and promoting its movement along the fallopian tube. Luteinizing hormone, also called peptide hormone, provides the production of substances that weaken the shell of the "survivor" at the previous stage of the follicle.

The ovulatory phase is the optimal period for successful conception, during which the egg is either fertilized from incoming sperm or dissolves after maturation.

Third phase: luteal

The final stage of the menstrual cycle is the luteal phase. This is the longest stage, the duration of which can be from 12 to 16 days. At this stage, the follicle that released the ripe egg becomes the corpus luteum, the main function of which is to produce progesterone. The hormone prepares a woman's reproductive system for conception and subsequent bearing of a child.

If fertilization of the egg does not occur, the corpus luteum disappears 10-12 days after the end of the ovulatory period.

The luteal phase is characterized by the following symptoms:

• increase in basal temperature up to 37 ° С;
• swelling of the mammary glands, their soreness;
• an increase in the amount of vaginal discharge, they can acquire a thicker consistency.

Attention! Discharge in the luteal phase, despite its abundance, should not have an unpleasant odor. The latter is a sign of infections of the genitourinary system.

The natural result of the luteal phase in the absence of conception is the onset of menstruation.

Menstrual phases and hormones

During the entire cycle of a girl, the concentration of hormones in the blood changes, which affects her well-being and emotional state. Each phase has its own characteristics:

1. Days 1-7. The estrogen level is at the lower limit, which leads to constant fatigue against the background of menstrual malaise. The first two days, menstruation will be the most abundant due to active endometrial detachment.
2. Days 8-14. The amount of progesterone and estrogen in the blood increases, vigor returns.
3. Days 15-21. Progesterone levels rise, estrogen falls. During this period, ovulation occurs.
4. Days 22-28. There is a rapid drop in testosterone, progesterone and estrogen levels in the blood.

Phases of the menstrual cycle by day

The phases of the cycle imply certain processes occurring in the body of any woman of reproductive age. In gynecological practice, there are averaged data on which days in the account should be attributed to a particular period. This information is especially useful for those girls who are planning to conceive in order to "catch" ovulation.

What is the phase 3 day of the cycle

The third day of the "circle" refers to the follicular period and falls in the middle of menstruation. The main symptoms are anxiety, swollen breasts, and lethargy due to low estrogen levels. At this time, menstruation in terms of the amount of blood secreted can go to an end.

What is the phase 4 day of the cycle

The fourth day is the continuation of the follicular phase. During this period, there is a decrease in the unpleasant symptoms characteristic of menstruation, a surge of strength is felt, the amount of blood secreted decreases.

What is the phase of the 5th day of the cycle

The fifth day is the middle of the follicular phase. This period is characterized by the completion of menstrual bleeding and the beginning of the maturation stage of the follicle, followed by its exit from the ovary. This process is stimulated by the growth of the hormones progesterone and estradiol.

The presence of insignificant signs of menstruation on the fifth day is considered the norm.

What is the phase of the 20th day of the cycle

The period refers to the luteal phase, which is characterized by the growth of progesterone due to the formation of a corpus luteum at the site of the follicle. However, day 20 may also be marked by slightly delayed ovulation, depending on the physical characteristics of the woman.

What is the phase of the 21st day of the cycle

The predominance of progesterone in the blood continues. The body usually enters the luteal phase. From the beginning of this period, subject to successful conception, a woman feels calm and peaceful. Skin rashes are possible due to a change in the concentration of hormones in the blood, as well as a decrease in libido. The body is thus tuned in to implantation of the egg into a new layer of the endometrium in the uterus, if fertilization has taken place.

What is the phase of the 22nd day of the cycle

Day 22 refers to the second stage of the luteal phase. If the fertilization of the egg does not occur, there may be a manifestation of emotional instability, mood swings, depression. Some girls notice unpleasant external symptoms in themselves - pain in the lower back, increased sensitivity and discomfort in the area of ​​the mammary glands, severe swelling of the face and limbs. Particularly acute signs of the 22-day luteal phase are observed with improper nutrition.

The endometrial layer during this period thickens as much as possible, it can be up to 14 mm, the concentration of progesterone in the blood is rapidly increasing.

Attention! Unpleasant symptoms of 22 days usually disappear after the onset of menstruation, if the planned conception has not occurred.

What is the phase of the 23rd day of the cycle

On the 23rd day, some women mark the beginning of their periods. This may indicate any pathological processes in the body, due to which the duration of the luteal phase is shortened. Normally, this period is the final stage of the latter. Unpleasant symptoms in the form of swelling of the mammary glands, their sensitivity, painful discomfort in the lumbar and lower abdomen reaches its peak. The woman thinks that her period is about to begin. There is an active decrease in the concentration of progesterone and testosterone in the blood.

Against the background of a decrease in the amount of steroid hormones, there is a deterioration in the blood supply to the new layer of the endometrium, which was formed at the beginning of the cycle. Its rejection is gradually observed, ending with menstruation and the subsequent start of a new follicular phase.

Conclusion

Menstruation is a natural process of the functioning of the body of a healthy woman who is in reproductive age. There are certain norms for the duration of the cycle, which provide for the presence of three mandatory phases necessary for conception and subsequent bearing of a child. Strong deviations from the standards adopted for monthly standards can mean the development of pathologies in the pelvic organs and require immediate medical intervention.