Menstruation and Womens Health

Menstruation and Womens Health

Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium). It occurs on a regular basis in reproductive age females of certain mammal species. Overt menstruation (where there is bleeding from the vagina) is found primarily in humans and close evolutionary relatives such as chimpanzees. The females of other placental mammal species have estrous cycles, in which the endometrium is reabsorbed by the animal (covert menstruation) at the end of its reproductive cycle. Many zoologists regard this as different from a "true" menstrual cycle.

Eumenorrhea denotes normal, regular menstruation that lasts for a few days (usually 3 to 5 days, but anywhere from 2 to 7 days is considered normal). The average blood loss during menstruation is 35 millilitres with 10-80 mL considered normal; many females also notice shedding of the endometrium lining that appears as tissue mixed with the blood. (Sometimes this is erroneously thought to indicate an early-term miscarriage of an embryo.) An enzyme called plasmin — contained in the endometrium — tends to inhibit the blood from clotting. Because of this blood loss, premenopausal women have higher dietary requirements for iron to prevent iron deficiency. Many women experience uterine cramps, also referred to as dysmenorrhea, during this time, caused largely by the contractions of the uterine muscle as it expels the endometrial blood from the woman's body. A vast industry has grown to provide drugs to aid in these cramps, as well as sanitary products to help manage menses.

Physical experience
In many women, various intense sensations brought about by the involved hormones and by cramping of the uterus can precede or accompany menstruation. Stronger sensations may include significant menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea), abdominal pain, migraine headaches, depression, emotional sensitivity, feeling bloated, and changes in sex drive. Breast discomfort caused by premenstrual water retention or hormone fluctuation is very common. The sensations experienced vary from woman to woman and from cycle to cycle.

Emotional reactions
Some women may experience emotional side-effects. These range from the irritability popularly associated with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), to tiredness, or "weepiness" (i.e. tears of emotional closeness). A similar range of emotional effects and mood swings is associated with pregnancy.[9]

Flow
The normal menstrual flow follows a "crescendo-decrescendo" pattern; that is, it starts at a moderate level, increases somewhat, and then slowly tapers. Sudden heavy flows or amounts in excess of 80 mL (hypermenorrhea or menorrhagia) may stem from hormonal disturbance, uterine abnormalities, including uterine leiomyoma or cancer, and other causes. Doctors call the opposite phenomenon, of bleeding very little, hypomenorrhea.

Duration
The typical woman bleeds for two to seven days at the beginning of each menstrual cycle. Prolonged bleeding (metrorrhagia, also meno-metrorrhagia) no longer shows a clear interval pattern. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is hormonally caused bleeding abnormalities, typically anovulation. All these bleeding abnormalities need medical attention; they may indicate hormone imbalances, uterine fibroids, or other problems. As pregnant patients may bleed, a pregnancy test forms part of the evaluation of abnormal bleeding.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstruation

Menstruation Cycle

Source : http://www.freshhope.net/missedperiod.html

Menstruation and Women Health

The physical discomforts of menstruation experienced by every women is a vital sign of good health and fertility that indicates the body’s ability to reproduce – an amazing phenomenon of nature since the beginning of time that is vital for existence of the human race.

Hence, the women’s menstrual cycle is a very venerable and sacred affair!

Menstruation and Vaginal Infection

[*]The chances of matured women to be affected by vaginal infections are as high as 83%.

[*]The use of poor quality sanitary napkins caused 62% of the women to be infected. Sanitary napkins, classified as fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), disposed after use. Manufacturers will have the tendency to use recycle paper as raw material to save on the cost of production. Large amount of chemical are required for the recycle process to bleach, sterilize and remove odours from these recycle papers.

[*]One the average, a woman needs about 3 to 6 days a month for the treatment of vaginal infections. [/list]

Common mistakes of the use of sanitary napkins

[*]Use of unwashed hand throughout the whole process of handling the napkins.

[*]Storing sanitary napkins in moist area, such as bathroom.

[*]Using expired sanitary napkins.

[*]Selecting sanitary napkins without consider the quality of the sanitary napkins.

[*]Using medicated or deodorized sanitary napkins.

[*]Sanitary napkin is not changed regularly.

Common symptoms of bacterial infection during mentruation

[*]Fever.

[*]External Vaginal inflammation

[*]Itchy

[*]Vaginal Inflammation

[*]Cervical Inflammation

[*]Endometrial Inflammation

[*]Excessive white discharge

[*]Searing heat or pain in the lower abdomen

Fever, nauseous, urge to urinate, urinal pain, sore waist, aching waist and fatigue are symptoms of bacterial infections during menstruation, which may lead to more threatening gynecological diseases.

Bacterial Infections during menstruation

After continuous usage of normal sanitary napkins for 2 hours, it’s surface will be a conducive breeding ground for bacteria. As much as 107 bacteria per mm2 can reside on surface of the common sanitary napkin.