What is a menstrual cycle?

The menstrual cycle is the series of changes a woman's body goes through to prep
are for a pregnancy. About once a month, the uterus grows a new lining (endometr
ium) to get ready for a fertilized egg . When there is no fertilized egg to star
t a pregnancy, the uterus sheds its lining. This is the monthly menstrual bleedi
ng (also called menstrual period) that women have from their early teen years un
til menopause, around age 50.
The menstrual cycle is from Day 1 of bleeding to Day 1 of the next time of bleed
ing. Although the average cycle is 28 days, it is normal to have a cycle that is
shorter or longer.
Girls usually start having menstrual periods between the ages of 11 and 14. Wome
n usually start to have fewer periods between ages 39 and 51. Women in their 40s
and teens may have cycles that are longer or change a lot. If you are a teen, y
our cycles should even out with time. If you are nearing menopause, your cycles
will probably get longer and then will stop.
Talk to your doctor if you notice any big change in your cycle. Its especially imp
ortant to check with your doctor if you have three or more menstrual periods tha
t last longer than 7 days or are very heavy. Also call if you have bleeding betw
een your periods or pelvic pain that is not from your period.
What controls the menstrual cycle?
Your hormones control your menstrual cycle. During each cycle, your brain's hypo
thalamus and pituitary gland send hormone signals back and forth with your ovari
es. These signals get the ovaries and uterus ready for a pregnancy.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone play the biggest roles in how the uterus
changes during each cycle.
Estrogen builds up the lining of the uterus.
Progesterone increases after an ovary releases an egg (ovulation) at the middle
of the cycle. This helps the estrogen keep the lining thick and ready for a fert
ilized egg.
A drop in progesterone (along with estrogen) causes the lining to break down. Th
is is when your period starts.
A change in hormone levels can affect your cycle or fertility. For example, teen
s tend to have low or changing progesterone levels. This is also true for women
close to menopause. That is why teens and women in their 40s may have heavy mens
trual bleeding and cycles that change in length.
Other things can change your cycle. They include birth control pills, low body f
at, losing a lot of weight, or being overweight. Stress or very hard exercise al
so can change your cycle. Pregnancy is the most common cause of a missed period.
What common symptoms are linked to the menstrual cycle?
Some women have no pain or other problems. But other women have symptoms before
and during their periods.
For about a week before a period, many women have some premenstrual symptoms. Yo
u may feel more tense or angry. You may gain water weight and feel bloated. Your
breasts may feel tender. You may get acne. You also may have less energy than u
sual. A day or two before your period, you may start having pain (cramps) in you
r belly, back, or legs. These symptoms go away during the first days of a period
.
When your ovary releases an egg in the middle of your cycle, you may have pain i

n your lower belly. You also might have red spotting for less than a day. Both a
re normal.
How can women take care of bleeding and symptoms?
You can use pads or tampons to manage bleeding. Whichever you use, be sure to ch
ange the pad or tampon at least every 4 to 6 hours during the day. Pads may be b
est at night.
Many women can improve their symptoms by getting regular exercise and eating a h
ealthy diet. It also may help to limit alcohol and caffeine. Try to reduce stres
s.
A heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm bath also can help with cramps. You can
take an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen or naproxen before and duri
ng your period to reduce pain and bleeding.

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How do you define an irregular menstrual cycle?
A menstrual cycle is measured from the start of one menstruation to the beginnin
g of the next.
Normally a female cycle ranges anywhere from 21 to 35 days. Every woman usually
has a certain cycle length that is rather constant but sometimes varies 1-2 days
per month.
You should know that irregular menstrual cycle has become a common problem among
women today. It is found that one out of every five women suffer with this prob
lem.
Remember that the onset of menses for every 35 days (regularly) is not considere
d as irregular menstrual cycle. However, irregular periods can be either of shor
t term or long-term irregularity.
Long-term irregularity can be anything from a cycle that changes in length from
month to month to the experience of various abnormal symptoms such as heavy blee
ding, no cycle for months for a period of time, very painful periods or ovulatio
n.
Short-term irregularity can be due to any of the causes such as fatigue, stress,
and over exercise and generally occurs infrequently.
Causes of Irregular Menstrual Cycle
The causes of irregular menstrual cycle is mostly related to stressful environme
nts, tension, ingested medications and caffeine or other substances that disrupt
the corpus luteum function.
Remember that fluctuation in periods indicates the beginning of disturbance in t
he natural chain of hormonal events that manage menstruation.
Smoking and alcohol
Cigarette smoking is another reason for abnormal menstrual cycles because it sho

rtens the follicular phase. It also shortens the luteal phase if smoking is heav
y.
Extreme alcohol intake is also a reason for irregular menstrual cycle. As alcoho
l acts as a pollutant for the female body if you consume more than 5 alcoholic d
rinks in a week your ovulation becomes irregular and so does your menstrual cycl
e.
People who drink too much should consider seeking treatment at private alcohol r
ehabs before all that drinking takes a toll on their health.
Medication induced allergy
We are so eager to try food supplements or miraculous over the counter drugs tha
t promise us a cleaner colon or an easy way to lose weight. Some of these supple
ments are containing hormones or natural allergens which may not manifest in vis
ible way but may interfere with the natural course of the menstrual cycle.
Lack of body fat
We all love to look well and fit but a decrease of body fat below 15% may lead t
o a decrease in the feminine hormones controlling menstruation. You must know th
at such a low body fat index can also affect the bone and marrow mass.
The other common responsible factors for irregular menstrual cycle are:
significant weight gain or loss,
strenuous physical activity
breastfeeding
polycystic ovarian syndrome/estrogen dominance
poor nutrition, severe dieting or eating disorders
medications or chemotherapy
hormonal imbalance
recent childbirth, miscarriage or uterine abnormalities (fibroids/cysts/polyps/
endometriosis).
The occasional skipped menstruation is not the only symptom of this problem. How
ever, continued period abnormality is also an indication of irregular ovulation
and irregular menstruation cycle. If you notice this problem, then right away co
nsult your gynecologist for appropriate treatment.