Menstruation and the Menstrual Cycle (Infographic)

What is Menstruation? Menstruation is the part of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle in which blood and tissue are discharged from the vagina. It is also commonly called a period or menstrual period. Most menstrual periods last from three to five days. In the United States, most girls start menstruating at age 12, but girls can start menstruating between the ages of 8 and 16. Signs Of Menstruation Bleeding from the vagina is the primary sign of menstruation. Some women have other symptoms around the time of menstruation, including: Food cravings Mood swings and irritability Headache and fatigue PMS may affect a woman of any age who has menstrual periods. If the symptoms disrupt your lifestyle, you may want to seek medical care. Cramping, bloating, and sore breasts. PMS usually occurs one or two weeks before menstruation. What can affect My Period? Hormonal imbalance in woman may cause a multitude of problems like depression, fatigue, allergies, and hair loss. Reasons for hormonal imbalance again may be many but the basic reason is an incorrect relationship between progesterone and estrogen levels. PMS usually occurs one or two weeks before menstruation. PMS may affect a woman of any age who has menstrual periods. If the symptoms Stress Exercise disrupt your lifestyle, you may want to seek medical care. Exercising is good for health but too much of it may cause your periods to stop by lowering your body fat. So you should always be careful not to overdo it. If you are too tired or your body refuses to take any more, just stop it. doctor when to see a You should talk to an adult you trust and/or see a doctor if you experience any of the following: You are bleeding for more days than usual or more than seven days. Your bleeding is very heavy. You suddenly feel sick after using tampons. You bleed in between periods or with sex (more than just a few drops). You have very bad pain during your period. It has been three months or more since your last period and you have n't gotten it again. You have not gotten your period by the age of 15 or within three years of when your breasts started to grow. The menstrual cycle 28 1 27 26 25 3 24 4 23 Menstruation 22 6 21 7 20 9. 19 Fertile time 10 18 17 16 11 15 14 12 13 Day 1 starts with the first day of your period.This occurs after hormone levels drop at the end of the previous cycle, signaling blood and tissues lining the uterus (womb) to break down and shed from the body. Bleeding lasts about 5 days. uterus uterine lining Usually by Day 7, bleeding has stopped. Leading up to this time, hormones cause fluid-filled pockets called follicles to develop on the ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg. follicle ovary Between Day 7 and 14, one follicle will continue to develop and reach maturity. The lining of the uterus starts to thicken, waiting for a fertilized egg to implant there. The lining is rich in blood and nutrients. follicle uterus Around Day 14 (in a 28-day cycle), hormones cause the mature follicle to burst and release an egg from the ovary, a process called ovulation. ovary egg Sperm uterus fallopian tube Over the next few days, the egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. If a sperm unites with the egg here, the fertilized egg will continue down the fallopian tube and attach to the lining of the uterus. egg If the egg is not fertilized, hormone levels will drop around Day 25. This signals the next menstrual cycle to begin. The egg will break apart and be shed with the next period. uterine lining Hormone Problems What is Menstruation? Menstruation is the part of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle in which blood and tissue are discharged from the vagina. It is also commonly called a period or menstrual period. Most menstrual periods last from three to five days. In the United States, most girls start menstruating at age 12, but girls can start menstruating between the ages of 8 and 16. Signs Of Menstruation Bleeding from the vagina is the primary sign of menstruation. Some women have other symptoms around the time of menstruation, including: Food cravings Mood swings and irritability Headache and fatigue PMS may affect a woman of any age who has menstrual periods. If the symptoms disrupt your lifestyle, you may want to seek medical care. Cramping, bloating, and sore breasts. PMS usually occurs one or two weeks before menstruation. What can affect My Period? Hormonal imbalance in woman may cause a multitude of problems like depression, fatigue, allergies, and hair loss. Reasons for hormonal imbalance again may be many but the basic reason is an incorrect relationship between progesterone and estrogen levels. PMS usually occurs one or two weeks before menstruation. PMS may affect a woman of any age who has menstrual periods. If the symptoms Stress Exercise disrupt your lifestyle, you may want to seek medical care. Exercising is good for health but too much of it may cause your periods to stop by lowering your body fat. So you should always be careful not to overdo it. If you are too tired or your body refuses to take any more, just stop it. doctor when to see a You should talk to an adult you trust and/or see a doctor if you experience any of the following: You are bleeding for more days than usual or more than seven days. Your bleeding is very heavy. You suddenly feel sick after using tampons. You bleed in between periods or with sex (more than just a few drops). You have very bad pain during your period. It has been three months or more since your last period and you have n't gotten it again. You have not gotten your period by the age of 15 or within three years of when your breasts started to grow. The menstrual cycle 28 1 27 26 25 3 24 4 23 Menstruation 22 6 21 7 20 9. 19 Fertile time 10 18 17 16 11 15 14 12 13 Day 1 starts with the first day of your period.This occurs after hormone levels drop at the end of the previous cycle, signaling blood and tissues lining the uterus (womb) to break down and shed from the body. Bleeding lasts about 5 days. uterus uterine lining Usually by Day 7, bleeding has stopped. Leading up to this time, hormones cause fluid-filled pockets called follicles to develop on the ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg. follicle ovary Between Day 7 and 14, one follicle will continue to develop and reach maturity. The lining of the uterus starts to thicken, waiting for a fertilized egg to implant there. The lining is rich in blood and nutrients. follicle uterus Around Day 14 (in a 28-day cycle), hormones cause the mature follicle to burst and release an egg from the ovary, a process called ovulation. ovary egg Sperm uterus fallopian tube Over the next few days, the egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. If a sperm unites with the egg here, the fertilized egg will continue down the fallopian tube and attach to the lining of the uterus. egg If the egg is not fertilized, hormone levels will drop around Day 25. This signals the next menstrual cycle to begin. The egg will break apart and be shed with the next period. uterine lining Hormone Problems