Periods Can Change The Sound Of Voice
The hormonal changes related to a womans menstrual cycle also alter the sound of her voice. The cells from the larynx and vagina are believed to be similar and show similar hormone receptors. A 2011 study published in the journal Ethology found men can detect from a womans voice whether she is menstruating. Three groups of men were asked to listen to voice recordings of women who counted from one to five during four different points of their menstrual cycle. They identified the menstrual voice 35 percent of the time.
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.
What To Expect During Your Period
The bleeding during a period can vary from one cycle to another in quality and quantity, from a small amount to a heavy loss, and can vary in colour from black/brown to bright red. The period can last from four to eight days, and most women lose less than 80ml of blood in total.
The flow changes over the course of your period and can be heavier for the first three days and then lighter in the next few days. The blood colour will reflect this change in flow rate and can change from dark or bright red initially, to dark brown later in the cycle. The period contains blood, mucous and some cells from the lining of the uterus. Some small clots may be normal, but if the clots become frequent or larger, see your doctor.
In some women, at the time of ovulation , which usually occurs about two weeks before the next period, there might be some slight spotting and/or pain. This is because of a normal change in some of the hormones with ovulation. If pain or bleeding at the time of ovulation frequently lasts longer than three days, you need to see your doctor.
The below table shows when a woman with a 28-day cycle would most likely ovulate.
For a 28 day cycle:
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Should I Use A Pad Tampon Or Menstrual Cup
You have many choices about how to deal with period blood. You may need to experiment a bit to find which works best for you. Some girls use only one method and others switch between different methods.
- Most girls use pads when they first get their period. Pads are made of cotton and come in lots of different sizes and shapes. They have sticky strips that attach to the underwear.
- Many girls find tampons more convenient than pads, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl puts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place. The tampon absorbs the blood. Don’t leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours because this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.
- Some girls prefer a menstrual cup. Most menstrual cups are made of silicone. To use a menstrual cup, a girl inserts it into her vagina. It holds the blood until she empties it.
When You Have Your Period You Could Literally Start Tripping
It’s normal to feel somewhat off when you start your menstrual cycle. After all, your body is going through a lot, and with all the pain, pimples, and cravings coming your way, you might not feel like yourself for a few days when you have your period. However, did you know what when you have your period, your body might cause you to be clumsier? As strange as it sounds, it’s true.
Gynecologist Alyssa Dweck, MD, who teaches at the department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, told Health that feeling off while walking is “not an uncommon complaint from my patients.” Yes, your period can make you clumsy. “It might be because of increased fatigue during this time, water retention that’s throwing your center of gravity off, or the hormonal imbalance,” Dweck shared. Additionally, all that water retention during your period might make your contacts fit differently, which doesn’t exactly help your balance either.
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What Happens During The Menstrual Cycle
To understand the menstrual cycle, it helps to know about the reproductive organs inside a woman’s body. These are:
- 2 ovaries where eggs are stored, developed and released
- the womb where a fertilised egg implants and a baby develops
- the fallopian tubes two thin tubes that connect the ovaries to the womb
- the cervix the entrance to the womb from the vagina
- the vagina
The menstrual cycle is controlled by hormones. In each cycle, rising levels of the hormone oestrogen cause the ovary to develop and release an egg . The womb lining also starts to thicken.
In the second half of the cycle, the hormone progesterone helps the womb to prepare for implantation of a developing embryo.
The egg travels down the fallopian tubes. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the egg is reabsorbed into the body. Levels of oestrogen and progesterone fall, and the womb lining comes away and leaves the body as a period .
The time from the release of an egg to the start of a period is around 10 to 16 days.
Watch an animation about how the menstrual cycle works.
Pms Is Still A Mystery
Itâs 1 or 2 weeks before your period starts, and here come the breakouts, sluggishness, cravings, bloating, and mood swings. Sound familiar? Every woman is different, but for many, PMS is a fact of life.
But doctors donât know exactly why that is. It seems to be a mix of hormone changes during your menstrual cycle, chemical changes in the brain, and other emotional issues you might have, such as depression, that can make PMS worse.
Whatâs more, once you get your period, the rollercoaster may continue. One study found that period-related pains such as cramps, bloating, backaches, and headaches can cloud your thinking, because the pain may make it harder for you to focus on the tasks at hand. Not that you canât still do them — you can. It may just feel like it takes more work.
Lifestyle changes are usually the best way to take control of PMS. Aim to get about 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, get 8 hours of shut-eye per night, and donât smoke. Your diet makes a difference, too, so fill up on fruits, veggies, and whole grains while you limit salt as well as sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.
Let your doctor know if PMS keeps you from doing what you normally do, or if you have symptoms of depression or anxiety. You may have a more serious condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder that needs medical attention.
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What Causes A Period
A period happens because of changes in in the body. Hormones are chemical messengers. The ovaries release the female hormones and . These hormones cause the lining of the uterus to build up. The built-up lining is ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing. If there is no fertilized egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds. Then the same process happens all over again.
It usually takes about a month for the lining to build up, then break down. That is why most girls and women get their periods around once a month.
