How Does My Menstrual Cycle Change As I Get Older
Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older. Often, periods are heavier when you are younger and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal.
- For a few years after your first period, menstrual cycles longer than 38 days are common. Girls usually get more regular cycles within three years of starting their periods. If longer or irregular cycles last beyond that, see your doctor or nurse to rule out a health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome .5
- In your 20s and 30s, your cycles are usually regular and can last anywhere from 24 to 38 days.
- In your 40s, as your body starts the transition to menopause, your cycles might become irregular. Your menstrual periods might stop for a month or a few months and then start again. They also might be shorter or last longer than usual, or be lighter or heavier than normal.
Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.
Are There Any Health Risks Associated With Perimenopause
There are health risks associated with menopause, which happens right after perimenopause.
Estrogen plays an important role in preserving your bones. Osteoporosis is a condition where the insides of your bones become less dense and more fragile. This increases your risk for bone fractures. Your healthcare provider may recommend a multivitamin, calcium supplement, extra vitamin D or more weight-bearing exercises.
People in menopause are also at an increased risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular health conditions.
Energy Level Appetite And Other Changes
A lot of women don’t even realize how many aspects of their lives are dictated by their menstrual cycle, at least during certain parts of the month. When you track how you feel as your cycle approaches, you can learn some pretty interesting things about your habits.
For example, you may find that you tend to eat everything in sight on the first day of your period. You can use that knowledge to make sure you have healthy snacks on hand to indulge those urges.
Or, it might be that tracking your energy level shows you that you are always exhausted on day three of your period, or that you get a headache before your period starts each month. When you track every aspect of your cycle, you won’t be blindsided by your body’s reactions to menstruation.
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What Is Considered A Heavy Period Or Menorrhagia
Officially, a flow of more than 80 ml per menstrual period is considered menorrhagia.
Most women bleeding this heavily will have a low blood count or evidence of iron deficiency.
Blood loss can be very hard to measure unless you use a menstrual cup, and even if you lose less than 80 ml, it can still affect your quality of life, so the definition of heavy flow can be adjusted to excessive menstrual blood loss which interferes with a womans physical, social, emotional and/or material quality of life..
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Menopause
Estrogen is used by many parts of a womanâs body. As levels of estrogen decrease, you could have various symptoms. Many women experience mild symptoms that can be treated by lifestyle changes such as avoiding caffeine or carrying a portable fan. Some women donât require any treatment at all, but for others, symptoms can be more severe. The severity of symptoms varies greatly around the world and by race and ethnicity.
Here are the most common changes you might notice at midlife. Some may be part of aging rather than directly related to menopause.
Change in your period. This might be what you notice first. Your periods may no longer be regular. They may be shorter or last longer. You might bleed more or less than usual. These are all normal changes, but to make sure there isnât a problem, see your doctor if:
- Your periods happen very close together.
- You have heavy bleeding.
- Your periods last more than a week.
- Your periods resume after no bleeding for more than a year.
Bladder control. A loss of bladder control is called incontinence. You may have a sudden urge to urinate, or urine may leak during exercise, sneezing, or laughing. The first step in treating incontinence is to see a doctor. Bladder infections also can occur in midlife.
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What Fsh Level Means Perimenopause
FSH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland the gland located at the base of your brain. It stimulates the ovaries to release an egg during ovulation. Testing your FSH level can help confirm menopause has started. A consistently high level of FSH can indicate menopause. However, FSH tests can be misleading because during perimenopause your hormones rise and fall erratically. Certain medications, like birth control pills or hormone therapy, interfere with hormone levels and will affect the results of any hormone tests. Overactive thyroid and high prolactin can also alter those results.
The Big Change: Menopause
Menopause officially is diagnosed when a woman has been without a period for 12 months in the absence of other reasons. The median age of menopause is 51 years of age. One percent of women will undergo menopause before age 40 and two percent of women are still not menopausal at age 55. Women who smoke, have Type 1 diabetes, live at high altitudes, are undernourished, or vegetarian tend to undergo menopause at younger ages. A family history of menopause before age 45 may also predict earlier menopause. There are no accurate blood tests to diagnose menopause, but other conditions that may also cause irregular menstrual cycles can be excluded.
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Im Spotting In The Middle Of My Cycle
Spotting around the time you ovulate can be very normal and not a sign of concern. Right before you ovulate, your body releases a surge of estrogen. This is part of the hormonal cascade which triggers an egg to be released from your ovary . After this takes place, there is a small dip in estrogen. In some women, this sudden decrease in estrogen can trigger a light hormonal withdrawal bleed.
