A Woman's Guide to Easing Menstrual Problems
Attitudes towards menstruation
At the time of menarche young girls talk together about the approaching change. For most it is an emotional event, approached with trepidation and excitement of becoming a woman. As girls sense their budding femininity it can be a time of blossoming of self confidence, but in the absence of good role models among older sisters or other woman, it can be a source of anxiety instead. This may be a factor in development of Anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders.
The Menstrual Cycle
Normal female reproductive function involves the complex interplay of hormones and the reproductive organs. The part of the brain containing the hypothalamus produces hormone-releasing substances and the pituitary gland produces the Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle stimulating Hormone. These in turn stimulate the ovaries to produce the hormone oestrogen and progesterone. Oestrogen induces the growth of breasts and other female sexual characteristics. This process create the cycle of menstruation, inducing maturation of the egg in the ovary, it release down the fallopian tube in preparation for fertilization, and if it is not fertilized, it disintegrations and discharge with the endometrial wall of the uterus, resulting in the flow of blood, the average cycle lasts twenty eight days but can be as long as forty days.. Bleeding occurs fourteen days after the release of the egg if it is not fertilized.
Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS)
PMS includes both physical and emotional symptoms that many girls and women get right before their periods, such as:
acne
bloating
fatigue
backaches
sore breasts
headaches
constipation
diarrhea
food cravings
depression or feeling blue
irritability
difficulty concentrating
difficulty handling stress
Different girls may have some or all of these symptoms in varying combinations. PMS is usually at its worst during the 7 days before the period starts and disappears once it begins. But girls usually don't develop symptoms associated with PMS until several years after menstruation starts - if ever.
Although the exact cause of PMS is unknown, it seems to occur because of changing hormone levels. During the second half of the menstrual cycle, the amount of progesterone in the body increases. Then, about 7 days before the period starts and right around when PMS occurs, levels of both progesterone and estrogen drop.
PMS affect up to 75 percent of all women of menstruating age at some time and may occur from two to fourteen days before the period starts.
Cramps
Many girls experience abdominal cramps during the first few days of their periods. They're caused by prostaglandin, a chemical in the body that makes the smooth muscle in the uterus contract. These involuntary contractions can be either dull or sharp and intense.
The good news is that cramps usually become less severe as girls get older and they don't usually last long. But call your daughter's doctor if she has severe cramps that keep her home from school or from doing stuff with her friends.
Irregular Periods
It can take up to 2 years from a girl's first period for her body to develop a regular cycle. During that time, the body is essentially adjusting to the influx of hormones unleashed by puberty. And what's "regular" varies from person to person. The typical cycle of an adult female is 28 days, although some are as short as 22 days and others are as long as 45.
Changing hormone levels might make a girl's period short 1 month (just a few days) and long the next (up to a week). She can skip months, get two periods almost right after each other, or alternate between heavy and light bleeding from 1 month to another.
But any girl who's sexually active and skips a period should see a doctor to make sure she's not pregnant. And if your daughter's period still hasn't settled into a relatively predictable pattern after 3 years, or if she has four or five regular periods and then skips her period for a couple of months, make an appointment with her doctor to check for possible problems.
Delayed Menarche
All girls go through puberty at different rates. Some reach menarche (the medical term for the first period or the beginning of menstruation) as early as 9 or 10 years old and others don't have their first periods until they're well into their teen years. So, if your daughter is a "late bloomer," it doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with her.
When girls get their periods actually depends a lot on genetics. Girls often start menstruating at approximately the same age their mothers or grandmothers did. Also, certain ethnic groups, on average, go through puberty earlier than others. For instance, African-American girls, on average, start puberty and get their periods before Caucasian girls do.
Although most period problems are harmless, a few conditions can be more serious and require medical attention.
Amenorrhea (the Absence of Periods)
Girls who haven't started their periods by the time they're 16 years old or 3 years after they've shown the first signs of puberty have primary amenorrhea, which is usually caused by a hormone imbalance or developmental problem. Hormones are also often responsible for secondary amenorrhea, which is when a girl who had normal periods suddenly stops menstruating for more than 6 months.
