Menstruation is an event that occurs cyclically in women of childbearing age. Their presence is extremely striking for women, not only because of possible nuisance it causes, but also because the first and last period serve as a landmark between the stages of life of women. Also, menstruation or absence of menstruation, also act as a signal to other relevant moment in life, which is pregnancy.
In this article we will answer 30 common questions about menstruation and menstrual cycle.
Menstruation is a phenomenon that occurs cyclically, every time a woman ovulates, but not pregnant. Let the explanation:
About 7 days before ovulation occurs, hormonal changes, particularly increased production of estrogen, stimulate the proliferation of cells, glands and blood vessels of the endometrium (the name we give to the wall of the uterus). The progressive growth of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle occurs in order to prepare the uterus for possible pregnancy, making it suitable to receive the newly fertilized egg.
At the time of ovulation, the uterus is up to 1.0 to 1.5 cm thicker than usual. If the woman ovulates, but it is not fertilized, the egg released atrophy, and hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone fall quickly. Without these hormones, blood flow to the thick wall of the endometrium ceases and collapses the same, and removed through the vagina.
Therefore, menstruation is nothing more than a mixture of tissues, glands, mucus secretions, clotted blood, blood vessels and other structures that were part of the endometrial wall. That's why the bleeding of menstruation is not composed of live and liquid blood, being very different from other types of bleeding that we used to see.
2. You can ovulate and not menstruating?
Only if the egg has been fertilized. Otherwise, if she ovulated and was not fertilized, it will surely menstruating days later.
3. Is possible without menses ovulated?
There, the menstruation is the result of ovulation does not fertilized. If the woman does not ovulated, it means that there was no hormonal changes that stimulate the proliferation of the endometrium. So if a woman does not ovulate, she did not menstruate.
The only exception is women who use birth control pills. In these cases, the woman does not ovulate, but the artificial hormone replacement therapy stimulates the proliferation of the endometrium. Therefore, menstruation occurs at the end of each card.
4. What is the amount of blood that is lost normally in period?
On average, women lose about 30 to 50 ml of blood each menstrual cycle. The limit of what is considered normal is around 80 mL per cycle. Obviously, no woman is measuring the amount of menstrual blood, because, as we have explained, what comes out during menstruation is not only blood, but also a lot of endometrial tissue and vaginal secretions. Therefore, the simplest form, consider an abnormal menstrual bleeding to menstruation has one or more of the following features:
Duration greater than 8 days.
The need to replace the absorbent over 6 times per day.
Menstrual cycles that occur at shorter intervals than 24 days.
Printing of the menstrual flow is much larger than usual, even though it does not fit the 3 conditions above.
5. How many days have a normal menstrual cycle?
In most cases, the menstrual cycle has between 28 and 35 days. However, they are still considered normal menstrual cycles that have between 24 and 38 days of interval.
6. How many days should last menstruation?
In most cases, the menstrual period lasts from 4 to 6 days. However, up to 8 days of menstrual losses are considered normal.
7. What are the main causes menstruation delayed?
The main cause of missed period is pregnancy. However, this obviously does not mean that all late period is caused by an ongoing pregnancy. There are many other causes for menstrual delay, such as infections, medications, stress, significant changes in body weight, hormonal changes, etc. The link next to provide a more detailed explanation of these causes.
8. What is the normal age of first menstruation?
Currently, the average age of menarche, the name given to the first period of life is 12.5 years. Most cases occur between 11 and 13 years, but considered normal when menarche occurs between 9 and 15 years.
It is worth bearing in mind that the first period usually arise around 2 and a half years after the onset of puberty, ie after the onset of pubic hair and the beginning of breast development. Therefore, the absence of menarche to 14 or 15 years may already be a sign of backwardness in development if the girl does not present signs of having entered puberty.
9. What is the normal age for menopause?
Most women experience menopause between 45 and 55 years old, with an average of 51 years. When menopause appears before age 40, it is early menopause call because the ovaries went bankrupt earlier than usual.
10. How long does it take to get regular menstruation during adolescence?
In general, in the first years after menarche, menstrual cycle of girls is very irregular because ovulation occurs very erratically. In the first year, about half of anovulatory cycles are, i.e. without the occurrence of ovulation. This causes menstruation may take 40 or more days to return.
Three years after menarche, about 95% of women already with more or less regulated menstrual cycle. However, variations may still occur to 5 or 7 years after the onset of menses.
11. The girls stop growing after menstruation?
No, but the growth spurt usually occurs months before menarche. After the first period the girls still grow for a few years, only in much more slowly and with a predominance in the trunk (members grow faster than the trunk at the beginning of puberty).
12. What is the normal color of menses?
The color of menstruation depends on some factors such as menstrual volume and the day of menstruation. In general, the period may start with a more darkened pain and bit stream. As menstrual flow increases, it becomes redder and can also be pink or have color of red wine. Finally, by reducing the flow, menstruation back to get a little brown, because the blood it takes to be expelled will become more darkened with each passing day.
