Monthly cycle: norm and deviations

The female body is fraught with many mysteries. And to deal with all of them to an ordinary person is sometimes very difficult. Therefore, in this article I want to talk in detail about what a monthly cycle is. Norms and deviations will also be described later.

We understand the concepts

First of all, I want to decide on the concepts themselves in order to fully understand what is at stake. So, the monthly (or more correctly - the menstrual) cycle is a special physiological process that is characteristic exclusively for the female body (sexually mature person). It has a regular nature, affects mainly the reproductive system. All of these processes are controlled by hormones that the ovaries produce, as well as the brain.

When does a woman begin to form a monthly cycle? Norma is the time of puberty for a girl. This happens on average at 11-14 years. The menstrual cycle in women with the onset of menopause disappears (most often it comes at the age of 45-55). This is a normal physiological process, as a result of which a woman already becomes unable to conceive and bear a baby. The external manifestation of the menstrual cycle is spotting, or menstruation.

How to count?

Not all women know how to correctly calculate their female cycle. So, first of all, it is worth saying that you need to start the count from the first day of spotting, to end - the last day before a new menstruation. Ideally, the monthly cycle is 28 days. But this is not the case with all women. The norm is also considered a deviation from this figure of one week. That is, if a lady has a cycle lasting within 21-35 days, there is nothing to worry about. If not, be sure to consult a doctor for expert advice. It is also important to remember that the cycle should be regular. If one month it has 25 days, and the second - 32 - this is not normal. Variations are possible within 1-3 days. Otherwise, again, you need to contact the gynecologist for advice and a search for reasons.

Nuances

We further consider the monthly cycle in women. What other terms do you need to know here?

1. Ovulation (translated from Latin as "egg"). This is one of the processes of the menstrual cycle. At this time, the follicle breaks, and an egg comes out of it, completely ready for fertilization.
2. Menstruation. It occurs approximately 12-15 days after ovulation. These are spotting, with which the exfoliated endometrium leaves as unnecessary (if pregnancy did not occur).

Phases

The phases of the cycle of menstruation - this is what else needs to be discussed in this article. So, this question can be approached in different ways. According to one version, there are only two phases of the menstrual cycle:

1. Folliculin.
2. Luteal (secretory, or yellow body phase).

Why is there such a separation? The hormones that dominate the reproductive organs of the female body are to blame. Often you can see information that there are two more phases of the monthly cycle:

1. Menstruation phase.
2. Ovulation phase.

However, most scientists believe that it is not entirely correct to distinguish them in terms of hormonal levels. However, it is believed that they more clearly show the processes occurring in the ovaries and uterus. In addition, these phases are very important during pregnancy planning; therefore, they cannot be completely ruled out. All four phases will be considered below.

The first phase: menstruation

The normal cycle of menstruation begins with the first phase, which is calculated from the first day of spotting. These are the so-called monthly periods. At this time, the previously rejected endometrium exits with the blood. This process can also be called preparation for the reception of a new egg. As for the duration, this phase has only 3 to 6 days. It ends before the end of bloody discharge in women. What else is important to say when studying the cycle of menstruation? How much blood should a girl normally have? Not more than 80 ml for the entire period of menstruation. If a woman replaces pads or tampons more than 10 times a day - this is an occasion to consult a doctor. You should also seek help if spotting lasts a week or more.

Possible problems

What problems may arise in this phase?

1. Amenorrhea (the prefix "a" means absence). This is a complete absence of spotting. However, this diagnosis can only be made if a similar phenomenon is observed for six months.
2. Algodismenorea (prefix "algo" means pain). These are painful periods, when a woman feels very bad. At this time, the lady's ability to work is sharply reduced.
3. Menorrhagia. This is too heavy spotting. This diagnosis can be made if the woman’s menstruation lasts more than 7 days or the amount of discharge is more than 80 ml.

Second phase: follicular

We study further the monthly cycle. The norm is when the second phase in a woman lasts about two weeks after the completion of bloody discharge. At this time, a woman's brain begins to send certain impulses, under the influence of which follicle-stimulating hormone is actively produced, and follicles grow in the ovaries. A dominant follicle is gradually formed, which will be the haven for egg maturation in the future. At the same time, a hormone such as estrogen is actively produced in the lady's body. He is working on updating the uterine lining. Also, this hormone affects the cervical mucus so much that it becomes immune to sperm.

