Irregular Periods: What Causes Them And Are They Harmful?

While for every woman menstruation isn’t a fun time of the month, they realise that it is an important process. When, one month, it suddenly doesn’t show, it highlights the importance even further. What are the causes of irregular periods and do they signify a problem? In order to understand why this happens, we need to have a good understanding of the menstrual cycle as a whole. During a woman’s fertile life, the eggs that are released in a menstrual cycle mature within the ovaries in a cycle that typically lasts 28 days. This does vary between women though. On day five of the cycle, about twenty eggs begin to mature in the follicles of the ovaries. Each follicle is like a small fluid-filled sac, and as day fourteen approaches one follicle has generally matured earlier than the others and releases an egg to be fertilised. The other follicles shrivel up and absorbed by the body again. But the mature follicle transforms into a corpus luteum, which produces the hormone progesterone to prepare the uterus for a fertilised egg. If the egg isn’t fertilised, it disintegrates and dies. And the corpus luteum also withers away. This leads to the uterus shedding its lining, which is the bleeding we associate with menstruation and periods.

A regular menstrual cycle means that the interval between periods is consistent, which as previously stated lasts around 28 days. It can however range from every 20 days to 35 days. An irregular menstrual cycle means that those intervals between periods varies each month, so sometimes they may be 28 days and others may be 20 or 30. Irregular periods are very common and there are a number of causes for this to happen. For example, in teenagers, it is the imbalance of hormones – it is normal for girls to experience irregular periods because of this or for a period to not arrive for a month. However, it is important to remember that a period not arriving is usually a sign of pregnancy, so if you’re sexually active then you should check that you’re not pregnant. The most common causes of irregular periods are eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia; excessive weight gain or weight loss, which can both lead to an irregular menstrual cycle or for periods to disappear completely; stress or emotional problems; hormonal problems such as thyroid malfunctions; travel; over exercising; breastfeeding; drugs such as birth control pills, or problems with pelvic organs.

 

Irregular periods or the stop of your menstruation can also be due to a condition called premature ovarian failure, which can lead to women stopping their periods before the age of 40. This can be because of a number of problems, including radiation, surgery or chemotherapy in the case of a woman with cancer. But if you don’t want to get pregnant and are sexually active, you should use a birth control device  that you can trust so that you know  irregular periods aren’t to do with pregnancy. But if your periods do stop for whatever reason, don’t think that you can’t get pregnant – you will still be at risk! It’s important to still use a contraceptive if you don’t want to get pregnant, such as a condom or the birth control pill. If you’re worried about your periods for any reason, or think that there may be something wrong, you should speak to your GP as soon as possible for advice and testing, if need be.

Categories: Birth Control, corpus luteum, cycle means, irregular, irregular menstrual, Irregular Periods, menstrual cycle, Menstruation, Periods, sexually active, Women

Menstrual Periods: What Are The Facts You Should Know?

The most significant change for girls during puberty is the start of periods. Menstruation is the turning point in a woman’s life where she develops from a child into a teenager, and among other functions it also means that you can now get pregnant. For many girls, this is unexpected and beginning to bleed is a shock The thought of bleeding from the vagina may frighten some girls and can be a source of embarrassment for some. But it is a natural process that all women go through, and the process the body goes through each month in order to give women the capability to have a child is truly remarkable. Talking to your mum or another adult to get information before your periods start is the best way to be prepared for this change in your life – they will be able to advise you on anything you’re unsure about, and offer information on how to deal with things like menstrual cramps. If you don’t have an adult at home you feel you can talk to, your school teacher or GP can offer advice on the subject.

Your first period usually occurs between the ages of 9 and 16, and lasts for around three to seven days. It then stops until your next period begins, which can be anywhere from 21 to 28 days after your period started. This timeframe varies between women and will be a little irregular to begin with, but it will settle down eventually once your hormones settle. During your menstrual cycle, one of your two ovaries releases a microscopic egg which is known as an ovum. The ovaries are a reproductive organ which measure around one and a half inches long, situated in the lower abdomen with one on each side of your uterus. Ovaries release hormones which control your menstrual cycle. The process in which your ovaries release the egg is known as ovulation, and this invariably occurs in the middle of your cycle, around 12 to 14 days in a 28 day cycle. However, this isn’t a set date and it can be irregular, particularly in the early stages of you having your period.

