How Do I Choose A Pad Or Tampon That Is Right For Me
There are smaller, slender pads and tampons available that young women often prefer, particularly when they first start menstruating. You may find it helpful to use different products over the course of your period, with more absorbent tampons or pads being used on heavier flow days, and smaller tampons or pantiliners on low flow days. Each woman has her own preferences and whatever works best for your body is just fine!
Your First Period Guide: Age Symptoms Duration & More
If youâre looking to learn more about when to expect a first period or how to manage it, congratulations on being prepared! Knowing what to expect when getting your period and having accurate information can really increase confidence and decrease worries as puberty progresses and first periods arrive! So whether youâre preparing for your first period or youâve already started and just want to learn more about it, weâve got you covered.
How Often Should I Change My Pad Tampon Menstrual Cup Sponge Or Period Panties
Follow the instructions that came with your period product. Try to change or rinse your feminine hygiene product before it becomes soaked through or full.
- Most women change their pads every few hours.
- A tampon should not be worn for more than 8 hours because of the risk of toxic shock syndrome
- Menstrual cups and sponges may only need to be rinsed once or twice a day.
- Period panties can usually last about a day, depending on the style and your flow.
Use a product appropriate in size and absorbency for your menstrual bleeding. The amount of menstrual blood usually changes during a period. Some women use different products on different days of their period, depending on how heavy or light the bleeding is.
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What Is Toxic Shock Syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but sometimes deadly condition caused by bacteria that make toxins or poisons. In 1980, 63 women died from TSS. A certain brand of super absorbency tampons was said to be the cause. These tampons were taken off the market.
Today, most cases of TSS are not caused by using tampons. But, you could be at risk for TSS if you use more absorbent tampons than you need for your bleeding or if you do not change your tampon often enough . Menstrual cups, cervical caps, sponges, or diaphragms may also increase your risk for TSS if they are left in place for too long . Remove sponges within 30 hours and cervical caps within 48 hours.9
If you have any symptoms of TSS, take out the tampon, menstrual cup, sponge, or diaphragm, and call 911 or go to the hospital right away.
Symptoms of TSS include:10
- Sudden high fever
How Long Does A Woman Usually Have Periods
On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life.6,7 Most women have regular periods until perimenopause, the time when your body begins the change to menopause. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years. During this time, your period may not come regularly. Menopause happens when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row. For most women, this happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age of menopause in the United States is 52.
Periods also stop during pregnancy and may not come back right away if you breastfeed.
But if you dont have a period for 90 days , and you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will check for pregnancy or a health problem that can cause periods to stop or become irregular.
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When Will I Have Another One
After your first period, your second one can be pretty unpredictable, too. Most people expect it one month after the first period, but in reality, it’s pretty normal for it to happen anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months after your first period.
Once youâve had a few periods, the best way to predict future ones, is to write down the dates of every period you have and count how many days there are from the start of one period to the start of the next. That tells you your cycle length. Obviously youâll need to have a few periods before you can do this, but it is super helpful for staying aware and prepared!
When you keep track of your periods like that, itâs called âperiod trackingâ . There are lots of ways to track your periods. You can write them on a calendar, in a journal or notebook, or use a period tracker. Make sure you record the day you start and every day you have your flow. You might also want to note when your flow is heavy and when it is light. This is the best way to know your flow so you can be aware and prepared!
How Long Will Menopausal Transition Symptoms Last
Menopause is technically one full year without bleeding, and perimenopause is the stage before the final menstrual period, also known as the menopausal transition. Puberty and perimenopause are similar in that they both involve hormonal changes, and the transitions can take place over several years. Some medical organizations, such as the American Osteopathic Association, refer to perimenopause as reverse puberty in women.
According to NAMS, this phase can last four to eight years, and it comes with symptoms caused by hormone fluctuations, such as mood swings, poor sleep, and hot flashes.
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The age at which a woman begins perimenopause can help predict how long the transition to menopause will last, according to research published in the journal Menopause in February 2017. The authors found that perimenopause lasted longer in women who started the transition at a younger age, and the women had more symptoms, such as hot flashes.
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Why You Lost Your Period
Periods are largely regulated by hormones. So, if theres a hormone issue, its expected youll see changes in your period or miss your period altogether. This can be referred to as hypothalamic amenorrhea. Meaning, the hypothalamus stops releasing hormones responsible for starting the menstrual cycle which in turn leads to missed periods.
Obviously if youre pregnant, breastfeeding or in menopause, youll miss out on your monthly visitor, but what if youre not in that category and youre still not getting your period? There isnt a simple answer to this question, which is why weve put together a bunch of reasons why you might not be getting your period.
Should I Use Pads Or Tampons
Obviously, if you have bloody fluid flowing from your vagina, youâll want to do something to keep it from soaking through your clothes. Thatâs what pads and tampons are for! A period pad is an absorbent, fabric-like pad that sticks to the crotch of your underwear and catches your period flow as it comes out. A tampon is period protection that fits inside your vagina to absorb the flow before it comes out.
There are lots of different sizes of pads and tampons. Large sizes are good for heavier period flow. Smaller sizes are best for lighter flow.
