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Menstrual problems: what should normal menstruation be like? How should menstruation proceed? How is your period going?

- This is a natural stage in a woman’s life. Many people know that at about 50 years of age, reproductive function will fade and menstruation will stop. But the menopause lasts several years and is different for everyone.

During menopause, periods become irregular, their intensity changes, and sometimes they become painful. How a woman will tolerate the physiological changes occurring to her depends on the characteristics of her body, as well as the degree of information readiness.

Before considering what menstruation is like during menopause, the constituent stages (phases) of menopause should be described in detail:

We have indicated approximate dates for the stages. They are individual for everyone and largely depend on physical and psychological health. But when the signs of the first phase are observed before the age of 40, then we can talk about early menopause.

A woman needs to see a gynecologist. With the help of well-chosen hormonal therapy, many manage to delay menopause; there may be a lasting result and menstruation resumes, including their nature and duration.

What are the features of the menstrual cycle during menopause?

How are your periods before menopause? during menopause it goes astray. This is due to the fact that the ovaries gradually decrease in size and become less sensitive to hormones. They synthesize less estrogen and progesterone.

At the same time, the amount of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) in a woman’s body increases, especially in the first year after menopause.

Thus, an imbalance results. As a result, menstruation becomes irregular during menopause.

Menstruation during menopause

Let's look at how menstruation occurs at the beginning of menopause.

The main characteristics of the menstrual cycle are intensity and frequency.

Features of the premenopausal phase

How are your periods before menopause? During premenopause, they can occur once every month, but with a different frequency. The number of days after which menstruation begins during menopause gradually changes. For some women, the time period decreases, while for others, on the contrary, it increases.

Delays are more common. Moreover, not a single doctor can say how many days is the norm. It all depends on the physiological characteristics of the female body. In most cases, when menopause begins, menstruation is initially delayed by 8-9 days. Then the period may increase to 20 days or more.

For some women, their periods may be delayed from several months to six months. Sometimes, the nature of menstruation during menopause becomes acyclic. In other words, when you're perimenopausal, they can go awry. Moreover, they can begin any day and a woman should be prepared for this.

Expert opinion

Alexandra Yurievna

General practitioner, associate professor, teacher of obstetrics, work experience 11 years.

Be sure to record in detail on your calendar the frequency with which menstruation occurs during menopause. It is very important to note not only when it comes, but also when it ends. Based on such information, the gynecologist will be able to identify possible pathologies at an early stage.

Despite the fact that during premenopause the functions of the ovaries fade away, eggs that can be fertilized still mature in them.

Since, due to an irregular cycle, a woman cannot control ovulation, the risk of unwanted pregnancy increases. During this period, you should pay more attention to contraception if you do not plan to register with an antenatal clinic.

Important points

What are periods in an anatomical sense?

How many days does menstruation last during menopause? It is very important to understand that during perimenopause, the menstrual cycle completely changes.

Some will have scanty periods, while others, on the contrary, will have heavy discharge. Menstruation occurs in premenopause, also with changes. For most women, the duration decreases to 3-4 days.

If a woman has prolonged periods before menopause (lasting from 7 to 10 days) with light bleeding, then this is normal. When there were long-term discharges with heavy discharge, this may indicate. It needs to be stopped urgently, but always under the supervision of a gynecologist.

Hormonal changes can cause a woman to have menstrual bleeding twice a month. As a rule, they are caused by decreased levels of progesterone.

If menstruation that begins 2 times a month is scarlet in color and does not stop for 4-5 days, then there is a suspicion of uterine bleeding. The woman needs to urgently seek medical help.

When your period comes within 2 weeks after your last period, and the woman feels pain in the lower abdomen, you should immediately call an ambulance. An ectopic pregnancy has these symptoms.

You must always remember that menstrual bleeding of this nature and occurring twice a month symbolizes the need for a gynecological examination.

Causes of uterine bleeding

Once again, I would like to remind you that at the first suspicion of uterine bleeding, you should immediately consult a doctor. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate.