 

After the egg has been released, it moves through one of the fallopian tubes which are attached to the top of the uterus and lead to the ovaries. At the same time as the egg making its journey through the tubes, the body tissues and blood cells begin to line the walls of the uterus. This material develops to a spongy lining that will eventually protect the egg if it is fertilised; it will shed as your period if you do not get pregnant. But what is amazing about the human body is that you won’t feel any of this happening; it occurs within the body. If you were to have sex during this time, and a sperm fertilised the egg on its way through the fallopian tubes, the egg would continue on its journey into the uterus and embed itself into the spongy lining. You would, at this stage, be pregnant. But if this doesn’t happen, as previously stated, a different set of hormones are released and the lining gently falls away.This is referred to as your menstrual flow or period, and is sometimes accompanied by slight cramping in the lower abdomen for some women. However, the severity of this and the length in which it lasts varies with each woman.

Categories: body, Fallopian Tubes, hormones, menstrual, menstrual cycle, ovaries, ovaries release, period, Periods, spongy lining, Women

The History of Sex: 4 Discoveries that Changed Everthing

We’ve always been interested in sexual health. Way back in Ancient Rome and Greece, the most esteemed thinkers always had sex on the brain and we’ve never really shaken that habit. Still, back then these thinkers didn’t really know the inner workings of the birds and the bees, nor did they understand the role sex plays in your wellbeing. In the 1^st Century AD, for example, Roman writer Pliny warned that intercourse would taint lactating women’s breast milk. Luckily, we’ve come a long way since then, thanks to five very important discoveries about sex.

 

1. Sperm under the microscope: In 1677, you might think Anton von Leeuwenhoek was pretty weird for taking a gander at his own semen sample in a homemade microscope – especially as von Leeuwenhoek got into microscopes on a lark as a hobby from his day job as a draper, or cloth salesman. However, this observation revealed human spermatozoa for the first time in history, with Leeuwenhoek spying ‘a multitude of live animalcules more than a million, having the size of a grain of sand,’ as he wrote to London’s Royal Society in November 1677. That said, Cristen Conger, wellness writer and co-host of the popular Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast, notes that although this was a breakthrough moment in sexual health history, ‘it would still take a while to get the record straight about how sperm contribute to the baby-making process. Von Leeuwenhoek’s contemporaries, in fact, imagined each sperm contained a tiny person, wishing and hoping to be delivered safely to a female womb.’

 

2. The egg’s time to shine: As female eggs aren’t as observable as male semen, it wasn’t until 150 years after Anton Von Leeuwenhoek saw sperm that Prussian-Estonian embryologist Dr. Karl Ernst von Baer viewed the human ovum. ‘von Baer’s observations of dog embryos led him to correctly outline the development of the human egg and explain the ovum’s cross-mammalian reproductive role in his landmark 1827 paper entitled “On the Genesis of the Ovum of Mammals and of Man”,’ Conger explains. ‘Ironically, this egg pioneer still dismissed sperm as useless in fertilization, exemplifying the simmering uncertainty over how exactly the ovum and those eel-tailed swimmers interact.’

 

3. Two become one: Conger details, ‘When reproductive fertilisation piqued the interest of German scientist Wilhelm August Oscar Hertwig in the early 1870s, the field was dominated by two conflicting – and ultimately incorrect – theories. One camp posited that the mechanical vibrations of so many wiggling sperm around an egg triggered embryonic development, like a clap light switching on in response to the auditory transmission. The other predominating view maintained that sperm deposit a chemical compound into the egg, providing the crucial ingredient to kick-start the process.’ However, Hertwig disproved his academic cohorts when, in 1872, he closely observed fertilisation in a transparent species of sea urchin and witnessed the fusion of sperm and egg. Moreover, he discovered that the process isn’t a group effort by all the sperm involved in a single ejaculate; it only requires a single sperm to find its way inside the egg.

 

4. The menstrual cycle map: ‘Before the late 1920s, doctors had modelled women’s fertility on the mammalian oestrous cycle, in which females go into heat, since the role of hormones was unknown at the time,’ says Conger. ‘In some species, if the cyclical window of fertility doesn’t result in pregnancy, endometrial lining will shed, similar to having a period. By that logic, scientists presumed that menstruation and ovulation were likewise co-dependent, or that ovulation merely happened spontaneously.’ However, in 1927 and 1928, the research team of Edgar Allen and Edward A. Doisy isolated and identified the roles of the hormones progesterone and oestrogen, respectively, enabling the scientists to map out the menstrual cycle as well as ovulation.

Categories: anton von, conger, history, leeuwenhoek, menstrual cycle, nbsp, sexual health, sperm, von baer, von leeuwenhoek

Infertility: Could Chinese Medicine Be The Answer?

