One of the best ways to assess a woman’s health condition is to analyze the menstrual cycle. Signs of irregular periods in McDonough can say a lot about your health. For this reason, women need to track their menstrual cycles.
What Is the Menstrual Cycle?
Every month, a woman’s body changes in preparation for a potential pregnancy. Ovulation is the process by which the ovaries release an egg. The released egg is known as ova. After the egg is released, it passes through the fallopian tube heading for the uterus. Simultaneously, the woman experiences hormonal changes that are critical in preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Pregnancy occurs after a woman has unprotected sex and the egg meets with a sperm in a process called fertilization. However, if the egg is unfertilized by sperm, the uterine lining will shed during the menstrual period.
What Is a Regular Menstrual Cycle?
The correct measurement of a complete menstrual cycle is the first day you get your period to the first day you get the next. Menstrual cycles are not usually identical because they can last for two to seven days and occur after 21 to 35 days.
What Affects the Regularity of the Menstrual Cycle?
The first few years, a woman will experience irregular periods. However, the older you get, the more regular and shorter the periods become. Your menstrual cycle may be normal or slightly irregular. It might last about the same length and might be heavy or light or accompanied by slight or mild cramping. There is no standard normal. The menstrual cycle is unique to every woman and depends on various factors like diet and state of mind.
Other common factors that influence your menstrual cycle include certain types of contraception. Contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices will undoubtedly alter your menstrual cycle. It is critical to discuss with your doctor what to expect and inform them of any adverse effects you might be experiencing after contraception placement, like over bleeding.
Also, aging will alter the regularity of your periods. As you approach menopause, your cycle becomes irregular.
What Is the Best Way to Track Your Menstrual Cycle?
It is critical to track your menstrual cycle to understand what is normal for you. Using a calendar to record your period start date for each month will help you gauge the length of your menstrual cycles. Another important date to note on your period calendar is your end date. This date, coupled with the start date, will help you understand how long your period lasts. You can then appreciate if it is shorter or longer than usual. Also, take note of the heaviness of your flow and record any blood clots.
It is essential to note the severity of pain you experience during each cycle to assess if it is worse than usual. Other changes in mood or behavior are imperative to note down because they detect hormonal imbalances.
Contact Ideal Gynecology to learn more about the cause of menstrual cycle irregularities.