A woman can harm her health. In order to eliminate the problem, it is necessary to determine the cause of the bleeding. To do this you need to visit a gynecologist.

The following reasons can provoke uterine bleeding during menopause:

  • growing uterine fibroids;
  • the presence of polyps in the uterus;
  • endometrial hyperplasia;
  • polycystic ovary syndrome;
  • pregnancy with pathologies;
  • malfunction of the thyroid gland;
  • poor blood clotting;
  • taking oral contraception.

Only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, the sooner a woman consults a doctor, the faster he can eliminate the problems that have arisen.

You should know that periodic bleeding is almost always a signal of the appearance of neoplasms. This means that the woman already had bleeding and after some time it happened again.

Menstruation during menopause

The last period during menopause is very difficult to determine. Doctors determine periods during menopause only retrospectively. If you have not had your period for a whole year after menstruation, then menopause is diagnosed.

At menopause, menstruation ends and a woman enters the last stage of menopause. You can determine it at home using testing. For little money, the test can be purchased at a pharmacy.

A woman can take a menopause test on her own in the first week of her cycle. If the menopause test showed a negative result, but there were no periods, and at the same time, the woman feels signs of menopause, then the home test should be repeated after 1-2 months. If the test result is negative and your period is delayed, then the test must be repeated after 7 days.

When the repeated test result is negative, but you still don’t have your period, you should visit your gynecologist unscheduled. The woman most likely has other reasons for the delay. The sooner they are diagnosed, the sooner treatment will begin. Sometimes the result is negative due to the variable volume of female sexual activity.

What types of discharge are there?

We have systematized the possible types of discharge, the nature of which indicates certain pathologies:


White mucous discharge before menopause contains dead epithelial cells and is therefore normal. Lasting through the postmenopausal stage, they are considered a symptom of thrush. If any discharge appears, a woman must definitely go to a gynecologist.

An artificial menopause can be caused by a number of drugs: Buserelin, Diferelin, Triptorelin, Goserelin, Zoladex. They must be prescribed by a doctor. The main thing is that the therapy ends on time - you should not take the drugs for longer than 6 months.

A woman in a state of artificial menopause experiences signs of menopause and the main one is the cessation of menstruation. How quickly do menstruation recover after artificial menopause? After you stop taking the drug, menstrual function will recover on its own within 1-4 months.

In some cases, recovery occurs within a year. For some women, menstrual bleeding may begin with spotting. Gradually the cycle will return to normal and there will be no smearing. Pregnancy can occur immediately after the ovaries begin to function.

Bottom line

Undoubtedly, premenopause and menstruation during it require a woman to be attentive to her health. But menstruation after menopause requires even more attention. According to statistics, quite often, after six months, discharge resumes. They should alert the woman, so don’t delay and go to the doctor. We wish you good health!

Dear ladies, how were your periods during menopause?

Normal periods are a topic that is relevant for every woman of reproductive age. The frequency of menstruation, duration, and color of discharge are associated with the condition of the female body and indicate the absence or presence of pathologies. How many days does menstruation last and how to count the cycle correctly? What are the causes of cycle disorders, and what symptoms indicate disruptions in the body? Knowing the answers to these questions, it is easier to understand whether there are problems with women's health.

Knowing about the normal course of the monthly cycle, it is easier to notice problems with it

Menstruation cycle

The menstrual cycle is a monthly change in the female body, repeated at regular intervals and manifested by bleeding.

Menstruation begins in adolescence, at the stage of puberty in girls, and ends with menopause. The norm in gynecology is the onset of menopause at 45-55 years of age.

Duration

The duration of the cycle is taken into account from the first day of menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation. The result of the calculations is individual for each woman and depends on the physiological characteristics of her body.

How long is the ideal monthly cycle? 28 days. But there are women for whom its duration varies between 21-35 days.