13. In the virgin women, such as menstrual blood comes out?
The hymen a film present at the input of the vaginal canal of virgin female, not fully occludes the vagina, as it usually presents a hole in its center that allows passage of menstrual flow. However, about 0.1% of females are born with a malformation called imperforate hymen, which consists of a hole without hymen. In these cases, if the patient is not diagnosed before menarche, menstruation, when it appears, will not be able to be eliminated, causing a cyclical abdominal frame and accumulation of clots in the pelvic region.
14. Virgin Women can use tampon?
They can, but must do so carefully and, if possible, with guidance from a gynecologist. The preference is always the small size absorbent.
Some women have anatomical variations of the hymen, which can hinder the passage of absorbent. A simple examination by gynecologist is able to identify anatomical changes that may hinder the use of tampon.
If the tampon does not come easily, do not force. Seek guidance from your gynecologist.
15. You can sleep with a tampon?
No, during the night the woman should only use the external absorbent, because the risk of proliferation of bacteria and gynecological infection is greatly increased if the tampon is maintained for many hours without being replaced.
16. It is possible to become pregnant and is menstruating?
Yes, but it is unusual. The sperm, if it is of good quality, can be viable in the female gynecological tract for up to 7 days. If the woman has a short cycle and have had sex at the end of menstruation, she may ovulate within those 7 days, and are thus at risk of becoming pregnant.
17. Pregnant women menstruate?
No. As explained above, the period is the end result of an ovulation not fertilized. Because women do not ovulate during pregnancy, they may not menstruate at this stage.
Incidentally, if menstruasse women during pregnancy, it would abort, since the endometrium is that the embryo is adhered.
This does not mean, however, that pregnant women can not have vaginal bleeding from another source. Some of these bleeds may be similar to menstruation, hence the reason for so much confusion.
18. Is it OK to have sex during menstruation?
No, no. However, some studies suggest that greater contact with blood and tissue of the uterus increases the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, both for man and for woman, if one partner is infected.
19. Is there a problem in physical activities during menstruation?
There, one can exercise normally during menstruation. Women have on average 3.5 to 4.5 liters of blood circulating in the body. There will be a maximum of 80ml of blood lost during the menstrual days will make great shortage. In some cases, physical activity to improve the uncomfortable symptoms of menstruation.
Doctors, however, advise that the patient respects the limits of your body, because some women feel more tired and less willing to make an effort during the menstrual period. There are cases also where menstrual pain is aggravated by stress. In these situations, therefore, it is recommended only light activities until the body feel good again for more intense workouts.
20. Menstruation causes diarrhea?
Not directly, but some women may have an increased volume and frequency of bowel movements during the menstrual period. Women who have more severe menstrual cramps are more likely to have other symptoms during menstruation, such as diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness and headache.
21. It is true that menstruation does not descend into the pool or the sea?
Partly true. When submerged, the water pressure so as to colder temperatures, hinder the descent of menses. If the menstrual volume, however, is too large, or if the woman makes a lot of effort into the pool, it is indeed possible to be losses.
22. Menstrual Cramp is the same as PMS?
No, cramps and PMS are different situations, but that often coexist. It is perfectly possible for a woman to have colic and not have PMS.
The cramps are more common in adolescents and usually improve over the years. However, up to 1/4 of adult women keeps menstrual cramps for life.
23. What is PMS (premenstrual syndrome)?
The TPM is a set of signs and symptoms, both physical and psychological order that arise at the end of the ovulatory cycle, or days before menstruation descent.
Fatigue, irritability, empanzinamento, anxiety, tenderness in the breasts, mood swings, depression and food cravings are the most common symptoms of PMS.
24. Every menstruating woman has PMS?
No, but about 70% to 80% of women are affected by a change of mood in the premenstrual period.
25. It is possible to delay menstruation on purpose?
Yes, there are artificial ways to slow the descent of menstruation. If you have a trip, a race, a competition or any other event that may be hindered by menstruation, talk to your gynecologist as there are ways to delay menstruation without causing health problems.
26. You can anticipate the coming period?
Until it is, but it is necessary to stimulate the occurrence of ovulation, which only indicated in special situations. Teas and homemade recipes to advance menstruation have no scientific proof.
In general, if a woman wants to have more control over the days of menstruation, we recommend continued use of contraceptives.
27. contraceptives take continuously, so as not menstruating is bad?
No. In the light of current scientific knowledge, menstruation is not a necessary physiological event. On the contrary, the suppression of ovulation, if done correctly, seems to bring more benefits than risks, contributing even to reduce the incidence of some gynecological cancers such as ovarian and endometrial.
28. How long a woman takes back naturally menstruating after stopping the use of birth control ?
In most cases, about one month after discontinuation of the pill, the woman returns to ovulating and menstruation returns naturally, even in those who took the pill for several years. In general, if after three months of suspension the woman does not menstruate again alone, a gynecological research should be done.
29. My period is late and pregnancy tests are negative. What to do?
A consultation with a gynecologist is usually recommended for all women who are not pregnant and have more than two months of missed menses.
30. How many days of missed period can I expect to do a pregnancy test?
Most tests can already identify a pregnancy with 1 or 2 days missed menses. But to avoid the risk of false-negative, it is best to wait at least one week. pregnancy tests before menstruation delay are unreliable.
