Synonyms
menstruation (lat: mensis – the month, stratus- scattered), bleeding, period, menstruation, menstrual flow, cycle, days, period, menorrhea
Definition
Menstruation is the female menstruation that starts on average every 28 days and lasts about 4 days. In addition to blood, the menstrual period mainly exudes mucous membrane. The average amount of blood is only 65 ml.
In order to be able to understand how the menstrual period develops, it helps to understand the female cycle: With the onset of puberty, and thus sexual maturity, the female hormone balance begins to change. In the brain, hormones are released which stimulate eggs already laid in the ovary at embryonic age. An egg, together with its covering called a follicle, matures into the so-called dominant (leading) follicle.
The coating of the egg itself produces a female sex hormone (estrogen), which builds up the lining of the uterus and thus prepares for pregnancy. This part of the female cycle is called the follicular phase (5th to approx. 13th day of the cycle).
In addition, the hormone estrogen causes ovulation (14th day of the cycle) by stimulating another hormone in the brain. The egg is now released from its shell and makes its way to the uterus via the fallopian tubes. The so-called corpus luteum is formed from the coating that remains in the ovary.
This produces the corpus luteum hormone progesterone, also known as pregnancy-maintaining hormone, because, among other things, it prevents rejection of the uterine lining and thus prevents menstruation. This is called the corpus luteum phase (15th to 28th day of the cycle). However, if the egg does not meet any sperm on its way and pregnancy fails to occur, the corpus luteum degenerates into so-called corpus albicans.
The corpus albicans no longer produces any hormones, resulting in hormone withdrawal bleeding, the menstrual bleeding (1st to 4th day of the cycle). This entire cycle lasts 25 to 31 days. By definition, the cycle begins on the 1st day of menstruation, followed by the follicular phase after about 4 days.
The duration of this phase varies greatly from woman to woman, which would explain the time differences in the length of the cycle. The subsequent ovulation occurs relatively regularly 14 days before the start of the next cycle. This constancy is due to the last luteal body phase, which lies between ovulation and menstruation and always lasts 14 days.
In terms of hormone balance, estrogen dominates towards the end of the first half of the cycle (in the days before ovulation) and progesterone dominates throughout the second half of the cycle (corpus luteum phase). These hormone fluctuations can also cause cycle-dependent complaints (see below). The first menstrual period is called menarche.
After the menopause, bleeding stops. The duration of the female cycle can vary greatly from woman to woman. For some women, it lasts only 23 days, for others it is as long as 35 days.
In 5% of women the menstrual cycle lasts even longer. The average, normal menstrual cycle is 28 days, but deviations from this duration are no exception and usually not worrying. The cycle has its first day with the onset of menstruation.
This can also last for very different lengths of time depending on the woman. It usually lasts between three and seven days. The woman usually loses between 30 and 60 milliliters of blood.
Some women, however, suffer from very long and heavy bleeding (menorrhagia), which can even lead to such severe blood loss that women’s health is affected. In extreme cases, iron deficiency and anaemia can occur. In this case medical therapy is indicated.
In most cases, the symptoms can be successfully treated with hormone preparations. The bleeding that occurs when hormone preparations are taken during a break in taking them is also known as withdrawal bleeding, as it does not correspond to the actual menstrual period. It is merely a reaction of the body to the falling hormone level.
Many women find it easier to take the pill because the bleeding is less heavy and in many cases does not last as long. Often the pain symptoms also improve during bleeding, which many women have had problems with before. The menstrual period is not the same for every woman, so the duration of bleeding can vary greatly.Some women complain of very heavy and long bleeding, while other women show very short courses.
The duration depends very much on the hormone level of the woman and is therefore indirectly influenced by all factors that have an influence on the hormone level. Many women find a shorter menstrual period more pleasant and therefore want to shorten their menstrual period. Especially women with a very long and heavy menstrual period feel restricted by it.
In general, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help to stabilize the duration of menstruation. In the case of very severe symptoms, hormonal contraceptives, such as the “pill”, which often successfully shorten and stabilize the bleeding, ultimately help. Before a hormonal contraceptive is taken, a consultation with an experienced gynecologist is necessary.
This doctor can determine the cause of the long menstrual period after taking the patient’s medical history and conducting an examination, as hormonal contraceptives are not suitable for every cause. For hygiene, bandages, also called pads, and tampons are available. The choice of suitable articles should be based on the personal bleeding intensity, constitution and preference.
While bandages are simply stuck into the panties, tampons must be inserted vaginally. A so-called retrieval thread helps to remove the tampon. You should not feel a correctly fitting tampon. A tampon change should be carried out when the tampon gives way by pulling on the return thread, but at the latest after eight hours.
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