How long should your period last? Normally – from 3 to 7 days. The process is accompanied by weakness, heaviness in the mammary glands, pain in the lower abdomen. If the duration of the critical days is longer or shorter, it is recommended to consult a gynecologist. Deviations from the norm may be a symptom of inflammation or hormonal imbalance in the body.

The menstrual cycle is on average 28 days

First menstrual cycle

In medical language it is called “menarche”. Typically, girls' periods begin by the age of 12, but they can appear at other ages - a period of 10-15 years will be the norm.

The cycle does not stabilize immediately: for some it takes 2-4 months, for some girls it takes a year for it to improve. Until the cycle stabilizes, it is difficult to talk about the frequency of menstruation, because some girls may not have them at all.

Not all teenagers know how long the first menstruation lasts. It usually lasts 3-5 days and is characterized by scanty brown discharge or a few drops of blood. This is explained by hormonal changes in the teenage body and should not worry girls and parents.

The menstrual cycle stabilizes by the age of 14 - from this moment on, girls are recommended to control its frequency. If your period lasts 1-2 days or more than a week, consult your doctor.

Menstruation in the postpartum period

How long should it take after childbirth or a “caesarean section” for women to regain their periods? The average period is 6 months provided breastfeeding. If the child is artificial, then the body recovers faster - the first menstruation can begin in 2-3 months.

The first menstruation after childbirth is often accompanied by heavy bleeding - many women are worried about this condition because the symptoms are similar to bleeding. Heavy discharge in this situation is normal, but if it has an unnatural smell and color, it is better to consult a doctor.

The period of recovery of the cycle after a “caesarean section” is the same as after a natural birth – closer to six months. Sometimes the operation is accompanied by complications - then menstruation may begin later because the uterus and ovaries require more time to recover, especially when sutures are applied.

Periods after childbirth begin around the 6th month

How to calculate cycle duration?

You already know that the normal menstrual cycle is 28 days with permissible fluctuations up or down. It is determined from the first day of menstruation to the next first day. The calculation formula for women looks like this: the date of the start of menstruation in the current month - the date of the start of menstruation in the last month + 1 day = cycle duration.

What causes cycle fluctuations?

The menstrual period in women is interconnected with any changes occurring in the body. The duration of the cycle may decrease or increase against the background of:

  1. Stress.
  2. Increased stress at work.
  3. Viral and colds.
  4. Changes in region, country of residence and climate.
  5. Unfavorable environmental conditions.

The autumn-spring off-season, when chronic diseases worsen, can also cause cycle fluctuations. 6-7 day deviations from the norm in the cases listed above are considered acceptable.

Poor ecology can disrupt the monthly cycle

What factors influence the number of critical days?

Menstrual flow can occur twice a month or once every two months, lasting longer than a week, which is due to:

  1. Genetics. If one of the women in your family had periods for 8 days, there is a high probability of the situation repeating for you. The genetic predisposition cannot be treated with medication, so medical attention is not required.
  2. Individual characteristics. Critical days can be prolonged due to poor blood clotting. The structural features of the uterus also affect the duration of menstruation.
  3. Diets and other eating disorders, sudden weight loss are accompanied by hormonal changes. As a result, the menstrual cycle is disrupted - scanty or heavy discharge bothers women for more than a week, and sometimes stops altogether.
  4. Exhaustive exercise in the gym affects the length of your period.
  5. Oral contraception shortens the duration of menstruation and leads to its complete cessation.
  6. Malfunctions of the endocrine system are a common cause of disorders.

Doctors must determine the cause of deviations from the norm; treatment is prescribed only after examination and an accurate diagnosis.

Sudden weight loss disrupts hormonal balance

Normal menstrual flow

Homogeneous spotting during menstruation is normal; there may be small blood clots in it, which is also normal. Indeed, during critical days, along with vaginal secretions, the rejected layer of the epidermis comes out.

At the beginning and at the end of menstruation, the discharge may be brown - there is nothing wrong with a change in color. There is little blood at these stages; it has time to coagulate under the influence of oxygen and vaginal microflora.