A lot of people think you have to use pads with your first period, but thereâs no reason why you canât use a tampon if you want. Itâs your choice! Both pads and tampons are safe, even for your first period. The most important thing is to know how to use them properly and safely. You can learn how to insert a tampon here!
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Predicting Natural Menopause: Why Does Age Matter
If theres not a lot that women can do to change when theyll experience menopause, why does predicting it even matter?
It would be helpful for every woman to know exactly when menopause will arrive. Beyond recognizing and addressing issues such as increased cardiovascular disease risk and risks related to bone health, if a woman knows her age of menopause and how long the perimenopause transition will last, it could help her make important health decisions, says Faubion.
If youre bleeding like crazy it would be helpful to know, she says.
As of now, research hasnt uncovered a way to determine when a women will go into menopause, but having that information could be useful in making decisions such as whether to have a or other invasive procedures, says Faubion. If menopause is going to be a few months or a year from now, you may choose to wait it out if it’s going to be five years from now, you might want to go ahead and have an invasive procedure, she says.
The ability to predict when menopause will occur could also help with managing or deciding which type of birth control to use, adds Faubion.
How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Perimenopause Complications
Irregular periods are the most common symptom of perimenopause. But its important to know when to talk to your healthcare provider about your periods. Sometimes, irregular bleeding can point to an underlying problem.
You can lower your risk of complications by seeking treatment when necessary. Talk to your healthcare provider if you:
- Bleed for more than seven days in a row.
- Bleed between periods.
- Change pads or tampons every one to two hours.
- Have periods more frequently than every 21 days.
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At What Age Does Menstruation Typically Begin
Girls start menstruating at the average age of 12. However, girls can begin menstruating as early as 8 years of age or as late as 16 years of age. Women stop menstruating at menopause, which occurs at about the age of 51. At menopause, a woman stops producing eggs . Menopause is defined as one year without periods, and after this time a woman can no longer become pregnant.
Irregular Menstrual Cycle And Bleeding
Some abnormalities during the reproductive years might include polyps, fibroids as well as anovulation , endometriosis andless commontumors/growths. Bleeding can also be a symptom of infection such as endometritis orpelvic inflammatory disease.
Remember, not all bleeding and irregularity is a cause for concern. For example, it is very common to have irregular bleeding with some contraception methods. Stress and other issues can also cause changes to your cycle from time to time.
Also, many women in the 20s and 30s experience painful menstrual cramps. You can treat cramps with over-the-counter pain relievers or heating pads. Here are some other ways to fight back at painful periods.
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Exercise But Not Too Much
Since amenorrhea is very common among active people who menstruate, at times it may be best to reduce your intensity at the gym. Taking a rest day can not only benefit your reproductive health, but can help with muscle recovery and protects you from injury.
Bottom Line:
Getting in your daily physical activity can do wonders for our health, however over exercising and going overboard at the gym can have a negative effect and put your reproductive health at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions Expand All
If these problems do not go away after treatment or if you cannot go to school or do your normal activities, you should talk to your doctor.
Amenorrhea means not having a period. It is normal for some girls not to start their periods until age 16 years. But you should see your doctor if you have not started your period by age 15 years. You also should see your doctor if you have started your period but it then stops for more than 3 months.
If you are bleeding so much that you need to change your pad or tampon every 12 hours or if your period lasts for more than 7 days, you should see your doctor. See your doctor right away if you are light-headed, dizzy, or have a racing pulse.
You should tell your doctor if your periods are usually regular but then become irregular for several months. You also should see your doctor if your period comes more often than every 21 days or less often than every 45 days.
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You’re Going Through Menopause
Chances are you hear the word menopause and immediately think you’re too young for that. But “perimenopause-type changes can start up to 10 years before menopause,” Dweck says, so you could start noticing changes in your 30s. “You can expect to see some fluctuations in your period, either missing one every now and then or getting a longer period,” she adds.
That’s because when you’re younger, the levels of estrogen and progesterone wax and wane over the course of your menstrual cycle. As you approach menopause though, these hormones stop following their normal patterns and trigger changes in your cycle, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. If it isn’t resulting in any painful symptoms, this isn’t a cause for concern.
Medically speaking though, menopause doesn’t occur until your period has stopped showing up for a full year. If you experience bleeding after that point, that’s major cause for concern and you should give your doctor a call ASAP.
Signs Your Daughter Is About To Start Her Period
When a young girl hits puberty, some of the classic signs include body hair, a bigger/fuller chest and an increase in sweat. For signs your daughters period may be starting, read the last bit of our most recent blog post, here.
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So basically – no, there isnt a definitive reason why someone would get their period at 7 years old. I would like to stress that its not unhealthy to get your period at a young age, its more inconvenient, sucky and annoying. However, it does draw some attention to some bigger issues, like obesity, sexual and domestic violence and the environment. The moral of the story here is we need to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and the planet we call home!
For some extra protection when Aunt Flo next comes to town, try out a pair of our teen period panties for comfort and peace of mind.
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What Is The Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle is the monthly hormonal cycle a females body goes through to prepare for pregnancy. Your menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of your period up to the first day of your next period. Your hormone levels usually change throughout the menstrual cycle and can cause menstrual symptoms.