Menstruationis the monthly bleeding that happens during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
The menstrual cycle is the series of hormonal changes that a females body goes through in preparation for pregnancy.
Each month, the lining of the uterus (or womb) thickens.
The blood and tissue pass out of the body through thevagina.
The menstrual period, or menstruation, typically lasts three to five days for most women.
Every woman’s menstrual cycle is slightly different.
A normal menstrual cycle length can be anywhere from 21 to 35 days.
The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days.
MensesThe first stage of the menstrual cycles is menses, which begins on the day you get your period.
FollicularThis phase starts on the first day of menstruation so there is some overlap with the menses phase.
It is the longest phase of the menstrual cycle, lasting about two weeks until ovulation.
During the latter part of the follicular phase, one of these follicles will form a fully mature egg.
OvulationIn a 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs at about day 14.
There will be some variation in when ovulation occurs depending on whether yourmenstrual cycle is shorteror longer than average.
During this phase, the ovary releases its egg.
Menstrual Cramps (Dysmenorrhea)
Dysmenorrhea, or menstrual cramping, is pain associated with menstruation.
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Hormones calledprostaglandinscan causemenstrual cramping.
Prostaglandins are produced by the lining of the uterus.
Cramps usually occur right before menstruation starts and may last for a day or two.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, can help relieve menstrual cramps.
Some women find applying heat with a heating pad or hot water bottle or taking a warm bath helps.
Pain typically decreases throughout the period as you shed the uterine lining.
Perimenopausal women may also experience irregular periods as they transition to menopause.
Some women experience absent or infrequent periods.
OligomenorrheaThis is a medical term for infrequent periods.
Women with oligomenorrhea have fewer than six to eight periods in a year.
Talk to your doctor if:
Medications are often the first line of treatment for heavy periods.
Tracking periods can also help you spot any irregularities or changes to your menstrual cycle.
Experts recommend marking each day of your period with an “X” on a calendar.
Note any pain or changes in flow.
Taken together, these logs can help predict when your period (and ovulation) should come next.
All of this information together gives you the greatest odds of correctly predicting your date of ovulation.
The blood and tissue pass out of the body through the vagina.
Typically, your period begins two to three years after your breasts start to develop.
Womens periods begin to stop when they transition into menopause (known as perimenopause).
This typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 though it can happen earlier.
Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has gone 12 months without having a menstrual period.
She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
She is currently working on her PhD in medical sociology.
Ashley Welch has more than a decade of experience in both breaking news and long-form storytelling.
As a former staff member at Everyday Health, she covered a wide range of chronic conditions and diseases.
She enjoys yoga and is an aspiring runner.