This type of ovulation spotting should not last longer than a day or two, and usually appears as blood-tinged mucus that is bright red or pink in colour. In many women this will occur in every cycle, and is simply a sign of healthy ovulation taking place.
After ovulation has taken place, the follicle which housed your egg that was released turns into a small gland called the corpus luteum. This tiny gland secretes our other period-friendly hormone: progesterone. One of the key functions of progesterone is to hold on to the uterine lining built up in the first part of our cycle until our next period is due.
The reason this mid-cycle spotting should last only a day or two is because progesterone begins to kick in and holds the uterine lining in place, stopping the spotting. If your spotting is lasting longer than a day or two around ovulation, it is worth visiting your doctor to rule out other underlying causes, as well as reading the Low Progesterone section below.
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After Your Period Stops
The permanent end of menstrual periods doesnt necessarily mean the end of bothersome menopause symptoms, however.
The symptoms typically associated with menopause, like hot flashes and mood swings, can occur for some time both before and after that point.
Theres a window of about eight years in which women can feel those flashes and sweats, Dr. Audlin says.
Women who have reached menopause can expect menopause symptoms to become worse than they were during perimenopause, the 2- to 10-year stage leading up to the permanent end of menstruation. Experts dont know exactly why this happens, but its believed to be related to the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain that regulates temperature.
The hypothalamus is acutely responsive to estrogens, Audlin says. Leading up to menopause, your estrogen levels fluctuate. When theyre high, you dont have symptoms. But when you go into menopause and theres a complete lack of estrogen, you start to notice those symptoms more.
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Is It My Period Or Am I Pregnant
When you have your period, the flow is noticeably heavier and can last up to a week. Pregnancy: For some, one of the first signs of pregnancy is light vaginal bleeding or spotting that’s usually pink or dark brown. This typically happens 10 to 14 days after conception and is usually not enough to fill pads or tampons.
Spotting Due To Bacterial Infections Or An Std
If you think you may have an infection that is causing your spotting, visit your doctor as soon as possible for further testing to confirm what is going on. Your doctor will also be able to provide you with treatment options to manage the infection. If an infection is confirmed, your partner should also be tested and treated to prevent reinfection.
When it comes to improving progesterone levels and addressing other underlying causes of spotting, remember that it takes on average 100 days for your ovarian follicles to develop from immature eggs all the way to being released at ovulation. This means it takes 100 days of being fully nourished, eating enough calories and managing stress, for the true impacts on your cycle to be seen. The period symptoms you are having now are likely the result of changes you experienced several months ago. Dont expect changes over night, or even by your next cycle. Be patient and remember you are in this for the long haul! Youve got this.
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What If You Get Your Period At Night
If you start bleeding in the evening or overnight, it can be confusing whether to count that as your Day 1 since there are just a few hours left in that day. For the sake of simplicity, I recommend that you do count that as your Day 1. It means your estrogen reached its lowest level that day, which is a key marker to determine where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Can Menopause Affect My Sex Life
After menopause, your body has less estrogen. This major change in your hormonal balance can affect your sex life. Many people experiencing menopause may notice that theyre not as easily aroused as before. Sometimes, people also may be less sensitive to touch and other physical contact than before menopause.
These feelings, coupled with the other emotional changes you may be experiencing, can all lead to a decreased interest in sex. Keep in mind that your body is going through a lot of change during menopause. Some of the other factors that can play a role in a decreased sex drive can include:
- Having bladder control problems.
- Having trouble sleeping through the night.
- Experiencing stress, anxiety or depression.
- Coping with other medical conditions and medications.
Dont be afraid to talk to your healthcare provider about any decreases you are experiencing in your sex drive. Your provider will discuss options to help you feel better. For example, vaginal dryness can be treated with over-the-counter, water-soluble or silicone lubricants. Your healthcare provider can also prescribe estrogen or nonestrogen hormones to treat the vaginal tissue. This may be prescribed in a low-dose cream, pill or vaginal ring.
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Can A 5 Year Old Get Her Period
Now the average age for a first period is closer to 12, with one University of Cincinnati study reporting that about 10 to 15 percent of girls enter puberty at age 7 or younger, a phenomenon known as precocious puberty. This is up from just 5 percent in similar studies conducted in the early 1990s.
