All healthy young women start to menstruate when they reach a certain age, but the pattern of a menstrual cycle and its characteristics may differ from one woman to the next. Menstruation is an important body function, especially if a woman wants to achieve pregnancy. A menstrual cycle is one way of knowing how your body is functioning. If your periods are irregular, you may have a health problem.
Facts
Menstruation usually occurs once a month, every month. A woman's menstrual cycle can be between 21 and 35 days. A young teenage girl's menstrual cycle can be between 21 and 45 days. A menstrual cycle is defined as the time between day one of a period and day one of the following period. Blood from a period is released from the uterus and comes out of the vagina. The duration of the majority of menstrual periods is between three and five days.
Significance
It is important that a woman know how to distinguish a normal menstrual cycle from an abnormal one, as an irregular menstrual cycle could be a sign of a serious health problem. Estrogen is a hormone made by your ovaries, and it has an effect on your menstrual cycle. If the ovaries do not make enough estrogen, your menstrual cycle can become irregular and your health can be affected. If your periods are irregular or absent you should see your doctor.
The Function of Menstruation
When a woman has a menstrual cycle her body is engaging in the preparation of conception. Her estrogen level increases during the first few days of her cycle, resulting in thickening of the uterus lining. Then maturation of an egg begins in one of the two ovaries. Mid-cycle is the time when ovulation occurs and is when the egg is discharged and sent on its way to the uterus after going through the fallopian tubes. The menstrual cycle prepares an egg for fertilization once every month.
Amenorrhea and the Menstrual Cycle
When there is an absence of a menstrual period the condition is called amenorrhea. Girls who do not begin to menstruate by the time they are 15 years of age, as well as females who miss a period for three months, fall under the category of having amenorrhea. Amenorrhea can occur when a woman becomes pregnant. The act of breastfeeding can also cause amenorrhea. Other causes for amenorrhea include an extreme loss of weight, an eating disorder, too much exercise and/or stress.
Menopause and the Menstrual Cycle
The onset of menopause will have a direct effect on the menstrual cycle and will cause irregular periods and eventually the cessation of periods. There may be more time between periods, or periods may occur more frequently if a woman is still menstruating during menopause. Bleeding may be heavier, or it may become lighter. A woman going through menopause will also stop ovulating.
