Menstruation is something that every woman experiences, and it has a certain periodicity. The normal menstrual cycle for women is around 28 days, and occasionally increasing or delaying it by one week is a normal phenomenon. Menstruation is the process by which women excrete toxins from their bodies, and the thickness of the endometrium also changes. So what does a woman's menstrual cycle look like? What are the functions of menstruation?
What does a woman's menstrual period look like
Adolescent women experience periodic changes in the endometrium due to the secretion of sex hormones from the ovaries. The endometrium sheds once a month, and the shed mucosa and blood are discharged from the body through the vagina. This bleeding phenomenon is called menstruation.
The duration of menstruation is generally 3 to 7 days, and the amount of bleeding is within 100 milliliters, with the highest amount on the 2nd to 3rd day. Menstrual blood is generally dark red, non coagulating, with cervical mucus and vaginal epithelial cells. Generally, women have no symptoms during their menstrual period, but a few may experience discomfort such as lower abdominal or lumbosacral heaviness, breast tenderness, constipation or diarrhea, headache, etc.
The role of menstruation
1. Pregnancy signal
Married women of childbearing age, according to previous menstrual rules, if their menstrual period exceeds ten days in the future, they should first consider whether they are pregnant. After confirming pregnancy, those who are not planning to have children should take remedial measures as soon as possible; Those who want to have children should pay more attention to nutrition, avoid exposure to tobacco, alcohol, pesticides, harmful chemicals, radiation, etc., and avoid taking drugs that can cause fetal abnormalities. According to the menstrual period, the expected delivery date can also be calculated, which is very beneficial for prenatal care and psychological well-being.
2. Disease signals
If a girl is over 18 years old and still has no menstrual periods, it is called primary amenorrhea; If a woman has had normal menstrual periods in the past and has stopped menstruating for more than three months, it is called secondary amenorrhea (excluding those caused by pregnancy, lactation, and menopause). It is necessary to check for lower genital atresia, congenital absence of uterus or uterine dysplasia, ovarian tumors, pituitary tumors or dysfunction, endocrine or wasting diseases. In addition, changes in the duration, amount, and accompanying symptoms of menstruation are also important clues for discovering and diagnosing many diseases.
3. Hematopoietic function
Menstrual periods cause the body to frequently lose blood and produce blood, giving women's circulatory and hematopoietic systems a kind of "exercise" that men do not have. It enables women to withstand the impact of unexpected blood loss more quickly than men, and can produce new blood to make up for the lost blood. Practice has proven that men and women with the same weight and health status who accidentally lose the same proportion of blood can die from it, while women have the possibility of successful rescue and eventual recovery.
The above is an introduction to what menstruation looks like for women and its functions, hoping to help everyone. If there is disorder in the menstrual cycle and abnormal color, it is necessary to seek medical attention promptly and adjust the body. During menstruation, it is important to pay attention to personal hygiene and avoid cross infection, which can lead to various gynecological inflammations.