Problems

Violation of the cycle of menstruation in the second phase can cause various stresses and diseases. In this case, the third phase of the female cycle will occur somewhat later than usual.

Phase Three: Ovulation

This is the middle of the monthly cycle. At this moment, there is a restructuring of hormones in the female body. The level of FSH, i.e., follicle-stimulating hormone, is significantly reduced, however, LH, i.e., luteinizing hormone , is immediately released . Time frame of the period: three days. What happens to the female body at this time?

1. LH makes the cervix very susceptible to sperm.
2. Egg maturation is coming to an end.
3. The egg is released from the follicle, after which it enters the fallopian tubes and expects conception (term - about two days).

Phase Four: Luteal

It can also be called the "phase of the corpus luteum." After the release of the follicle, it begins to actively produce the hormone progesterone, the main task of which is to prepare the uterine mucosa for implantation. At the same time, cervical mucus dries up, the production of LH stops. If a normal monthly cycle is observed in women, then this phase lasts no more than 16 days (for a maximum of 12 days, the fertilized egg should attach to the uterus).

1. If fertilization has occurred: in this case, the egg enters the uterine cavity, is implanted, and the production of the so-called pregnancy hormone begins, which will be active throughout the entire period of gestation.
2. If fertilization has not occurred: in this case, the corpus luteum and the egg die off, the production of progesterone stops. This causes the destruction of the endometrium, which entails its rejection and the onset of the first phase of a new menstrual cycle - spotting.

Cycle and conception

Each lady should know her correct cycle of menstruation. After all, this is very important in that situation, if you want to prepare for the conception of the baby or, conversely, to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. After all, as everyone knows, there are favorable and dangerous days of the female cycle. About this in more detail:

1. The maximum probability of conception is a couple of days before ovulation or at the time of the second phase of the menstrual cycle.
2. It is worth remembering that male sperm live up to seven days in the female ways, therefore fertilization is possible even if unprotected sexual intercourse occurred a week before ovulation.
3. Favorable days for those who do not yet want to have children: a couple of days after ovulation. The ovum has already died at this time, fertilization will not occur.

However, it is worth saying that it is very difficult to accurately predict ovulation. After all, the female body is not an ideal machine. If you don’t want to get pregnant, it’s best not to rely on your calculations, but to protect yourself additionally with modern means, say, condoms.

Basal temperature

We study further the monthly cycle. The norm and deviations must be known to every woman. Here I also want to talk about how you can independently identify with the phases. To do this, it is enough to trace a graph of basal temperature (as you know, this is a measurement of temperature in the vagina of a lady or in the rectum). In the first days after spotting, the temperature should be kept within 37 ° C. Further, it usually decreases slightly, and then “jumps” by 0.5 ° C and is normally more than 37 ° C. On this indicator, the temperature keeps almost all the time, but a few days before the onset of menstruation decreases again. If this did not happen, we can say that the girl became pregnant. If the temperature has not changed at all throughout the cycle, this means that the third phase - ovulation - has not occurred.

About failures

Modern women very often suffer from such a problem as a violation of the cycle of menstruation. What symptoms may signal this:

1. The increase in the interval between menstruation, its substantial fluctuation.
2. Change of days in a cycle (deviation of more than three days in any direction).
3. Profuse or scanty spotting.
4. The complete absence of menstruation for at least two months (if this, of course, is not a sign of pregnancy).
5. The appearance of bleeding in different phases of the menstrual cycle (not only in the first).
6. The duration of spotting is more than a week or less than three days.

These are the main problems that should alert the lady. In this case, you must definitely consult a gynecologist and find out the causes of these phenomena.