During this same period, the discharge may be pink. This is explained by the fact that the process of cleansing the uterus from mucus and rejecting unnecessary epidermis has not yet begun or has already ended. Blood is released in small quantities - a few drops, therefore pink in color.

When should pink be a red flag?

Menstruation lasts for several days, but instead of the characteristic bloody discharge on the pad there is pink mucus with an unpleasant odor and heterogeneous consistency. What does this mean and how long can it last:

  1. Pink discharge can be a consequence of hormonal imbalances, progesterone deficiency. This condition is treated with hormonal therapy.
  2. During the postoperative period, women may experience pale pink mucus instead of blood. As the body recovers, the cycle normalizes.
  3. This color of menstruation occurs with cervical erosion, cyst, lipoma, pregnancy failure. In such cases, you should immediately be examined by a gynecologist. The period of treatment and restoration of the normal menstrual cycle is individual.
  4. Pink discharge in women that lasts more than 10 days is a symptom of infectious diseases, disorders of the thyroid gland, and other pathologies.

Light discharge in the postoperative period is considered normal

What colors should you be wary of?

How many symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases do you know? One of them is purulent or orange discharge during menstruation, which often occurs with gonorrhea. They are often accompanied by itching, sharp pain during urination, and have a specific fishy smell. Such menstrual flow is abundant and has a thick consistency. Vaginosis also causes orange discharge.

Black menstruation in women occurs with inflammation of the appendages or cervix; it is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, and fever. No matter how much you put off visiting a gynecologist, it will have to be done - it will not resolve on its own.

Black blood sometimes occurs after termination of pregnancy, difficult childbirth, or operations during the recovery period. The body is restored - the color of menstruation is normalized.

Green menstruation is an anomaly caused by an excess of leukocytes in the female body or serious inflammation of the genital organs.

You can solve the problem yourself if its cause is climate change, nervous strain, or changes in diet. In other cases, you cannot do without qualified medical help.

The onset of menstruation is an important event in a girl’s life. By the beginning of the first critical days, the child must be mentally prepared. Many modern girls who know how to use the Internet, long before the onset of menstruation, know what this physiological process is. However, this does not free mothers from the need to tell their daughters about what menstruation is, when girls' periods begin, how they proceed and what to watch out for.

Let's discuss all the important questions: what signs can you use to guess that menstruation is about to begin, how to maintain hygiene these days, and whether you need to visit a gynecologist.

A few decades ago, girls began menstruating at almost 18 years of age. Nowadays puberty comes earlier. The occurrence of the first menstruation at 11–16 years of age is considered normal. For some girls, their periods come earlier, and for some, later.

This depends on several factors:

  • diseases that were suffered in childhood;
  • heredity;
  • nutrition;
  • living conditions;
  • physical development.

In addition, if the grandmother and mother started their periods early, then the child will most likely do the same. If a girl is ahead of her peers in physical development, then her period will come earlier. Conversely, if the baby grows up weak and often gets sick, then she will probably lag behind in puberty. Menstruation will occur later due to poor nutrition, deficiency of vitamins and nutrients necessary for the growth and development of a young body.

There are cases where girls' first periods begin at 8–9 years old. Early sexual development can be caused by hormonal imbalance and heavy physical exertion. If menstruation has not begun by the age of 17, then this is a reason to visit a gynecologist. The reason for delayed sexual development may be insufficient functioning of the ovaries, emotional stress, nervous overload, problems with hormonal metabolism, disorders arising from the pituitary gland, grueling sports training, unfavorable environmental conditions, and dieting.

Signs preceding the first menstruation

Any mother who monitors the condition and health of her daughter can notice the signs that precede the onset of the first menstruation. It is from this moment that we need to begin preparing the child for a new period of life. About a couple of years before the onset of menstruation, a girl’s figure changes (breasts enlarge, hips become wider). Hair begins to grow under the arms and on the pubic area. In addition, girls' periods are preceded by acne on the face and back.

