A woman's body usually prepares for pregnancy about every 28 days. Her cycle begins on the first day of bleeding and continues to the first day of the next menstrual period. Every woman's body is unique. For some, a cycle is as short as 21 days or as long as 35 days, and for some women, each cycle is different from the previous. What is irregular for one woman may be normal for another. If a... Read more >
Amenorrhea is not the same as missing a period. A number of things may cause late menstrual periods or missing one entirely. For instance, if you've just reached puberty and have recently begun menstruating, having late menstrual periods is common. The most common reasons for missed periods include: pregnancy inadequate nutrition excessive exercise or physical stress, including international air... Read more >
No one really knows what causes menstrual pain, also called dysmenorrhea. One theory is that menstrual cramps are caused when hormone-like prostaglandins are secreted and stimulate strong muscle contractions in the uterus. However, this theory has not been proven. Caffeine appears to increase menstrual pain as well as PMS symptoms, and different types of stress may also make it worse. About... Read more >
Different women experience different effects before and during their periods. Some women have frequent menstrual spotting, while others find that heavy bleeding is normal. It is not uncommon for women to have heavy bleeding during the first few years and last few years of menstruation. These are the years when a hormone imbalance is most likely. Heavy menstrual bleeding is called menorrhagia or... Read more >
Sometimes, the pain of a menstrual period just goes away. For instance, some women find that severe cramping during periods lessens after the birth of their first child. Easy at-home remedies include anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Aleve). Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also help. These are available in over-the-counter or prescription strength. A hot water bottle... Read more >
What is a Menstrual Cycle? A woman's body usually prepares for pregnancy about every 28 days. Each woman's body is unique but, in general, the menstrual cycle is considered to begin on the first day of bleeding and continue to the first day of the next period. For some women, a menstrual cycle is as short as 21 days or as long as 35 days and for some women, each month may be different from the last. What one... Read more >
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, is a debilitating set of symptoms associated with the part of a woman's cycle that precedes her menstrual period. PMDD is also a psychiatric term for a major mood disturbance. "Dysphoria" derives from a Greek word meaning "distress" or "hard to bear," and is used by the psychiatric and medical community as a diagnostic term. It generally refers to a type of... Read more >
The PMS Picture Premenstrual syndrome is fairly well known as the period of time about a week prior to her menstrual period when a woman's behavior becomes . . . well . . . a little bit more 'sensitive.' While the "How many women with PMS does it take to change a light bulb?" joke has saturated the Internet, most women are willing to concede that they are a bit edgy during that time. While mood swings... Read more >
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a set of symptoms that create a debilitating condition for a woman that is far beyond the mood swings and binge eating or food cravings typical of PMS. The symptoms occur only in the time before the menses (menstrual period), when a hormone imbalance is likely. Although many women experience premenstrual anxiety or even occasional depression associated with their menses... Read more >
Treating Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder While the exact cause of PMDD is unknown, medical researchers have linked its cause to ovulation, simply because the symptoms are absent when a woman is pregnant. To back this up, researchers have found that hormone levels differ in women with PMDD. In addition, these women often have lower levels of the neurochemical serotonin than women who do not have PMDD. Treatment... Read more >
ResourcesCornfield, T. (2002).Abnormal uterine bleeding. Retrieved August 17, 2002, from womenshealth.about.com/library/weekly/aa051298.htm. Coyier, T. J. (2001-2002). The edge of madness: PMS, PMDD, or bipolar disorder? Retrieved November 2, 2002, from pages.ivillage.com/terryjroo/theedgeofmadness/id41.html.Davidson, T. (1999). Oligomenorrhea. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Retrieved August 16, 2002... Read more >
With the many types of menstrual disorders that can affect women, most will experience an irregularity or concern at some point in their lives. As soon as you start to experience a change or have a concern about your menstrual cycle, be sure to talk to your doctor, who can provide you with accurate and useful information. Here is a rundown of how to keep track of your menstrual cycle so that you can... Read more >
Adolescence is often viewed as the emotional and physical bridge between childhood and adulthood. This transitional period is filled with hormonal changes, character development and testing. It’s often a time when developing children start to discover who they are. For girls, adolescence is a time of major body development and hormonal shifts. While menstruation is an easy transition for some, for others, it may... Read more >
Most of us know that diet and exercise contribute to a healthier life. However, did you know that proper diet and exercise also lead to better menstrual health? In fact, exercise for menstrual disorders has proven to be effective and uplifting for many women who were troubled by their symptoms. Exercise Regular exercise leads to increased blood circulation, a reduction in fat and obesity and a decrease in... Read more >
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