All You Must Know About From Menarche To Menopause
Menstruation is termed with many names such as monthly cycle, period as well as the flow. However, whatever you name it, it is the name given to monthly bleeding from the uterus of the adolescent girls as well as premenopausal women. In other words, this is a regular discharge of blood, fluid, tissue as well as mucous which generally lasts for 5 to 6 days.
Overview
- An adolescent girl with an average age between 11 and 15 years, in other words when a woman ovulates, the egg which can be fertilized is being released by one of her ovaries.
- When it travels along the fallopian tubes, it is met by the sperm, then the egg is fertilized and there is a chance of pregnancy. This fertilized egg will adhere the to the endometrium of the uterus which is followed by the production of a hormone named BetaHCG that helps to prevent menstruation by stimulating the ovary to continue producing progesterone and the pregnancy will proceed.
- Having said that if there is no fertilization, the lining of the uterus starts shedding from the uterine wall. This process usually occurs within 14 days after ovulation and the main reason behind this is the falling of progesterone levels. The lining then passes through the vagina in the form of menstrual flow.
- The bleeding of the first day of menstruation is termed as Day 1. This is the day when the endometrium starts shedding.
- Ovulation occurs on Day 14 of the 28-day cycle. This is the time when a mature egg is released for travelling down the fallopian tube. The endometrium gets thickened and if no such problem occurs, the lining starts shedding the blood down the vagina.
Now let us discuss it briefly. Menstruation is a result of puberty. This is when the body of an adolescent girl is capable of reproduction. It does not really matter if you have had your period for years or you are waiting for your first one. It is very difficult to predict the first period of an adolescent girl. This article will go through everything you need to know from menarche to menopause.
The age of getting the first period
Most of the girls start getting their first periods between the ages of 12 as well as 13. Having said that, it is absolutely normal if your period starts a bit sooner or later too. Menstruation usually starts about two years after breast development. It is also a time when girls can become moodier and start to talk back to their parents. Menarche is also a normal process pf the maturation in the girls with various other changes which happen to them during their puberty. The timing factor of menarche is also very important and if a girl experiences her first period before the age of 8, she is in a condition of precious puberty which specifically needs medical attention. On the other hand, if a girl experiences her normal breast development as well as pubic hair but still does not have her first period by the age of 16, she could also have a problem. This is medically termed primary amenorrhea or delayed menarche.
Symptoms of menarche
There are a couple of symptoms of menarche that people experience. However, some of you may start your periods without any sort of warning. The symptoms include the following:
- Abdominal bloating
- Acne
- Back pain
- Soreness in breasts
- Constipation
- Mood swings
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Cravings for food
- Vaginal discharge
Delay of menarche
The main cause of the delay in menarche is because of the continued interference with the hormonal cascade that is must for the onset of menstruation. This is likely to happen if the girl is an athlete or ballet dancer. The onset of menarche is the sign of the beginning of the reproductive years of a woman’s life.
How much blood you will lose?
It is difficult to measure how much blood you will lose during your period. There are sometimes when you may experience heavy flow and need to change your pad frequently. Also, there are sometimes when you may experience a light blood flow. The flow of blood is maximum generally at the beginning and then get lighter again until it gets over.
Will you have your period at the rest of your life?
The answer is No. A woman will no longer be able to reproduce once she reaches menopause. Menopause occurs at the approximate age of 50. This is the period when a woman stops ovulating and hence can no longer become pregnant. Menopause is similar to menarche as it varies from woman to woman.
Menopause
Menopause is the stage of life which is basically the end of the menstrual cycle. Each woman experiences it differently as per her body condition. Menopause can last for a few years and it is classified in three different stages namely:
Perimenopause
It is the time when the body experience transition before menopause and includes a year which follows the last period of a woman.
Menopause
Menopause starts either a year after the last period or when the menstruation has stopped for a clinical reason which includes the removal of the ovaries.
Postmenopause
It is the period after menopause. Having said that it is difficult to analyse when the menopause is finished and postmenopause starts.
What are the signs of menopause?
During the time of menopause, various mental, as well as physical changes, occur. Some women experience before menopause, while some experience after the menopause. These symptoms include:
Irregular menstruation
The first and foremost sign which occur at menopause is the irregular period. Some women experience more frequently occurring periods or less frequently occurring periods than usual. If you are one who is experiencing these changes in your menstruation should consult to your doctor as these are also the symptoms of pregnancy.
Lower fertility
As the woman approaches the end of the reproductive stage, the level of estrogen starts falling which reduces the chances of becoming pregnant.
Hot flashes
It is the common symptoms at the time of menopause. This causes a person is feeling a sensation of heat in the upper part of the body. This sensation may start in the neck, face as well as the chest. This hot flash cause red patches on the skin as well as sweating. Apart from this some women also experience night sweat.
Sleep disturbances
Sleep disturbances can also occur during the menopause and this can occur due to night sweats, anxiety or frequent urination. Therefore a person needs plenty of exercises and avoids heavy meals to get rid of this problem.
Emotional Changes
Low mood, anxiety as well as depression are the most common emotional changes at the time of menopause. The sleep disturbances and hormonal changes are the reasons behind it. Having said that if a woman experiences such issues for more than 2 weeks then she should consult a doctor.
Physical Changes
There are various physical changes which occur during menopause. Following are some of them:
- Weight gain
- Flat abdomen
- Slight changes in hair colour, volume and texture
- Reduction in breast
Treatment
Menopause is specifically not a health-related problem but it is a natural phenomenon. However, it involves some mental as well as physical changes. As mentioned above, who see vast changes in their body need to seek the advice of doctor.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy helps in balancing the hormonal levels of the body by offering the additional estrogen and the synthetic version of the progesterone. It comes in various forms such as topical creams or skin patches which helps to reduce the discharge of hot flashes and various other symptoms. However, it may also include various other health problems. A person should not go for hormone therapy if she has family issues in history. Following are some of them:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Blood clots
- Liver problems
- Breast cancer
Other treatments
A person may also get various treatments which help to relieve the above-mentioned symptoms:
- Pills and rings as prescribed by the doctor for vaginal dryness
- Over the counter gels
- Low dose hormonal birth control pills for mood changes and other symptoms
- Antidepressants for hot flashes for some people who are suffering from depression.
Lifestyle tips for menopause
Following are some of the important lifestyle tips which help to manage the problems faced at the time of menopause:
- Practising yoga and other deep breathing techniques for relaxation
- Exercising daily
- Maintaining a healthy diet which includes green leafy veggies, whole grains and fresh fruits
- Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol
- Taking enough sleep.
- Maintaining regular intimacy with a partner.
The reproductive system of females starts from puberty and lasts till menopause. At the time of menopause, the level of hormones starts falling. This happens because there is no longer support from the reproduction system. However, for many people, menopause does not lead any health issues as they lead active and healthy lives. We hope you find this article useful, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy helps in balancing the hormonal levels of the body by offering the additional estrogen and the synthetic version of the progesterone. It comes in various forms such as topical creams or skin patches which helps to reduce the discharge of hot flashes and various other symptoms. However, it may also include various other health problems. A person should not go for hormone therapy if she has family issues in history. Following are some of them:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Blood clots
- Liver problems
- Breast cancer
Other treatments
A person may also get various treatments which help to relieve the above-mentioned symptoms:
- Pills and rings as prescribed by the doctor for vaginal dryness
- Over the counter gels
- Low dose hormonal birth control pills for mood changes and other symptoms
- Antidepressants for hot flashes for some people who are suffering from depression.
We hope this article is informative to you.
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