Causes

If a woman has lost a monthly cycle, the reasons for this may be as follows:

1. Weight change - obesity or its sharp loss. Starvation, as well as the consumption of food harmful to the body and overeating, affects the whole body as a whole, and especially the reproductive function of the lady. Accordingly, on the menstrual cycle.
2. Stress. In this condition, the lady actively begins to produce the hormone prolactin, which is able to inhibit ovulation and cause a delay in menstruation.
3. Physical exercise.
4. Acclimatization. If a woman changes her residence belt, it falls into the cold from heat or vice versa, the body turns on protective forces, which can affect the female cycle.
5. If a lady has lost her monthly cycle, the cause of this may be a hormonal malfunction (a violation of the production of certain hormones).
6. Female diseases. The cycle can go astray if a lady has the following problems: inflammation of the uterus, pathology of her neck, cysts, polyps of the uterus, her appendages.
7. Acceptance of oral contraceptives. If a woman is just starting to take birth control pills, at first, while the body is adapting, there may be certain malfunctions. However, after a maximum of three months, if the medications are selected correctly, a clear and normal cycle of menstruation will be established.
8. Adolescence and menopause. During these periods, the female cycle may be irregular, which is not an indicator of special problems with the body. In a young girl, the first cycle of menstruation will never be an indicator that menstruation will continue in the same mode.
9. The lady will completely stop menstruating if pregnancy occurs.
10. Huge problems with the cycle will be in the case of involuntary or planned abortions.

Diagnostics

If a lady begins a period in the middle of a cycle or has any other problem, she must necessarily seek medical advice. After all, this can be the cause of quite serious problems with the body. What indicators will the gynecologist diagnose?

1. Survey (obtaining complete information about the possible causes of violations).
2. Gynecological examination of the patient.
3. Taking all smears necessary for analysis.
4. Blood and urine tests.

If these procedures do not give complete answers to questions of interest to the doctor, additional studies may be prescribed to the lady:

1. Ultrasound of the pelvic or abdominal cavity.
2. Hormone tests.
3. MRI - magnetic resonance imaging (determination of pathological changes in tissues, as well as the search for possible neoplasms).
4. Hysteroscopy (examination of the walls of the uterus of the patient with a special tool).

Only a combination of these methods of studying the patient’s condition can give a complete picture of the causes of her illness, which will lead to a correct diagnosis and the appointment of competent treatment.

Diseases

Above it was said a little about what problems may arise with the female menstrual cycle and which develop diseases against this background. However, this is not a complete list.

1. Hypomenorrhea. This is a very scarce spotting.
2. Opsomenorrhea. Significant shortening of the duration of spotting in women.
3. Oligomenorrhea. This is an increase in the interval between honey and lady's spotting.

All of these problems should be troubling. Every woman should remember that the timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease is very important.

Complications

If a woman has lost a cycle (between periods, for example, different time intervals pass) or other problems with women's health have arisen, you should immediately consult a doctor for qualified advice. After all, if you do not diagnose and treat the disease on time, this can lead to serious complications, which will be extremely difficult to cope with. It is worth remembering that later detection of pathologies that cause malfunctions of the menstrual cycle can lead not only to the inability to become pregnant, but even to the death of a young lady.

Treatment: simple tips

If a woman has minor malfunctions of the menstrual cycle, you can try to correct the situation without the intervention of doctors. To do this, it is enough to correctly correct your daily regimen and diet. That is, you need to exclude all harmful products from food, pay more attention to the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as cereals. In sufficient quantities, the lady should also rest: a minimum of seven hours of night sleep, breaks in work, physical activity and staying in the fresh air - these are the only nuances that can correct the female cycle with minor failures.

Doctor's treatment

If the girl still needs to seek medical help, treatment will be prescribed based on the reasons that led to hormonal failure.

1. If the cause is stress, sedatives will be prescribed to the patient.
2. If there are problems with spotting, hemostatic drugs, aminocaproic acid can be attributed to a woman (to eliminate bleeding if menstruation occurs in the middle of the cycle).
3. With heavy bleeding, a lady can receive donated blood, plasma.
4. Surgical intervention is possible (including hysterectomy, i.e. removal of the uterus).
5. In some cases, the girl may be prescribed antibiotics (if the cause of the failure is infectious diseases).
6. The most common methods of treatment are the administration of hormonal drugs to regulate the hormonal background.