In a recent study of complementary therapies, researchers found that women receiving Chinese herbal medicine treatments were twice as likely to get pregnant within a four month period than those taking Western fertility drugs and IVF. The findings of the study also suggest that the quality of the menstrual cycle appears to be crucial to the success of the treatment for female infertility. Infertility is usually defined as an inability to conceive after a year or more of regular, unprotected sexual activity. There has been a  long recorded history of Chinese herbs being used to treat infertility, dating back as far as 200 AD. Alternative TCM treatments have become increasingly popular in Western countries as more studies are proving that they are both safe and effective. It’s not surprising, given that more than a quarter of the world’s population uses Chinese medicine as part of their regular health care regime.

Researchers did a meta-analysis of non-randomised controlled trials or cohort studies, then compared clinical pregnancy rates which were achieved with Chinese herbal medicine compared to Western medicines, including IVF. In addition to this, they collected common TCM pattern diagnosis in infertility relating to the quality of the menstrual cycle and the associated symptoms. The results show that women had a 3.5 greater chance of achieving pregnancy with Chinese herbal medicine therapy over a four month period than those using Western medicine drug therapy alone. Average pregnancy rates were at 60 per cent for Chinese herbal medicine compared to just 32 per cent for Western medicine. While health is said to be the common goal of both Chinese medicine and conventional treatments, the ideas on the etiology disease, disease itself and the process used to maintain wellness are quite different. Western physicians learn that disease should be cured by prescribing medicine or using surgical intervention, whereas in TCM there is a focus on healing the patient and treating the whole person, not just the disease. As such, there are other factors to take into account, such as the individual’s state of health. According to TCM, a person is far more than their pathology – treating the pathology is usually temporary, however successful it may be at the time of testing and treating.

 

Where female infertility is concerned, the key factors in TCM are focussing on the reduction of stress and re-establishing balance, as well as regulating hormones and menstruation. It is recognised that many cases of infertility stem from a problem that is often more functional than structural, whereas Western medicine treatments are not only invasive but also stressful for patients. Stress is not conducive to a health pregnancy, and as such can often be the cause of infertility problems. Fertility management has been studied in depth and is well developed in Chinese medicine. GPs in modern China have a reported 70 per cent success rate in treating both men and women with herbs for infertility, and hundreds of herbs are used within these treatments. Herbal medicine is often used with a combination of other therapies, such as massage, diet and lifestyle modifications, and acupuncture. TCM fertility techniques are usually non-invasive and can often provide a better success rate than the costly Western treatments we are more familiar with. If you’re having trouble conceiving, you should speak to your GP who can offer advice on the subject and offer testing to see whether there is anything wrong with regards to your ability to get pregnant.

Categories: chinese herbal, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, medicine treatments, menstrual cycle, month period, pregnancy, pregnancy rates, success rate, western medicine

How to Tell the Difference Between DUB and Heavy Periods

While irregularity is a perfectly normal thing to expect when you start your periods, sometimes changes in blood flow can be a sign that something might be going awry with your sexual health. If your periods last for a long time or bleed more than usual, your wellbeing may be affected by Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding (DUB). This isn’t usually a problem on its own, and most doctors don’t even bother treating mild cases. However, DUB can affect the wellness of some girls, causing you to develop conditions such as anaemia if you’re bleeding more than you should.

 

The most common cause of DUB is a change in your body’s hormone levels which, in turn, is frequently caused by anovulation. This is what happens when your body doesn’t release an egg from one of your ovaries, which is most likely to happen after you first have a period because your ovaries aren’t fully developed yet. Until your periods become regular, anovulation can last for several years. If your body doesn’t release an egg, it doesn’t make as much progesterone as it needs to. Progesterone is a hormone that stops too much extra blood and tissue from building up in your uterus. And so, when you shed this lining, you can have heavier bleeding than usual, either during or in between your periods.

 

You may also develop DUB if you have an underlying illness that disrupts hormones, such as thyroid disease or polycystic ovary syndrome. Other causes of DUB include bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease, and problems like compulsive exercise, poor nutrition, or stress. These problems, again, interfere with your hormone production, meaning that you may stop ovulating. Regardless of the cause, it can be hard to determine whether or not you have DUB, as only a doctor can tell for sure. After all, every woman has a heavy period every now and then. Nonetheless, there are signs to watch out for that could indicate your bleeding isn’t normal:

 

1. Excessive use of sanitary pads: If you find you need to use more than one sanitary pad or tampon per hour, this may be an indication of DUB.

 

2. Long periods: Everyone has periods for different lengths of time. Some lucky ones can get away with two or three days of bleeding, while other women could have a period for up to 10 days. However, if your period lasts more than 10 days, you may have cause for concern.

 

3. Short menstrual cycle: A woman’s healthy menstrual cycle can last anywhere between 21 and 34 days, or up to 45 days if you’re just starting your periods. If you find that there have been fewer than 20 days between your periods, it may be a sign of DUB.

