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What is the menstrual cycle?


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The menstrual cycle: what is it?
The monthly shedding of your uterine lining is known as menstruation. Menses, menstrual period, menstrual cycle, and period are other names for menstruation. Menstrual blood exits your body through your vagina and passes through your cervix. It is a mixture of blood and tissue from within your uterus.

Hormones are responsible for menstruation. Your body uses hormones as chemical messengers. During your menstrual cycle, your ovaries, a component of your reproductive system, and your pituitary gland, located in your brain, produce and release specific hormones at different periods.

The thickening of your uterine lining is caused by these hormones. This takes place in order for an egg to implant into your uterine lining in the event of a pregnancy. Moreover, hormones trigger ovulation, the release of an egg from your ovaries. The egg waits for sperm as it travels down your fallopian tubes. A sperm cannot fertilize an egg and for pregnancy to occur. Your uterine lining degrades and sheds. You are having a period right now. Your body gets ready for pregnancy through the menstrual cycle. Your uterus sheds its lining in response to hormones if you are not pregnant. This starts to feel like your menstruation. The cycle restarts when your menstruation arrives.

From the first day of your period to the first day of your subsequent period, that is the length of a menstrual cycle. Menstrual cycles typically last between 28 and 29 days, although each woman's cycle is unique. For instance, women in their 20s and 30s may have cycles that span 21 to 38 days, whereas teenagers may have cycles that last 45 days.

Menarche is the term for your first period. A first period can begin as early as nine or as late as sixteen, although in Western countries, the typical age is between twelve and thirteen.

Menopause is the term used to describe your final menstrual cycle. In Australia, women typically enter menopause between the ages of 51 and 52. Menopause in certain women may occur as late as age 60.

The menstrual cycle's phases
The menstrual cycle consists of four primary phases.

1. The menstrual cycle
Periods are the popular term for menstruation. Your uterine lining sheds and runs out of your vagina during menstruation. Blood, mucus, and some uterine lining cells are all present in your period. A menstruation lasts between three and seven days on average.

Period underwear, tampons, menstrual cups, or sanitary pads can all be used to catch your period. Period cups should be changed every eight to twelve hours, and pads and tampons should be changed on a regular basis (ideally every three to four hours).

2. The stage of follicles
The first day of your menstruation marks the beginning of the follicular phase, which lasts for 13 to 14 days and ends with ovulation. A hormone is released by the brain's pituitary gland to promote the development of follicles on the surface of the ovary. Usually, an egg can only develop from one follicle. As early as day 10 of your cycle, this is possible. Your uterus' lining increases during this stage as well, getting ready for pregnancy.

3. The ovulation process
A developed egg is released from the ovary after ovulation and travels down the fallopian tube to your uterus. This typically occurs once a month, roughly two weeks prior to your next menstrual cycle. The duration of ovulation is 16–32 hours.

Though it's more likely to occur in the three days preceding and including ovulation, getting pregnant can happen in the five days prior to ovulation as well as on the day of ovulation. The egg has a 24-hour lifespan after it is discharged. During this period, sperm may reach the egg and result in pregnancy.

4. The stage of luteal growth
The corpus luteum, or ovary cells, releases progesterone and a trace amount of estrogen following ovulation. As a result, the uterine lining thickens in anticipation of pregnancy.

The corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone in the event that a fertilized egg implants in the uterine lining, maintaining the thicker uterine lining.

The corpus luteum dies, progesterone levels fall, the uterine lining sheds, and the menstrual cycle restarts in the absence of pregnancy.

Typical menstruation issues
Among the more typical menstruation issues are:

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): Hormonal changes prior to menstruation can cause a variety of adverse consequences in women who are susceptible, such as headaches, exhaustion, irritability, and fluid retention. Exercise and nutritional adjustments are possible treatments for dysmenorrhea, or painful periods. It is believed that some hormones cause the uterus to contract more than is necessary in order to push out its lining. Painkillers and the oral contraceptive pill are two possible treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding (formerly known as menorrhagia), which can lead to anemia if left untreated. Oral contraceptives and hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) are two available treatment options for amenorrhea, or the lack of menstruation. With the exception of pre-puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and the postmenopausal period, this is regarded as aberrant. Excessive exercise and low or high body weight are potential causes.

When to visit your physician
If you are concerned about your period, consult your physician.

For instance, if your periods are becoming heavier and your period patterns are changing (meaning you need to replace your pad or tampon more frequently than every two hours),
Your menstrual cycle extends over eight days.
Your cycles are spaced apart by less than 21 days.
Your periods occur more frequently than every two to three months.
Your regular activities are affected by your excruciating symptoms.
In between cycles, you bleed
You bleed following a sexual encounter.