Period, menstrual cycle, Aunt Flow, red alert---menstrual bleeding has been known to both women and men in many ways. Simply put, it is the vaginal bleeding that happens approximately every 28 days among pre-menopausal women and adolescent girls. A woman usually loses about 35ml of blood during a menstrual cycle, which is why women are more prone to iron deficiency than are men. Menstruation is commonly considered to be a landmark between childhood and womanhood.
What Is Menstrual Bleeding?
Menstrual bleeding occurs when a mixture of tissue and blood called the endometrium is shed by the lining of the uterine walls. In terms of properties and appearance, healthy menstrual bleeding should be bright red in color, much like the color of blood from a freshly cut finger. Most importantly, healthy menstruation should not seem like blood clotting; otherwise, the woman may suffer from extreme menstrual cramps.
Why Is Menstrual Bleeding Important?
In most cases, women who do not experience menstrual bleeding are less likely to conceive. In the same light, an unhealthy menstrual cycle may cause irritation and anxiety. The first menstrual period indicates various developments in a young woman's body. Menstruation causes the egg cell inside the uterus to be infertile, thus causing menstrual bleeding.
Function of Menstrual Bleeding
The function of menstrual bleeding is to shed any sperm-borne pathogen in the uterus, which is why experts believe there are high levels of pathogens in menstrual blood. Female hormones also require the uterus to shed the old endometrium instead of simply reabsorbing it. In this way, the female body prepares for a new and more developed uterine wall to hold the fetus. The female reproductive hormones also prepare the uterus for fertility in support of pregnancy. If the female becomes pregnant, menstrual bleeding usually ceases until after childbirth; otherwise, the female hormones will cause the endometrium to shed the blood and tissue the uterus has prepared for possible pregnancy.
Time Frame
Menstrual bleeding lasts for approximately 3 to 7 days, and the phenomenon usually begins between the ages of 13 and 16, although some girls have their first period as early as age 8. Some late bloomers, however, have not started until age 18 or older. The menstrual cycle, which happens about every 28 days, has five phases: the menstrual phase, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal and ischemic phases. Menstrual bleeding happens between the first and fourth days of menstruation, or after the egg cell is developed without being fertilized.
Effects of Menstrual Bleeding
Although it isn't always the case, menstrual bleeding can often indicate whether a woman is pregnant or not. Age 21 is usually when the reproductive organ is fully developed. Pregnancies that occur before that time can weaken the reproductive system of the woman, causing a difficult pregnancy (as is found in approximately 20 percent of women). Abdominal cramps and pain in the back and thighs may also occur during the first few days of menstrual bleeding. Also, some women experience unfavorable symptoms caused by premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, during their menstrual cycle. Certain over-the-counter or prescription drugs may help with the cramping, other aches and pains, and PMS.
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