 

4. No periods: Although the above symptoms involve bleeding a lot, you may be in danger of DUB at the other end of the scale. If your period stops for more than three months, that doesn’t mean that the lining of your uterus is not building up. In fact, even if you’re not bleeding, the lining of the uterus can continue to build up and, eventually it will need to flow out.

 

If you notice any of the above signs, you should speak to your doctor. Hormones aren’t the only cause of abnormal bleeding. So a doctor will want to rule out other health problems – such as STIs, the above mentioned diseases and even pregnancy – before deciding on a diagnosis of DUB. Your doctor will ask you about your periods, including the date of your last period, as well as your sexual activity and any weight changes.

Categories: bleeding, body doesn, days, dub nbsp, Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding (DUB), menstrual cycle, nbsp, period, Periods, Symptoms

Period Drama: What To Expect from Menstruation

Of all the signs that you’re becoming a woman, getting your period is probably the biggest. Starting menstruation not only affects your sexual health – i.e. enabling you to get pregnant – but it can also be a confusing time, and have an impact on your mental wellness. While some of your friends may be excited to start their periods, others are probably feeling afraid or anxious about it. However, you’ll feel more positive about your wellbeing once you know more about your reproductive system and what actually happens during the menstrual cycle.

 

Girls can start having periods from the age of eight up to 17, but most girls tend to get them between 11 and 14. Generally, you can expect to get your first period about two to two-and-a-half years after your breasts have begun to develop. Also, roughly six months before your periods start, you might notice that you have an increased amount of clear vaginal discharge. This discharge is common, and you have no need to worry about it unless it has a strong odour or causes itchiness.

 

About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of your ovaries (which sit on either side of your uterus, or womb, and contain thousands of eggs, or ova). This process is called ovulation, and lets one of your eggs travel down the fallopian tubes and on its way to your uterus. A few days before this, your body’s oestrogen levels will stimulate your uterus to get ready for a pregnancy. The uterus builds up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making then thick and cushioned. If a sperm then fertilises the egg, it travels to your uterus and attaches to these cushiony walls, so it can slowly develop into a baby.

 

However, as you ovulate every month, most of the time the egg will not be fertilised by a sperm (which happens during unprotected sex) and will not attach to the wall of your uterus. When this happens, your uterus needs to get rid of the extra tissue lining and will shed the blood, tissue and unfertilised egg. When this goes through the vagina and out of the body, it is a menstrual period. This will continue to happen almost every month unless you become pregnant, in which case you get nine months off! You continue to have periods until you reach menopause (which happens, on average, at the age of 52).

 

All girls are different, meaning their menstrual cycles will last for different lengths of time and the actual periods will vary. Your menstrual cycle starts on the first day you have a period, continues during the time you’re bleeding and lasts up until your next period. After your first period, you might find your menstrual cycle lasts anywhere between 21 and 45 days and, after a couple of years, cycles shorten to an adult length of 21-34 days. It’s common to have irregular cycles when you’re just beginning to menstruate, as your body is getting used to all the changes. Cycles usually become more regular after a year or two, but some women do have irregular periods into adulthood. It’s it’s a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar.

 

In terms of how long your actual period will last, this also varies. For some girls it’s a case of two or three days, while others can last up to seven. Your menstrual cycle, or how how much blood comes out of your vagina, can vary widely from girl to girl, too. Most teens will change pads three to six times a day, with more frequent changes when their period is heaviest, usually at the start of the period. If you’re concerned about starting your period or that you’re losing too much blood, talk to a nurse or GP for more information.

Categories: cycle, menstrual, menstrual cycle, period, Periods, puberty, uterus

Contraception: The Facts Everyone Should Know

Contraception should tick a lot of boxes in one go – it should be cheap, easy to use, convenient, reversible and without any side effects. Beyond anything else though, it should protect against STDs as well as pregnancy. The type of contraception you use needs to fit your lifestyle perfectly, as well as your future goals for having a family or not. There are numerous choices out there, each with their own set of pros and cons – it’s simply a matter of sifting through until you find one which best suits your needs. From barrier methods to monitoring your natural cycle, choosing the right contraception is vital for a happy and safe sex life.

