Ariel July, 06, 2022
“My period is always irregular, what’s the issue?”
“When is the best time to get pregnant?”
“Sometimes I have severe menstrual cramps, and other times I don’t have any issues at all, it’s really strange.”
At first glance, these questions seem unrelated, but they are all connected to our menstrual cycle.
What is the menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is not just about the days we have our period. The term "menstruation" usually refers to the shedding of the uterine lining and the flow of menstrual blood from the first day to the last day without blood flow, typically lasting 2-8 days.
In fact, the time from the first day of menstrual flow to the first day of the next menstrual flow is collectively referred to as the menstrual cycle.
Different from the menstrual period, the duration of the menstrual cycle is about 28 to 30 days, with a variation of about five days being within the normal range.
Thus, women go through the menstrual cycle repeatedly throughout their lives. When we say our period is early or late, it reflects the instability of the menstrual cycle.
Additionally, during menopause and puberty, the menstrual cycle is most irregular because the body either does not ovulate or the follicles are not fully developed. It takes about six years after the first period for a woman to establish a regular menstrual cycle. Before that, the menstrual cycles of adolescents are usually longer but generally within 45 days.
So, what does a normal menstrual cycle look like?
What does normal menstruation look like?
A normal menstrual cycle goes through four stages: the menstrual phase, the luteal phase, the ovulation phase, and the follicular phase.
Menstrual phase: As mentioned before, the menstrual phase is the 2-8 days of blood flow. This period can be accompanied by abdominal cramps, back pain, headaches, nausea, and other physical discomforts. During this time, women should pay attention to sleep and diet, but should not blindly follow rumors. Most foods can be consumed normally during the period, except for alcohol. If the body allows, moderate exercise is also beneficial.
Follicular phase: The time after the menstrual period and about a week later is collectively known as the follicular phase. From the first day of the period, several follicles begin to develop under the influence of follicle-stimulating hormone. After the menstrual blood stops, inhibin is released according to a negative feedback mechanism, blocking further synthesis of follicle-stimulating hormone, so each month only one follicle will mature into an egg.
Ovulation phase: As the name suggests, the ovulation phase is the stage when the mature egg is released from the ovary. This happens around the fourteenth day of the menstrual cycle, right after the follicular phase. During this period, the level of estrogen in a woman's body rises, and the luteinizing hormone also increases, prompting the egg to be released and the corpus luteum to form.
Luteal phase: The luteal phase starts around the fifteenth day of the menstrual cycle and lasts until the day before the next menstrual cycle begins. During this period, the level of luteinizing hormone in a woman's body decreases, and the fully developed corpus luteum secretes estrogen and progesterone hormones. The egg released during the ovulation phase moves down the fallopian tube, and if it encounters a sperm, it will combine with the sperm to form a fertilized egg. In this case, the corpus luteum will continue to secrete hormones, thickening the uterine lining to provide suitable conditions for the development of the fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum will degenerate, the levels of estrogen and progesterone will decrease, and the thickened uterine lining will shed at the start of the next menstrual cycle.
The definition of a normal menstrual cycle is broad. Although many people think that having a period at the same time every month, bleeding for 3-5 days, not too much or too little blood flow, and no menstrual pain are characteristics of a normal period.
In fact, some irregularity within a certain range is normal. For example, being delayed or early by two or three days, the presence of primary dysmenorrhea, and variations in the amount of menstrual flow (still within the range of 5-80ml).
As long as the length of the menstrual cycle is roughly the same each month, there is no need to worry. If there is amenorrhea for more than three months, excessive menstrual flow leading to frequent changes of sanitary pads, unbearable menstrual pain, or a period lasting more than eight days with continuous bleeding, it is necessary to seek medical attention promptly.
It is recommended that all women of reproductive age consciously track their menstrual cycles, observe their menstrual status, and consult professionals in time if they feel unwell or have any questions about their menstrual cycle, to better protect their physical health.