Of course, pregnancy is the first possible cause to rule out when a girl skips periods. But some other things that can cause both primary and secondary amenorrhea include:
low levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone , which controls ovulation and the menstrual cycle
stress
significant weight loss or gain
anorexia (In fact, amenorrhea can be an initial sign that a teen is losing too much weight and may have anorexia.)
stopping birth control pills
thyroid conditions
ovarian cysts
Menorrhagia (Extremely Heavy, Prolonged Periods)
It's normal for a girl's period to be heavier on some days than others. But menorrhagia usually leads to soaking through at least one sanitary napkin (pad) an hour for several hours in a row or periods that last longer than 7 days. Girls with menorrhagia sometimes stay home from school or social functions because they're worried they won't be able to control the bleeding in public.
The most frequent cause of menorrhagia is an imbalance between the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body, which allows the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) to keep building up. When the endometrium is finally shed during menstruation, the resulting bleeding is particularly heavy.
Because many adolescents have slight hormone imbalances during puberty, menorrhagia isn't uncommon in teens. In some cases, heavy menstrual bleeding is caused by:
fibroids (benign growths) or polyps in the uterus
thyroid conditions
clotting disorders
inflammation or infection in the vagina or cervix
Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods)
There are two types of dysmenorrhea, which is severely painful menstruation that can interfere with a girl's ability to attend school, study, or sleep:
Primary dysmenorrhea is more common in teens and is not caused by a disease or other condition. Instead, the culprit is prostaglandin, the same chemical behind cramps. Large amounts of prostaglandin can lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches, backaches, diarrhea, and severe cramps. Fortunately, these symptoms usually last for only a day or 2.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by some physical condition like polyps or fibroids in the uterus, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or adenomyosis (uterine tissue growing into the muscular wall of the uterus).
Having cramps for a day or 2 each month is common, but signs of dysmenorrhea should be discussed with your child's doctor.
Endometriosis
In this condition, tissue normally found only in the uterus starts to grow outside the uterus - in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or other parts of the pelvic cavity. It can cause abnormal bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and general pelvic pain.
Treating Menstrual Problems
Have your symptoms diagnosed by a general practitioner or a gynecologist. Do not attempt to self diagnose as this can be very misleading. Discuss your progress with a practitioner or a gynecologist . Report any new symptom.
Points to note :
Unusual bleeding, especially between periods
Any unusual pains in the abdomen or on intercourse
Swelling or Lump appearing anywhere in breast, pelvis or labia
What You Can Do to Ease the discomfort
When experiencing a particularly bad bout of PMS or cramps, there are several things you can do at home :
Reduce intake of carbohydrates (sugar, sweet and white flour product) Consume wholegrain, wholemeal bread, wholemeal flour flour or pasta etc
If you have a tendency to bloat, eliminate wheat and all wheat products for a month.
Vegetable protein intake (nuts, beans, and Soya products) should be increase
Dairy foods and eggs should be avoided or decreased. Dairy animals are injected or fed with artificial hormones which will disrupt natural hormone level and the high fat content in dairy food may disrupt the prostaglandin balance
All animal fats should be decreased. While polyunsaturated vegetable oils should be increase to boost intake of essential fatty acids.
Avoid pre-packed and ready-made meals.Read all food labels as many ready made foods are padded out with sugar.
Restrict intake of alcohols, soft drink, tea, chocolate, cocoa and coffee
Eat a balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit
Reduce intake of salt (which can cause water retention) and (caffeine which can cause jumpy and anxious mood).
Take magnesium, B-complex vitamins, and calcium, which may reduce the severity of PMS symptoms.
Try over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for cramps, headaches, or back pain.
Take a brisk walk or bike ride to relieve stress and aches (because exercise releases endorphins - chemicals in the body that make you feel good).
Soak in a warm bath or put a hot water bottle on her abdomen, which may help her relax.
This article is not designed as a substitute for personal medical advice but as a supplement to advice for those wishes to understand more about her condition.
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Annabel Cruz is a researcher that studies Natural healing by combining both Western and Eastern ways. Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included.
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