A few months before the first critical days girls notice traces of unusual discharge on their underwear. They may be transparent, yellowish or whitish without an unpleasant odor. All this is normal and does not indicate any disease. If you experience symptoms such as itching in an intimate place, a strange smell inherent in the discharge, then you should visit a specialist.

A few days before the start of menstruation A girl may exhibit signs of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which occur in adult women:

  • frequent mood swings, tearfulness;
  • apathetic or aggressive state;
  • headaches that occur for no reason;
  • nagging pain localized in the lower abdomen.

How is the first menstruation, and how to prepare the child?

The first signs of menstruation in girls - spotting . They can be moderate or very scanty. During the first menstruation, about 50–150 ml of blood leaves the body (depending on the individual characteristics of the girl and hereditary factors). On the very first day, a small amount of menstrual blood is lost. The most abundant discharge is observed on the second day. Then their volume gradually decreases. The duration of menstruation can range from 3 to 7 days.

The first time a girl's period may be accompanied by weakness, discomfort in the lower abdomen . They can also be observed during the next menstruation. These symptoms occur in most adult women, so there is no need to worry about them.

Menstruation has a characteristic smell. It is explained by the fact that during menstruation the mucous glands of the vulva actively function, producing secretions.

The first spotting and mild nagging pain can frighten the child. The mother’s task is to explain to her girl that menstruation is a normal physiological process that occurs in the body of every girl and adult woman. The conversation should be friendly, not didactic.

The mother should tell her daughter:

  1. About the menstrual cycle. Critical days occur every month. It is imperative to say how long girls' periods last. It should also be noted that the average duration of the menstrual cycle is 28 days, but during the first two years it may fluctuate.
  2. The need to follow hygiene rules. Blood is a very favorable environment for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. They can lead to the development of serious inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system.
  3. About the risks of sexual relations. With the onset of menstruation, every girl enters childbearing age, and intimate relationships with the opposite sex can lead to pregnancy, which at this age is extremely undesirable. Childbirth can be harmful to both the new mother and her baby. That is why a girl should know what promiscuity and unprotected sex can lead to.

Features of the menstrual cycle

In teenage girls, the menstrual cycle (the period from the first day of the previous menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation) is 21–35 days. However During the first two years, not everyone experiences it regularly.. For some it fluctuates constantly. For example, one menstrual cycle may be 25 days and the next 32 days. This is normal. It does not indicate that the girl has any pathology. If you have any suspicions, you can visit a doctor. The specialist will tell you exactly whether this is normal or an illness.

It is worth noting that The intervals between menstruation can range from one and a half months to six months. Don't worry if your period doesn't come on time. At a young age, menstrual function is not yet fully formed. This is why some girls experience long breaks. If your period does not come after several months, then you need to seek help from a doctor. A long pause between the first and second periods in girls may indicate a serious malfunction in the young body.

With the onset of her first menstruation, your daughter should be taught to keep a calendar in which she can mark when her periods began and ended. This information may not be useful in the first 1–2 years from the start of your period, because at this time the menstrual cycle has not yet fully established itself. But then the calendar will come in handy when consulting with a specialist if the cycle remains irregular. Too short or long periods, a small or large gap between menstruation may be a sign of some disease.

Hygiene and diet during menstruation

Hygiene is an important issue that mothers should cover when teaching their daughters about menstruation. During menstrual periods, all girls and adult women use pads and tampons. For girls, pads are the most preferred. Tampons interfere with the natural flow of blood. Gaskets are much more convenient to use. It is best for girls to buy these intimate hygiene products with a cotton layer. Pads with a mesh coating (“plastic” layer) are less hygienic and cause sweating and irritation of delicate skin.

During menstruation, pads should be changed every 2-3 hours. The longer the pad is attached to your underwear, the less useful it will be (the number of bacteria will rapidly grow exponentially). If you do not replace the gasket for 6 or more hours, serious harm will be caused to your body. Infectious-toxic shock may develop - a condition that occurs as a result of the action of microorganisms and their toxins (body temperature rises, blood pressure decreases, confusion is observed, coma is possible).

