He called the period or menstrual blood loss vaginally due to the shedding of the endometrium, which occurs with approximately a month. The onset of menstruation marks the beginning of the reproductive life of women.
You lose about 130 ml of blood per cycle, with a range extending from 13 to 300 ml. Usually the bleeding, which does not clot unless it is very abundant, is more copious the second day.
It is considered the first day of bleeding as the first day of the menstrual cycle, which involves several elements including the main hormones produced by the ovaries and pituitary, estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating and Latinate, and involved several organs such as the uterus, ovaries, hypothalamus and pituitary gland, among others.
The menstrual cycle
The endometrium is the lining of the uterus. It consists of three layers: the first is what is removed with menstruation every month, and is regenerated in the same period according to the stage in which it belongs.
Based on the endocrine events, menstrual cycle, which can be between 23 and 35 days is divided into three phases.
The follicular phase (preovulatory) begins the first day of bleeding and continues until the day before the preovulatory rise of luteinizing hormone, which marks the beginning of the ovulatory phase. This is the most variable in duration, since it is considered normal within a range extending from 12 to 14 days. During this period, endometrial thickening occurs due to elevated estrogen and follicle stimulating hormone, which regenerates itself completely in a span of four to seven days after menstruation. Similarly stimulates the growth of a group of three to 30 follicles (eggs) that are recruited because of their accelerated growth during the last days of the previous cycle. As levels of follicle-stimulating hormone drop, select one of these follicles to ovulate, and when they mature, others are eliminated.
Ovulatory phase usually occurs on the 14th of the cycle. Given the complex series of hormonal events that occur therein, the ovulatory phase is considered as the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. This is when the follicle or egg enlarges and bulges in the outer layer of the ovary, the ruptured leading to ovulation, or the release of eggs from the ovary.
Or postovulatory luteal phase occurs in the second half of the menstrual cycle. During the same egg begins to travel along the fallopian tube toward the uterus, causing increased levels of progesterone and helps prepare the lining of the uterus for a possible pregnancy. If a sperm fertilizes the egg and it adheres to the wall of the uterus, the woman becomes pregnant. If the egg is not fertilized, it dissolves or is absorbed by the body, pregnancy does not occur, the estrogen and progesterone levels drop, the lining of the uterus is enlarged and menstruation free floor.
The reproductive organs and menstrual cycle
The cervix. During the follicular phase is a progressive increase in vascularization and cervical mucus secretion. The external os opens to a diameter of 3 mm at ovulation, then reduced to 1 mm. The progressive increase in estrogen causes increased from ten to 30 times the amount of cervical mucus, whose characteristics are clinically useful for assessing the stage of the cycle and hormonal status of the patient.
The elasticity of the mucus increases just before ovulation, while during the latency phase, and the influence of progesterone, thickens, becomes less watery and loses elasticity.
The vagina. When at the beginning of the follicular phase ovarian estrogen secretion is low, the vaginal epithelium is thin and pale, but as these begin to increase, it becomes more elastic, resistant and violet.
Disorders or menstrual irregularities
Among major menstrual disturbances are the following:
• Amenorrhea or absence of menstrual period, which can be:
Primary. This term is used to refer to the absence of the period in young women who at 16 years of age have not yet started menstruating. In this case we need to rule first on the presence of congenital or birth defects in reproductive organs.
Secondary. It is the lack of menstruation in women who used to have it regularly. Some causes of amenorrhea are physiological or normal, such as pregnancy and lactation, while others are of extreme weight loss as a result of serious illness, eating disorders, excessive exercise or stress. You may also be associated with problems of the reproductive organs or hormone from the pituitary, thyroid, ovary or adrenal.
• Dysmenorrhea or menstrual cramps: These are the periods
Painful including severe menstrual discomfort. Usually, in younger women the pain is not due to any disease or medical condition known, but is caused by a hormone called prostaglandin, which causes excessive contractions of the uterus or womb that become disabling. Some OTC pain relievers can help relieve these symptoms. Sometimes a medical condition such as fibroids or endometriosis, are the cause of pain. Treatment depends on the source of the problem and its severity.
• Abnormal uterine bleeding or vaginal bleeding other than normal menstrual periods. It includes very heavy bleeding or small, unusually long periods, too frequent or between periods. In adolescents and women approaching menopause, hormone imbalance problems often cause these disorders, and irregular cycles. Other causes of abnormal bleeding include uterine fibroids and polyps, and treatment will depend on its origin.
In summary, one can say that menstruation is part of the ovarian cycle in the endometrium responds to stimulation of estrogen in the preovulatory phase and the elimination of progesterone in the postovulatory when no pregnancy, and provided that the cycles are regular and ovulation occurs.
Not long menstrual cycle irregularities are candidates for treatment, and first intention must be ruled some organic problem.
When the doctor?
• If you are 16 years and has not yet begun menstruating.
• If your period suddenly stops occur.
• If bleeding for more days than usual.
• If you bleed excessively.
• If bleeding is more than just a few drops between periods.
• If you have severe pain during your period.
Tags: Dysmenorrhea, menstrual blood loss vaginally, menstrual cycle, menstrual irregularities, reproductive organs