 

Natural methods are popular with women who don’t want to worry about hormones disrupting their natural cycle. They can be a little cumbersome but once you get the hang of them, they can be very effective. Natural methods of contraception include the rhythm method, which requires the woman to record the length of her menstrual cycle for several months. In doing this, she can then subtract 19 days from the shortest cycle and nine from the longest – this period of time will give her her most fertile period. During this stage, if she abstains from sex, she will be able to prevent pregnancy. The Basal body temperature technique goes by the body temperature recorded with a special thermometer. A woman’s body temperature rises after ovulation, and women are advised to avoid sex for up to three days post ovulation – this method is tricky to get right and easy to fail with though. The pull-out method, often favoured by teens, is a method which involves the male withdrawing his penis just as he is about to ejaculate. There is no special device needed nor any prescription, but there is a high failure rate and the risk of STDs as well. This method isn’t recommended as a safe and effective form of contraception.

Oral contraceptives contain two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, which regularise your periods, prevent ovarian cysts and reduce the pain and bleeding during the menstrual cycle. For many women, they are a miracle in the fight against painful periods. However, there are other side effects such as nausea or vomiting, breast tenderness and the risk of blood clots. Your GP is the best person to advise you as to whether or not the pill is the best form of contraception for you – while there are risks, they are also very efficient in protecting against pregnancy. Likewise, the contraceptive injection is very effective and can last up to two to three months. Some women find that these injections cause irregular periods, weight gain, leg cramps and depression – this is also worth discussing first with your GP. The IUD is a copper device which is fitted into the womb and creates an inhospitable environment so that a fertilised egg can’t settle and impregnate itself. They are fitted by a professional and can last up to ten years, so they’re great for women who don’t want to consider children for a long time. However, there is a risk of cramps, heavy bleeding and even infection. If you don’t want to go down the hormonal route, there is still the barrier methods. Including male and female condoms, this method protects against STDs as well as pregnancy and can be hugely effective in achieving both. It’s important to remember that no methods besides abstinence can offer 100 percent success, but the barrier method is a popular choice which many find to be effective and fits well into their lifestyle.

Categories: barrier methods, body temperature, contraception, cycle, hormones, menstrual cycle, method, natural cycle, Natural Methods, Sex, Women

What are the Signs of Womb Cancer?

The womb is a pear-shaped muscular organ in a woman’s lower abdomen – the lining is known as the endometrium or the endometrial layer, and this thickens and becomes full of blood vessels each month as the menstrual cycle progress. If an egg is fertilised, it will implant itself in this lining which is where it receives nourishment and develops into a baby. However, if you don’t become pregnant, this lining is shed through your monthly period and your menstrual cycle begins again. Womb cancer develops in this lining or in the wall of your womb – it is the fourth most common form of cancer amongst women in the UK, with around 7,800 women diagnosed each year. It is more common in women over the age of 50. It’s been found that the cancer can often start in your womb and spreads to invade the tissue surrounding the area, or spreads to the bloodstream or lymph system to then infect other areas of the body – this spread of the disease is known as metastasis. There are two types of womb caner – endometrial, which is the most common form and develops in the lining of the womb, and uterine sarcoma, which is less common and begins in the cells in the muscular wall of the womb.

 

The most common symptom of womb cancer is bleeding from your vagina, and this is especially identifiable if you’ve been through the menopause. It’s important to be aware of your monthly cycle and what is normal for you, as otherwise you may not be able to spot the signs of this disease. There are other symptoms which are less common but consist of discharge, pain or swelling in the lower abdomen, pain or discomfort during sex, weight loss, vomiting or feeling sick, fatigue and passing urine more than usual. However, it’s important to remember that these symptoms may be caused by problems other than womb cancer - speak to your GP if you’re concerned and they can advise you if you need to be tested. Some women also get lumps in the inner lining of the womb, which are referred to as endometrial polyps. These are generally benign, but some of them do contain cancer cells – this, again, should be referred to your GP for further information.

 

The reasons why some women develop womb cancer are unclear, but it’s thought that women who have too much oestrogen in their body, in relation to progesterone, could be more at risk. There are other factors which have been associated with developing womb cancer, such as PCOS, endometrial hyperplasia (which is a condition where the lining of your womb becomes thicker), being overweight or obese, being over the age of 50 and having a family history of the condition. The uterine sarcoma form of womb cancer is more common in African-Caribbean women, as well as those who have previously had radiotherapy in the pelvic area. There are a number of treatments for this disease, including surgery, which is the most common form of treatment – this is most commonly a hysterectomy. As with other forms of cancer, there are non-surgical treatments as well, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Being diagnosed with cancer is extremely devastating and can be difficult for you to cope with, as well as hard for your family. There are numerous support options to help you through this difficult stage, from local support groups to specialist nurses who are trained to help you deal with the effects of cancer. In more advanced stages of the disease, hospices and palliative care can be provided to help you and your family cope.

Categories: common form, menstrual cycle, Symptoms, treatment, uterine sarcoma, womb, womb cancer