What you need to know about using pads during menstruation in girls:

  • be sure to wash your hands before changing the gasket (dirty hands can transfer pathogenic microorganisms to a clean gasket);
  • do not use pads that have expired (the less time has passed since the manufacture of the intimate hygiene product, the higher the degree of protection it has);
  • do not use pads with aromatic fragrances (chemical components often provoke allergies and skin irritation);
  • do not save on buying sanitary pads (intimate hygiene products, sold at low prices, are often made from low-quality raw materials, which poses a danger to the girl’s health);
  • It is not recommended to store pads in the bathroom (a large amount of moisture is an ideal environment for the active growth of microbes that can penetrate intimate hygiene products).

Special attention should be paid to underwear. Girls should wear regular panties made from natural fabrics. Thongs are beautiful and sexy underwear that many teenage girls dream of, but wearing them is completely unhygienic. A narrow strip of thong can be called a kind of bridge for moving microorganisms between the anus and vagina. Intestinal microflora should not enter the genitourinary system, as it can provoke the development of inflammatory diseases.

The onset of menstruation in girls is not a reason to take a bath often. The most suitable option is daily shower . You also need to wash yourself at least 2-3 times during the day. It is not advisable to use soap. Gynecologists recommend using special intimate hygiene products (gels, mousses, etc.), which contain lactic acid. This component does not negatively affect microflora, unlike regular soap.

Preferably during the first and subsequent menstruation avoid physical activity . Sports activities will have to be postponed. It is allowed to perform light physical exercises and do recreational gymnastics. In addition, girls need psychological peace.

Another important point to pay attention to during menstruation is dieting . The word “diet” does not mean reducing the amount of food consumed, but rather revising the diet and removing spicy foods from it. Because of such food, there is a rush of blood to the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. This may lead to increased uterine bleeding. Alcoholic drinks are also contraindicated.

Do I need to visit a gynecologist?

With the onset of your first period, it is not necessary to regularly visit a gynecologist, unless there is an obvious reason for this: strange discharge with an unpleasant odor, itching, menstrual irregularities. As a rule, the first examination by a gynecologist occurs at 15–16 years of age.

The doctor must make sure that the girl is developing correctly and that she has no health problems. If a girl has begun sexual activity, then visits to the doctor should be regular - once a year.

It is worth contacting a gynecologist in cases where girls’ periods are disrupted:

  • critical days last 1–2 days or more than 7 days (menstruation that is too short indicates insufficient production of sex hormones, impaired ovarian function, and too long indicates poor contractility of the uterus, significantly expressed estrogenic function of the ovaries);
  • excessive bleeding is observed, requiring frequent replacement of pads or tampons;
  • after the first menstruation, menstruation was interrupted for a long period (pause more than 6 months);
  • after normalization of the menstrual cycle, irregularities began (cycle less than 21 days or more than 35 days);
  • Very large blood clots (the size of a grape) are visible in the bloody discharge.

You should immediately consult a doctor or call an ambulance when spotting is accompanied by very severe pain in the abdomen, dizziness, severe weakness, pallor, fever, nausea, vomiting and intestinal disorders.

To summarize, it is worth noting that the first menstruation can cause fear and panic in a girl. To prevent this from happening, mothers should devote a little time to their daughters and talk about the physiological process that will soon begin to occur regularly in a young body, and explain why girls begin menstruation at this age.

You also need to be sure to ask whether your periods come regularly, whether there are any delays, or whether severe pain occurs. Sometimes girls are embarrassed to tell their parents. If any abnormalities are detected, you should definitely visit a doctor.

Educational video about first menstruation

How menstruation goes is a question that is important both for young girls whose cycle has not yet established itself, and for women who have encountered any problems in the functioning of the reproductive system.

The regularity and stability of the cycle indicate, first of all, the normal functioning of the body and the woman’s ability to fertilize and give birth to a baby. However, due to a number of factors, a malfunction occurs in the body and menstruation does not go as it should.

