“Women’s days” in the business calendar of a woman usually fit with difficulty: because of the unpleasant symptoms that accompany them: everything hurts, whines, pulls, and if they are delayed – you can completely fall into stress.
Menstruation, thanks to the massive advertising of hygiene products, has become almost the most famous physiological process. Unfortunately, the knowledge that every girl needs is usually not added.
The most common questions about this period corresponded to the SHE correspondent gynecologist-endocrinologist of the clinic “Avanta-honey”, Ph. D. Eugenia Ladunova
Some women have difficulties with calculating the menstrual cycle. How to correctly calculate it?
The menstrual cycle continues from the first day of the last menstruation to the first day of the next. It must be remembered that menstruation does not mean the beginning, but the end of physiological processes that last 3-4 weeks;it indicates the fading processes that prepare the body for pregnancy, the death of an unfertilized egg. But the secretion of blood is the most pronounced manifestation of cyclic processes, so it is convenient to start calculating the cycle from the first day of the last menstruation.
What is the optimal cycle time?
In most women of reproductive age, the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days (4-week cycle), less often – 21 days (3-week cycle), sometimes it reaches 30-35 days. Such duration – from 21 to 35 days – is the norm, but for every concrete woman this number should be approximately constant, fluctuations of 3-5 days are allowed. For the convenience of counting, there are special menstrual calendars that are available in the office of any gynecologist.
Many worry too much allocation. How long should menstruation normally last and how intense can it be?
Prolonged (more than 8 days) menstruation is already regarded as bleeding and is dangerous, since after 10 or more days, endometritis can occur – inflammation of the uterine mucosa. The intensity of blood loss can be properly assessed only by a specialist, since the norm is individual and depends on many factors.
It can be unequivocally said that if a woman shows signs of anemia during her menses (pallor, dry skin, tachycardia, pressure decrease, weakness, headaches), blood loss is more likely to exceed her individual norm, and she needs to see a doctor immediately.
In abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility and tumor processes are often detected, and they can also indicate urgent conditions requiring surgical intervention, for example, an ectopic pregnancy.
And what about pain while waiting and during menstruation? It seems that all women have this problem …
These are two different pathologies that occur very often. In one case, this dysmenorrhea is a violation of the menstrual cycle, manifested by painful menstruation accompanied by headache, irritability, nausea, bloating. The cause of secondary dysmenorrhea are pathological processes in the pelvic organs, such as endometriosis, uterine myoma, inflammatory and adhesions. This kind of dysmenorrhea is eliminated by the therapy of the underlying disease. Psychological factors play an important role in the development of primary dysmenorrhea. Then a consultation of a neurologist and, probably, a psychologist is necessary.
In another case, we are talking about premenstrual syndrome (PMS) – a complex symptom complex that occurs in the days before menstruation. Symptoms of PMS occur 2-10 days before the onset of menstruation and disappear in the first days. There are about 150 of them, the most common of which are breast engorgement and soreness, bloating, swelling, sleep disturbance, heart pain, dizziness, tearfulness, increased appetite. The basis of the diagnosis is the cyclical nature of the appearance of pathological symptoms. The treatment plan is complex and includes activities aimed at the most pronounced symptoms of disorders: psychotherapy, rational nutrition, gymnastics, the use of special drugs (including hormones) prescribed by a doctor.
Unexpected guests – acne – many women are poisoned by life in anticipation and during menstruation. With this somehow you can fight?
Such symptoms can talk about hyperandrogenism – a pathological condition caused by the production of excess levels of male hormones in the female body. Increased skin fatness, acne, excessive growth of hair on the body – its frequent symptoms. Currently, a number of conditions are described, accompanied by a violation of the hormonal background, in which there is a hyperandrogenism. However, timely access to specialists, competent diagnosis and comprehensive treatment allow not only to restore reproductive function, but also to eliminate cosmetic defects, namely, to improve the condition of the skin and hair.
Aggressiveness or tearfulness, weakness, headaches … Is it worth fighting with these frequent symptoms or just need to suffer?
Of course, it’s worth it! Such symptoms deplete the nervous system, contribute to the development of asthenic conditions, reduce efficiency, therefore, they necessarily require a specialist to determine the cause and further treatment.
And playing sports and having sex?
Sports loads do not need to be canceled. They only need to be limited: to exclude tension of the abdominal press, coups, jumps and power receptions. The other types of exercise have even a preventive and curative effect. Completely abandon physical exertion should only be in the pathological course of menstruation.
Sexual life these days is still recommended to be excluded, because during this period the susceptibility to infection increases due to the appearance of a “wound” surface on the endometrium (mucous membrane of the uterus) and the constant intake of the menstrual discharge.
This provides the so-called blood path for an upward infection. For the same reason, doctors do not recommend going to the pool these days.
And the last question: is it possible to independently ease one’s life during menstruation, if it goes completely wrong, as it should be – easily and painlessly?
From “home” funds women usually use painkillers. But analgesics and antispasmodics with uncontrolled reception at best eliminate pain symptoms, at worst – they can do much harm. In addition, as it was said above, painful menstruation can be only one of the symptoms of the main serious disease, therefore self-medication in this situation is unacceptable and consultation of the obstetrician-gynecologist is necessary.
