Nov 19 2009

Menstrual Problems

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Women experience a number on menstruation issues:

  • No menstruation
  • Late menstruation
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Heavy menstruation
  • Light Menstruation
  • Long menstruation
  • Short menstruation
  • No or late menarche
  • Painful menstruation
  • Uncomfortable menstruation
  • Menstrual products issues
  • Increased sex drive during menstruation

Although there are exceptions, a woman’s menstrual cycle is a good gauge of her health. This is one of the reasons that sports couches, doctors and nurses ask about your last period during visits.

It is important to understand that a woman’s body is not like a mechanical machine that does the same thing exactly the same way over and over and over. Our physical health, nutrition, mental and emotional health, medicines and environment has a lot to do with our fertility cycle.

The other point is that a woman’s cycle is not constant across her fertile life. It is normally like a bag of popcorn being popped. It will start slow and irregular, it will go more and more regular and then slow down again o the point where we may get a few burnt kernels at the end. It goes: POP…….POP…POP POP………..POP……POP..POP….POP.POP.POP POP.POP.POP<-> POP.POP..POP..POP….POP…POP…….POP……………POP……….POP…………………………POP

During our earlier cycles we may not even bleed. Just a bit of spotting. And during the first year or two we may skip several periods, or bleed just a few weeks apart, or very heavy. We do not even ovulate regularly during the first few months.

Our periods will also change throughout our life times. Our fertility is constantly changing. The following graph illustrates this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Source: Management of the Infertile Woman by Helen A. Carcio and The Fertility Sourcebook by M. Sara Rosenthal

Women normally see drastic changes in their cycles a few times in their teens, late 20’s or early 30’s, late 30’s or early 40’s, around mid 40’s and late 40’s/early 50’s, and maybe mid 50’s. These changes have a lot to do with the changes in fertility, and in her mental and emotional state.

Other things that change our cycles are stopping hormonal contraceptives, taking emergency contraceptives, getting pregnant, regardless if it results in a live birth or not.

Then there are also the temporary disturbances from stress and worry, or taking antibiotics.

In general, if your cycle suddenly and drastically change, you should see a doctor. By the third changed cycle in a row, it is very advisable to see a health professional.

Lets look at just some of the causes for menstrual changes:

No menstruation

PCOS, birth control hormones, stress, low body fat, extreme fitness, pregnancy, menopause, no ovulation.

Late menstruation

Birth control hormones, PCOS, stress, low body fat, excessive exercise

Irregular menstruation

Menarce, Perimenopause, PCOS,

Heavy menstruation

Perimenopause

Light Menstruation

Long menstruation

Short menstruation

No or late menarche

Malnutrition, Childhood sport like gmnastics

Painful menstruation

Fibroids, Endometriosis, PCOS

Uncomfortable menstruation

Menstrual products issues

Not being able to use internal protection (tampons), forgetting a tampon inside, allergy to pads, Flooding pads and tampons.

Sex drive

Feeling extremely sexual and aroused during menstruation

 

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