Knowing how many days menstruation should last, and what volume, a woman is able to promptly understand the onset of a malfunction. The individuality of each organism should not be excluded, however, there are certain norms regarding the nature of menstruation.

The duration is believed to be between three and seven days. During this period, a general deterioration in health and pain in the lower abdomen are considered natural.

If the discharge lasts less or more than the specified time, it makes sense to contact a gynecologist.

Long periods or, on the contrary, very short periods may indicate:

  • disruption of the normal hormonal balance in the body;
  • inflammatory or infectious processes in the organs of the reproductive system.

Calculation methods

The regularity of menstruation in women should be discussed by knowing the exact number of days in the cycle. You should understand what it is. Some people mistake it for the period between discharges. In reality, a cycle includes the total number of days from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period.

(Date of menstruation - date of previous menstruation) + additional one day = cycle duration

The norm is 28 days. However, a duration of 21 to 35 days is allowed; these are all normal options.

The duration of the female cycle can be influenced by:

  • fatigue and overwork;
  • stressful situations;
  • diets, weight loss or weight gain;
  • colds and exacerbation of chronic diseases;
  • moving to a different climate zone, etc.

To keep track of their own cycle, the doctor often recommends that girls keep a calendar and mark the dates of their periods in it. This method will allow you not only to monitor the condition of the body, but also to accurately indicate information to the gynecologist when visiting him.

How is your period normal?

Every woman needs to know how menstruation proceeds normally, how discharge should occur correctly.

Doctors point to various options that are not a deviation:

  1. On the first day, heavy menstruation contains dark blood clots. In subsequent days, the discharge becomes less abundant and disappears by days 5-7.
  2. The beginning of menstruation is dark spotting, which becomes more abundant by the 3rd day. Then the intensity of menstruation decreases.
  3. Change in discharge throughout 5-7 days. The discharge may be scanty at first and then abundant, and vice versa.

You can rely on these options if you are concerned about how your periods are going normally. But another course of menstruation can be completely natural.

How much should there be?

Menstrual flow is distinguished by volume, it can be:

  • normal;

It’s normal if up to 6-7 pieces of hygiene products are used per day. A larger number of pads used indicates excessive discharge, a smaller number of pads is an indicator of scanty periods.

Reasons for deviations

If a woman realizes that there is something wrong with her cycle, and the discharge is far from normal, she should go to the doctor and get examined.

A large amount of discharge that lasts more than a week may be a symptom of problems such as:

  • problems with blood clotting;
  • hormonal imbalance in the body;
  • the presence of other inflammatory or infectious diseases.

Poor menstruation may indicate the following problems:

  • disruption of the natural balance of hormones in the body;
  • improper functioning of the ovaries;
  • etc.

What to do if a failure occurs?

If your periods take a long time, the reason is not always the presence of a disease. There are often situations when menstruation occurs, or does not occur at all, but there is also no pregnancy. The cause of all these conditions must be found by a doctor and prescribed appropriate treatment.

There are types that require medical intervention:

  • Algomenorrhea. Often occurs in young girls. The duration of the cycle and discharge are usually normal, but on the days of menstruation severe pain occurs, which can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and other disorders in the body.
  • Amenorrhea. This is a complete absence of menstruation. Is normal during pregnancy and after childbirth.
  • Metrorrhagia. Bloody discharge that appears in the middle of the cycle. The reason is often the presence of tumors in the uterus, such as fibroids. May appear after stress.
  • Dysmenorrhea. The onset of menstruation is much earlier or later than the due date. The reason is hormones or the influence of any external circumstances - stress, exams, flight.
  • Oligoamenorrhea. Rare and scanty menstruation, which can subsequently cause infertility in a woman.

Video about the menstrual cycle


Every woman and girl should know how menstruation goes. This is especially true for teenagers who are just expecting their first menstruation. Any deviation is a reason to consult a doctor. Only careful attention to your women's health will allow you to maintain excellent health and the opportunity to become a mother in the future.