What Are Common Symptoms Of Menstruation
Most women experience mild symptoms in the few days leading up to menstruation and in the first day or two of menstruating when the flow of blood is heavier. There are over a hundred symptoms that have been attributed to menstruation, and these may change over time and from cycle to cycle. Normally, discomforts associated with menstruation should be manageable enough that you can carry on with your normal life. However, for some women, symptoms are so severe that it becomes difficult to carry out the normal tasks of daily life.
Here are some of the normal physical symptoms of menstruation:
- Tender breasts
- Trouble sleeping
- Low energy, fatigue
Painful symptoms such as cramps, backache, and tender breasts can usually be relieved by over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Prescription medications are also available. Warm baths or compresses can be useful to alleviate cramping. Constipation can make the cramps far more intense, and the hormones in the latter half of the menstrual cycle do increase constipation. Plenty of fluids, high fibre foods or a simple bulk forming stool softener such as psyllium can relieve pain. If you are finding that your periods are difficult to manage, or they seem worse than what is described, it is time to see your doctor.
Premenstrual syndrome
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Menstruation Is Stigmatized All Over The World
Menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for most women. Roughly half of the female population — around 26 per cent of the global population — are of reproductive age. Most women menstruate each month for about two to seven days. Yet, as normal as it is, menstruation is stigmatized around the world.
A lack of information about menstruation leads to damaging misconceptions and discrimination, and can cause girls to miss out on normal childhood experiences and activities. Stigma, taboos and myths prevent adolescent girls — and boys — from the opportunity to learn about menstruation and develop healthy habits.
At UNICEF, we envision a world where every girl can learn, play, and safeguard her own health without experiencing stress, shame, or unnecessary barriers to information or supplies during menstruation,” said Sanjay Wijesekera UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health.
Why Should I Keep Track Of My Menstrual Cycle
If your periods are regular, tracking them will help you know when you ovulate, when you are most likely to get pregnant, and when to expect your next period to start.
If your periods are not regular, tracking them can help you share any problems with your doctor or nurse.
If you have period pain or bleeding that causes you to miss school or work, tracking these period symptoms will help you and your doctor or nurse find treatments that work for you. Severe pain or bleeding that causes you to miss regular activities is not normal and can be treated.
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The Period You Get While On The Pill Isnt A ‘true’ Period
Sure, you bleed during the week that you take the sugar pills. But technically thatâs âmonthly withdrawal bleeding.â Itâs slightly different than a regular period.
Normally, you ovulate in the middle of your menstrual cycle. If the egg your ovaries release isnât fertilized, your hormone levels drop, causing you to shed the lining inside your uterus, and you get your period.
Birth control pills, though, prevent ovulation. With most types, you take hormones for 3 weeks followed by 1 week of pills without them. Though they keep your body from releasing an egg, they usually donât prevent it from building up the lining of your uterus all month. The period-like bleeding during that fourth week is your bodyâs reaction to the lack of hormones from the last week of the pill.
What Happens To Cervical Mucus During The Cycle
Throughout the menstrual cycle, the cervix produces mucus. The type of mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle depending on the levels of oestrogen and progesterone:
- fertile time – mucus becomes thinner, clearer, wetter and more slippery
- non-fertile time – mucus is more sticky or gummy, is usually white or yellowish in colour and sperm find it hard to move through this kind of mucus
Some women can get pain in the lower abdomen or some light vaginal bleeding at the time of ovulation .
If you use a fertility awareness method of contraception, and you note these cervical mucus changes it can help you work out when youre fertile.
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Week 2 Day 8 To Ovulation : Estrogen And Testosterone Rise Till They Peak
Estrogen continues to rise all throughout your Week 2 and, as it does, it revs all the positive effects you experienced during your Week 1: Your mood, energy and patience continue to increase, you crave adventure and new experiences and youre happiest when surrounded by lots of people and engaged in conversation.
High estrogen also makes you braver, more confident and ready for a challenge. Youre thinking quickly and learning new facts and skills more easily.
During this cycle week, youre more coordinated and have faster reaction times, your verbal skills peak and youve got a sharper memory.
High estrogen triggers a greater output of pain-masking endorphins in the brain, which means uncomfortable activitiessuch as going to the dentist or getting a flu shotwill hurt less this week than during other weeks of your cycle.
The high level of this hormone is also making you more self-assured about your appearance. In fact, estrogen is actually boosting your attractiveness by prompting subtle shifts in soft tissue that make your facial features slightly more symmetrical.
You tend to be a bit less hungry due to rising estrogens slight appetite-suppressing effect. During ovulation, research shows your appetite drops even further, leading to eating less than during any other time in your cycle. Youll find its also easier to opt for lighter, healthier foods since estrogen increases willpower and revs your motivation to reach good-for-you goals.
Long Or Heavy Periods
Heavy bleeding is a sign to contact your healthcare provider. So what does “heavy” mean?
- Soaking one or more tampons or pads every hour for several hours in a row
- Wearing more than one pad at a time to absorb bleeding
- Having to change pads or tampons overnight
- Having periods that include blood clots the size of a quarter or larger
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