In this Article

• General Health and Wellness
• Female Anatomy
• The Female Reproductive System
• Female Hormones
• Diseases More Common In Women
• Cancer In Women
• Women's Cosmetic Concerns
• Menstruation
• Sexuality
• Fertility, Birth Control and Infertility
• Pregnancy
• Motherhood
• Menopause
• The Mature Woman - Post Menopause
• Women's Health Glossary
• Women's Health Index

Menstruation

For about 40 years of her life, a woman experiences a phenomenon called the menstrual cycle. Menstruation occurs every 26 to 35 days (more or less monthly) in every normal non-pregnant woman prior to menopause. Each month can be divided up into a follicular phase (an egg develops), ovulation (egg release) at mid-month, and a luteal phase (during which the uterine lining ready to receive a fertilized egg). If the egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining is shed, and a woman has her menstrual period. Then, the entire sequence of events starts over again.

Most women do not have difficulties during the first half of their menstrual cycle, but once the egg has been released, there may be problems such as pelvic pain. During the second half of the cycle, a woman may experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and she may have menstrual cramps at the onset of her menstrual flow.

Approximately 70%-90% of women suffer from premenstrual syndrome. PMS symptoms include irritability, nervousness, cramps, bloating, and headaches.

Every step of a woman's menstrual cycle is controlled by hormones. The production of these hormones relies on the general good health of the woman. The loss of too much body weight can result in the cessation of menstruation. There are a number of disorders marked either by absent periods or by periods that are too long, heavy, irregular, or painful. Underlying conditions, which may include polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis, need to be medically evaluated.

Ironically, there is a medical condition in which affected women benefit from menstruation. The disease is hemochromatosis, or too much iron in the blood. Menstruating women with hemochromatosis can lose enough blood during their periods that they may not need treatment to remove the excess iron.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Birth Control Pills (Oral Contraceptives) - Read about the different types of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) such as monophasic, biphasic, and triphasic. Find out which birth control pill may be the best for you.
• Pap Smear - Read about Pap smear, a test to screen for cervical cancer, and precancerous changes in the cervix. Risk factors for abnormal Pap include HPV, smoking medicaitons, and a weakened immune system.
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI In Adults) - Learn about urinary tract infection causes, symptoms, signs, diagnosis and treatment of UTIs in men and women. Antibiotics may be used to treat recurrent bladder infections.

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