WHAT EXACTLY IS MENSTRUATION?

Menstruation is a natural biological process of women. Menstruation is also a sign of a girl growing up to be a woman. The maiden time a girl starts having the menses is called menarche. After that menstruation continues till menopause. Menstruation is also a natural process of preparing a woman's body to attain motherhood. Actually, the most fertile period of a woman is during the fast few days of the menstrual cycle. Hence as menstruation takes place every month, therefore a woman achieves this vitally important phase I her lifetime every month. If during this time there is intercourse and the male ejaculation takes place within the woman's vagina, the possibility of a lucky sperm impregnating an egg of the woman is always there.

NORMAL MENSTRUATION

A normal menstruation cycle continues for a period varying from three to seven days. Counting from the first day of a menstrual period to the next commencement date, each normal menstruation takes place on the 29th day. But there can be slight variations in the starting date. The menstruation style usually takes several years to attain the regular pattern.

IRREGULAR MENSTRUATION

Various factors can bring about irregularity in the menstruation cycle. Such irregularity is especially reported during the early adolescence phase. That is because the body takes time to adjust to the new hormonal forces. Some of the other determining elements in the subsequent stages are psychological stress like a change in ties, or nervousness or problems in adjustments as it happens when one joins a new profession or institution or even dietary habits that lead to alteration in weight.

A CYCLIC PATTERN

In a normal person, menstruation recurs in a cyclic pattern. The menstruation phase encompasses the average length of the menstruation cycle. The menstrual cycle can be calculated as it recurs after every month. The main cause of menstruation is the hormonal changes that take place within a girl as she attains womanhood. During the menstruation month, the chemicals called hormones rise and fall.

THE DISCARDED ELEMENTS

During the menstrual cycle, the female body gets rid of the accumulated endometrial tissues which flow out along with blood via her vagina. This is accompanied by various typical symptoms like the PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), PMS (premenstrual syndrome), pain associated with ovulation, and/or cramps during menstruation.

MENSTRUATION DISORDERS

Similarly, abnormality or disorder in the menstruation cycle also leads to various disorders. Mention may be made of amenorrhea (lack of menses) or the toxic shock symptoms when there may be excessive bleeding during menstruation. It is interesting to note that during menstruation several portions of the woman's body work in close concert. Among them are the brain, pituitary gland, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and the ovaries.

UNFOLDING OF THE MENSTRUATION DRAMA

Here is an overview of what a fascinating natural drama unfolds during menstruation. During the initial 15 days of menstruation, the uterus lining thickens. This growth in what is known as the endometrium is due to the rise in the estrogen levels. This thickening of the uterus lining is very crucial to provide a grooming ground to the fertilized egg.

HOW PREGNANCY TAKES PLACE

The main element that is the pivot of pregnancy insofar as the women are concerned is the ovary. They are two in numbers and are shaped like grapes. These little organs are located on both sides of the uterus within the abdomen. These ovaries are the sacs wherein are ensconced hundreds of thousands of eggs. A mature egg is called an ovum. Each time there is a rise in the hormone, the follicles in the ovaries get stimulated and they cause an egg to mature. When this happens for the first time in a girl's life, it is called puberty. The egg gets released in the middle part of the menstrual phase. This is effected by a sudden rise in the (luteinizing) hormone. Now the egg attains the ovum stage. The egg releasing process is called ovulation.

THE CRUCIAL JOURNEY

The ovum starts its crucial journey through any of the fallopian tubes. The destination is the uterus. And if at this time the egg is lucky enough to get fertilized by an equally lucky sperm, pregnancy takes place.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS NO FERTILIZATION?

Suppose there is no meeting between the sperm and the egg, then the body ensures that it is not lodged within the body of the woman. As the thickened uterus lining is also not required, the woman's body then commences the process to dispose off the inner layer of the uterus. The body triggers a fall in estrogen and progesterone which in turn gently peels off the inner coating of the uterus. Finally, this discarded portion makes its way through the vagina. This is menstruation.