Appeals to take care of yourself and your health, which are louder and louder in recent years, cannot but rejoice. However, the topic of female physiology, especially its individual manifestations, is still hushed up – in principle, bashfully, deliberately, in the old fashioned way … Our society does not want to talk openly about some things – or is simply not ready yet. However, the individual voices of those who do not want to put up with this made us at least try to change something. We decided to discuss with an expert the most frequent questions from users of our forum about the menstrual cycle.
Natalia Vodianova is not afraid to talk about female physiology
Back in 2017, Natalia Vodianova – absolutely suddenly – publicly expressed concern that the fair sex was embarrassed to talk about their health, especially about the menstrual cycle. “Why did it happen?” – thought many, deciding that this is a temporary whim of a supermodel or a contract with a manufacturer of feminine hygiene products. As it turns out later, neither one nor the other. Natasha, meanwhile, did not even think to stop.
Despite the fact that menstruation is an integral part of every woman’s life, in many cultures it is still regarded as something taboo and shameful – and not with every best friend you can discuss. What can we say about the fact that in some countries – for example, in India – it is still difficult (and sometimes impossible) buy sanitary pads. And this is in the 21st century.
In his microblog, a celebrity often raises the topic of women’s health
“Our periods are our feminine nature, part of what shapes new life. Why do we need to be ashamed of this? ” – more than once after the debut post, the supermodel asked her subscribers. In response, often only perplexed comments flew in.
The negative reaction of followers, who were not used to revelations on this topic, did not frighten Vodianova. On the contrary, she gave her a powerful impetus to start working in the field of women’s health.
Soon Natalia became a member of the board of directors of a special mobile application designed to track the menstrual cycle and discuss related topics.
Natalia takes part in the development of the application for women
Healthy Food Near Me supports the star in her desire to help others. Hundreds of menstrual comments appear on our forum every day. Often in them, women complain about the low level of awareness about their reproductive health – someone is embarrassed to talk about their physiology even with a doctor! There are also those who mistakenly believe that some symptoms can be frivolously ignored.
Having carefully studied our forum, we collected the most numerous questions related to the menstrual cycle, and asked the head of the gynecology center of the Clinical Hospital “MEDSI” Ekaterina Zhumanova to answer them.
“At the beginning of the month, I started my period according to the schedule, and two weeks after it ended, the bloody discharge appeared again. At first I thought it was a symptom of pregnancy, but the test came back negative. With what it can be connected?”
“Spotting outside the expected day of your period is almost always a symptom of ovarian dysfunction,” says the doctor. According to the specialist, a woman of any age can have a similar problem, and quite suddenly.
Most often, unplanned spotting is associated with improper hormone production.
“If we consider this case, then, most likely, the girl has a lack of progesterone (a sex hormone that affects the menstrual cycle)… It is because of this that menstrual discharge may appear outside the menstrual phase of the cycle, ”explains Ekaterina. With such a symptom, she advises not to neglect a visit to the gynecologist, because such violations can lead to serious illnesses and complications during conception and pregnancy. In addition, the doctor advises to do a biochemical blood test at different stages of the cycle to find out if everything is in order with the hormone levels in your body.
“How to speed up the onset of menstruation? I consider both folk remedies and medicines ”
According to Ekaterina Zhumanova, it is impossible to speed up the menstrual cycle without harm to health. However, some women try to adjust the timing of their period by abruptly discontinuing oral contraceptives. It should be understood that doing this is extremely dangerous – each package of contraceptive pills is designed to be taken continuously during the cycle and regulates its course.
“Postponing” the days of the onset of menstruation is unhealthy
When interrupting the course, the hormonal background can be greatly disrupted, as a result of which you will not only encounter unpleasant symptoms (rashes, increased sweating, weight changes), but also with much more serious reproductive problems, which are sometimes difficult to eliminate.
“I used to have a stable cycle, but now for more than a week – a delay. Pregnancy is out of the question, and weight is okay. What is the problem?”
“Delayed menstruation is associated with hormonal imbalances. It is impossible not to pay attention to this and calmly wait for it to “come”, since after a long delay, severe bleeding may begin.
There is also a possibility of hyperplasia (excessive growth of the inner functional layer of the uterus) or endometrial polyp (benign growth in the uterus)“, The doctor warns.
In order to establish the causes of this condition, you need to do an ultrasound of the small pelvis and take a biochemical blood test. After identifying the problem, the specialist will prescribe therapy that will “induce” menstruation and stabilize the cycle.
“Usually my period lasts 4-5 days, but this time the discharge disappeared in just a day! With what it can be connected?”
“Short menstruation can be a variant of the norm,” says Ekaterina Zhumanova. At the same time, she warns that you should still understand the reasons for changing the duration of the cycle, after consulting with a specialist: sometimes such a symptom can signal the development of serious pathologies.
Cycle times may vary, but should be monitored by keeping a calendar
To analyze whether your cycle is proceeding normally, you should do an ultrasound of the pelvis on its 5-7 day. During this period, the endometrium (mucous membrane inside the uterus) thin enough, and against its background it will be easier to see the state of the uterus.
“For many years I have been suffering from painful menstruation, and I am tired of saving myself with pills every time. How to get rid of unpleasant symptoms without taking painkillers? “
According to the specialist, the appearance of painful sensations during the menstrual cycle is quite normal. Most often, young women complain of pain, and they often disappear with age.
“You can get rid of periodic pain by choosing oral contraceptives, especially if pregnancy is not planned yet,” advises Ekaterina
However, sometimes pains indicate the development of various gynecological diseases, so the best solution would be to consult a specialist. And if the gynecologist determines that the cause of your pain is not related to any complications, he will suggest alternative ways to alleviate the condition that are right for you.
“In the first days of menstruation, not only my lower abdomen hurts, but also my intestines, because of this I face frequent urges to go to the toilet. Is this normal or should you see a doctor? ”
“As a rule, this side effect is completely normal,” the specialist reassures. During menstruation, the uterus contracts actively, and the rectum is located anatomically behind it. That is why these contractions are transmitted to her, causing the urge to defecate.
However, any complication can be masked behind any symptom.
Regular visits to the gynecologist will help you rule out the development of diseases and control the appearance of unusual sensations.
“The Internet is replete with positive reviews about menstrual cups – they say it’s convenient, practical and very budgetary. And I was faced with the fact that after using them, I have severe inflammation of the vaginal mucosa. What is the reason for this? ”
“Indeed, a menstrual cup is not suitable for every woman. If it is in the vagina for a long time, it can cause a violation of the microflora and provoke the occurrence of inflammatory diseases, because with this method of hygiene, menstrual blood accumulates inside, and does not come out, ”the expert says.
Many women experience discomfort when using a menstrual cup
Catherine advises to listen to your feelings and during menstruation to use those means that do not cause discomfort.
The body of each of us is unique and requires a personal approach, and not following fashion trends – especially in such a sensitive issue.
Probably, in this material we have considered only a small part of the problems that women can worry about. Nevertheless, we hope that by starting a discussion about menstruation, we will help our readers change their minds on some issues and begin to take a closer look at their health. Are you embarrassed to talk about menstrual problems?