There’s nothing like a perfect menstrual cycle, but most women need to know what a healthy menstrual cycle should be like.
And some who prove to have a knowledge have been wrongly informed. I think you should know that the monthly symptoms that most women experience are not supposed to be present. Yes you may feel heavy and feel that your menstruation is coming. But the clotting, abdominal pain and some other symptoms are not normal at all.
Meanwhile, most women who are going through these problems are of the opinion that everything is normal when there could be a possible cause for it.
Now the question is “What is a normal menstrual cycle?”
Your normal menstrual cycle should be between 26 to 32 days in length. And it should flow for four days and five at the most.
If your flow is less than four days, it’s too short and if it’s more than five days, it’s too long and you should not have the following;
- Clotting
- Breast soreness or tenderness
- Spotting
- A watery menstruation
- Moodiness, irritability or any sort of change to the mood.
All these are signs of irregularities in the menstrual cycle, and something should be done. Meanwhile, there are some which are not a cause for concern, pains before or during menstruation and clotting is a major cause for concern.
And if ever any one tells you that period pain, clotting, and irregularities in menstruation is normal, don’t listen, because they aren’t. They may be common, but they are far from normal.
Don’t ever close a blind eye to menstrual issues, because the above named symptoms can be signs of other deep gynaecological issues, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis or PCOS, and should be looked into by a qualified women’s health gynaecologist, not just any doctor.
And here are other factors that can affect your menstrual cycle besides gynaecological conditions. Most of them are caused by us, yeah, that’s right, although not all menstrual related problems are caused by you.
Think about this, what have been going on with you before the beginning of your cycle? What have you been eating and drinking? Is your stress level high? To further help you, check the list below.
What other things can affect a menstrual cycle?
#1. Poor Eating Habit
Sweet foods, junk, foods containing sugar, processed grain, can all cause inflammation in the body. And this can cause hormonal irregularities and painful periods. It is recommended that you don’t eat sugary food some time before your period.
#2: Alcohol
Most alcohol or alcoholic drinks have high sugar content. And this can cause inflammation to the body. Also, alcohol interferes with the hormones and affects the liver. It is believed by Chinese medicine that the liver governs the menstrual cycle.
#3: Sleep deprivation
If you have not been getting adequate sleep, this can lead to a reduction in the hormones; an hormone called serotonin, this can affect your mood. It is also worthy of note that lack of sleep can cause the body to stop reparing itself, causng other health problems.
#4: Trauma
If your body is recovering and repairing, for example from surgery, or if you have a virus, cold or flu, this can lead to menstrual irregularities. This is because the body shuts down the menstrual cycle so it can recover and repair itself.
#5: Weight Gain Or Weight Loss
If you are underweight or overweight this interferes with your fertility and menstrual health. Many athletes don’t have a regular menstrual cycle because of little or no body fat. Meanwhile obese people may have the problem of little or too much flow. Our hormones are made from fats and protein.
#6: Emotional Issues
This might be seen as a minor issue but it’s a major one. If you are angry or frustrated, it can block your system thereby causing you physical pain.
This is a big one. We already know the disease causing impact of stress in the body. But if you have bottled up emotions such as anger and frustration, it can cause blockages in the system, and as a result, physical pain. Emotional issues can worsen your pain and cause problems with your hormones.
This are the other probable causes of menstrual irregularities, if pain, clotting and other irregularities persist after adequate changes have been made, see a specialist. Do not let the symptoms go on without having them checked.