Can Menopause Be Treated
Menopause is a natural process that your body goes through. In some cases, you may not need any treatment for menopause. When discussing treatment for menopause with your provider, its about treating the symptoms of menopause that disrupt your life. There are many different types of treatments for the symptoms of menopause. The main types of treatment for menopause are:
It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider while you are going through menopause to craft a treatment plan that works for you. Every person is different and has unique needs.
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What Are The Hormonal Changes During Perimenopause
The hormonal changes you experience during perimenopause are mostly caused by declining estrogen levels. Your ovaries make estrogen, which plays a vital role in maintaining the reproductive system. Once you enter perimenopause, your estrogen levels start to decrease. As estrogen decreases, it throws off the balance with progesterone, another hormone produces by the ovaries. These two hormones together are responsible for ovulation and menstruation. Its common for hormone levels to fluctuate during perimenopause to go up and down like a rollercoaster.
When you reach menopause, your body makes so little estrogen that your ovaries no longer release eggs. At this point, you stop having your period.
How Long Does The Menopause Last
Symptoms of the menopause can start months or even years before periods stop completely. They usually continue for around 4 years after your last period, though some womens symptoms continue for much longer.
The menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, but its very difficult to predict when it will take place in an individual.
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Comprehensive Explanation Of The Menstrual Cycle:
The menstrual cycle has three phases:
1. Follicular Phase
This phase of the menstrual cycle occurs from approximately day 1-14. Day 1 is the first day of bright red bleeding, and the end of this phase is marked by ovulation. While menstrual bleeding does happen in the early part of this phase, the ovaries are simultaneously preparing to ovulate again. The pituitary gland releases a hormone called FSH follicle stimulating hormone. This hormone causes several follicles to rise on the surface of the ovary. These fluid filled bumps each contain an egg. Eventually, one of these follicle becomes dominant and within it develops a single mature egg the other follicles shrink back. If more than one follicle reaches maturity, this can lead to twins or more. The maturing follicle produces the hormone estrogen, which increases over the follicular phase and peaks in the day or two prior to ovulation. The lining of the uterus becomes thicker and more enriched with blood in the second part of this phase , in response to increasing levels of estrogen. High levels of estrogen stimulate the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone , which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete luteinizing hormone . On about day 12, surges in LH and FSH cause the egg to be released from the follicle. The surge in LH also causes a brief surge in testosterone, which increases sex drive, right at the most fertile time of the cycle.
2. Ovulatory Phase
3. Luteal Phase
Does Brown Blood Mean Your Period Is Over
But if there is a yellow or brownish discharge when a woman does not have her period, this does not mean anything and she should not stop praying or do ghusl because of it, because it does not necessitate ghusl or cause janabah .
Umm Atiyyah said: We did not bother about any yellow or brownish discharge after a womans period was over .
We did not bother about means we did not think it was menstruation, but it is a najis discharge which means that a woman has to wash it away and do wudu. But if the white discharge is immediately followed by a period, then it is part of the period.
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Are There Treatments For The Menopause
If your symptoms are severe, theres treatment available which could help. This includes hormone replacement therapy , which replaces oestrogen to alleviate symptoms, creams for vaginal dryness, and cognitive behaviour therapy to help with mood changes. Speak to your doctor about the risks and benefits of different treatments.
What Does A 2
Bleeding for less than 3 days can be normal for some women, particularly if you have always had periods that lasted 2 days. If however, you have had a change from longer periods to shorter bleeds, it can be a sign of a hormonal imbalance.
Most commonly this change in period length is contributed to a decline in estrogen – the hormone responsible for building up the lining of our uterus which is shed at menstruation. Lower levels of estrogen mean that your body struggles to build a thick, healthy lining in preparation for a potential implantation of an embryo if you were to fall pregnant that cycle.
Shorter, lighter periods are often accompanied by a change in period colour from bright red to a light pink, watery period. Find out more about what your period colour and flow is telling you about your hormones in this post.
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Ovulation: Days 12 15
The pituitary gland releases a surge of luteinising hormone , triggering the release of the mature egg from the ovary and into the fallopian tube. Sperm can survive for up to 2 3 days in the fallopian tubes waiting for the arrival of the egg for fertilisation, however the egg has a window of approximately 12-24 hours in which it can be fertilised after release. The dominant follicle that has released the egg then forms the corpus luteum. This important structure releases progesterone which assist in maintaining the uterine lining.