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Most women have regular periods. But there are times when the cycle is too long or too short, too tight or too heavy. Sometimes your periods are very painful, you get strange spotting or your period stops. Are these menstrual disorders a cause for concern?

Menstrual disorders :painful periods, heavy bleeding, spotting, period arrestis a problem for many women. Menstruation usually starts between the ages of 11 and 14 for the first time. However, it can also occur at the age of 9 or only after the age of 16. Regardless of how early (or late) you have your first period, your menstrual periods should be regular 2 years after the onset of this bleeding through to the premenopausal period. Pregnancy is a kind of disturbance in this cyclicality, but it is a physiology that needs to be ignored.

Menstrual disorders: too short and too long cycles, long periods

During menstruation, a woman loses 4-6 teaspoons of blood (the most in the first half of the period). This amount is significantly increased by the remnants of mucus and the fragments of the exfoliating mucosa that lines the inside of the uterus during menstruation. This peeling is gradual and therefore menstruation lasts for several days: usually 3-6. If it is longer than 8 days, it should prompt you to see a gynecologist. The average cycle length is 28 days (it is counted from the first day of menstruation to the first day of the next bleeding). If your cycle lasts more than 36 days or less than 20 days, or if your period is often delayed by more than 10 days, you should be concerned about this. These fluctuations are usually caused by hormonal disorders (including poor thyroid function). However, the reason may also be, for example, lesions within the uterus. So you should talk to your doctor about it and have the tests recommended by him done as soon as possible.

Painful periods

Sometimes a sharp pain in the lower abdomen teases right before or at the very beginning of menstruation. Sometimes it is also accompanied by headaches, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. The cause of these troubles is the appearance of the hormones prostaglandins in the uterus. These are chemicals that dilate blood vesselsand affect the smooth muscles of the fallopian tubes and uterus. And it is the high concentration of prostaglandins that is responsible for the strong contractions in the lower abdomen.

Important

Pregnancy break

Bleeding may appear in the first 2-3 months of pregnancy. It is the removal of the remnants of the uterine lining that have not been covered with the placenta. These menstruations, called miscarriages, are not dangerous for the fetus or the woman. In non-breastfeeding mothers, menstruation returns 8-10 weeks after delivery (the woman becomes fertile again). For mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding for 6-8 months and then breastfeeding their babies, menstruation returns around 14 months. Remember! Breastfeeding does not protect against pregnancy!

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Another reason for menstrual pain may be the narrow canal of the cervix (during menstruation, it is pressed against by discharge in the form of large clots). Such ailments can be relieved by painkillers, rest, a warm compress on the lower abdomen. The doctor may prescribe, for example, an anti-prostaglandin preparation. Unfortunately, acute menstrual pains may also signal more serious abnormalities, such as hormonal disorders, the presence of fibroids in the uterus, inflammation of the ovaries. Then only the treatment recommended by your gynecologist can help.

Menstrual disorders: for heavy periods

If you use more than 10 sanitary napkins during the day and you notice that your periods are getting heavier, do not hesitate and see your doctor. Excessive bleeding may indicate, for example, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts or inflammation of the reproductive organ. Since a large loss of blood causes anemia, the doctor usually orders a blood count and prescribes hematopoietic preparations - iron, vitamin B12 . With heavy menstruation, you must limit the use of painkillers with acetylsalicylic acid (it reduces blood clotting). Also, avoid overexertion, drinking strong coffee, cola and alcohol. Also, you must not heat your lower abdomen (e.g. with a hot water bottle to relieve pain), because the heat dilates the blood vessels and may increase the bleeding.

Important

Cyclic site

The so-called a cyclic center located in the brain (in the hypothalamus). It is he who gives the signal to the pituitary gland that it is time to enter the next phase of the sexual cycle. This in turn - through the hormones FSH (follicostimulin) and LH (luteinizing hormone) - informs the ovaries about it, and they must perform specific tasks. When the time comes to release the egg, the ovaries - under the command "from above" - ​​produce estrogens (they areincl. properly prepare the endometrium). During the second half of the cycle, the ovaries begin to produce progesterone to create a convenient environment for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. If a woman does not become pregnant, progesterone causes the lining of the womb to shed and menstruation begins. Sex hormones therefore work cyclically. If the cycle is correct, it consists of three phases. Each of them has different levels of hormones in the blood. In phase I (pre-ovulatory), the levels of estrogen and progesterone are lowest. In phase II (ovulation), the level of sex hormones is almost 10 times higher than in phase I. In phase III (post-ovulation), progesterone reaches its maximum concentration in the blood; it is almost 40 times greater than in phase I. If you are going to have a hormone test, you need to remember which day of the cycle you are. This will allow the doctor to interpret the results correctly.

Menstrual disorders: suspicious spotting between periods

If scanty spotting occurs around mid-cycle, it is most often a sign of ovulation. It is at this point in the cycle that estrogen levels drop - the lining of the uterus peels slightly and spotting may appear. Sometimes it is accompanied by a pain called ovulatory. Bleeding between periods can also be caused by an intrauterine coil or birth control pills, which are made up of only progestogens (called mini-pills). If this is the case, you and your gynecologist should consider changing the contraceptive, and if these bleeding between periods are quite heavy, you should not delay visiting the gynecologist. They can herald serious diseases: from hormonal disorders, endometriosis, inflammation of the ovaries, to fibroids and polyps, ovarian or cervical cancer.

Menstrual disorders: period stop

It doesn't have to be related to pregnancy at all. The reasons may be, for example, strong mental experiences, intensive slimming treatment, radical climate change, discontinuation of contraceptive pills, and even prolonged physical exertion. If you suspect you are pregnant, you can do a simple home pregnancy test (a urine sample is put on the tester). When it is negative, and the period does not appear for about 2 weeks, visit a gynecologist - he will determine the cause of the ailments and prescribe a treatment. A separate cause of menstrual arrest is the menopause. It is preceded by a period of several years in which the amount of estrogen secreted gradually decreases. One sign of this are the cycles that are less and less regular. Then it is worth talking to the gynecologist about the therapy that will help relieve the discomfort of the periodmenopause.

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Female diseases