Menstruation is a woman’s monthly bleeding, often referred to as a “period”. When you have your period, your body discards the monthly build-up of the lining of your womb (womb). Menstrual blood and tissue exit your body from your uterus through a small opening in your cervix and through your vagina. What is a period in a girl?
What does period mean to a girl?
A menstruating girl is bleeding from the uterus, from her vagina. It’s a sign that she’s approaching the end of puberty.
What helps with cramps?
Over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Always follow the directions on the bottle. If you are allergic to aspirin or have severe asthma, talk to your doctor before taking pain medication.
exercise
Applying a heating pad to your abdomen or lower back.
Take a hot bath.
Having an orgasm (by yourself or with a partner).
Relax.
Hormonal birth control (such as the pill, patch, ring, implant, and hormonal IUD).
Acupuncture and acupressure.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – therapy that uses mild electrical currents to stimulate your nerves to reduce pain.
Certain vitamins and herbs such as vitamin B1, fish oil, fenugreek, ginger, valerian, zataria, and zinc sulfate.
Cramps are a very normal part of your menstrual cycle, but sometimes people have period cramps that are so painful that it’s hard to do everyday things (like going to school or work). If your menstrual cramps are really bad, and over-the-counter medications don’t help, talk to your doctor. They may help with other ways to manage the pain, or they may want to see if something more serious is going on.
How many menstrual cycles does a girl have?
From her first period to menopause, the average American woman will have approximately 450 periods in her lifetime. This is a long time. Plus, that equates to about 10 years — or about 3,500 days — of the average woman’s life spent on her period.
What Causes a Period?
Menstruation is caused by changes in hormones in the body. Hormones are chemical messengers. Ovaries secrete female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus (or uterus) to build up. The built-up lining is ready to attach to the fertilized egg and starts developing. If there is no fertilized egg, the lining ruptures and bleeding begins. Then the same process will happen again and again.
It usually takes about a month for the lining to form, then it breaks down. This is the reason why most girls and women get their period almost once.
How Does Ovulation Relate to Periods?
Ovulation (pronounced: ov-yoo-LAY-shun) is the release of an egg from an ovary. The same hormones that cause the lining of the uterus to form also cause the ovary to release an egg. The egg passes through a thin tube called the fallopian tube.
If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it attaches to the wall of the uterus, where over time it takes the form of a baby. If the egg is not fertilized, the lining of the uterus breaks down and bleeds, leading to a period.
Do Periods Happen Regularly When Menstruation Starts?
For the first few years after a girl starts menstruating, it may not come regularly. This is the first common one. Around 2-3 years after the first menstrual period, a girl’s period should come once every 4-5 weeks.
Can a Girl Get Pregnant as Soon as Her Period Starts?
Yes, a girl can get pregnant as soon as she starts her period. A girl can get pregnant even before her first menstrual cycle. This is because the girl’s hormones may be already active. Hormones can cause ovulation and build-up of the uterine wall. If a girl has sex, she can become pregnant, even though she never menstruates.
How Long Do Periods Last?
Periods typically last about 5 days. But the period may be shorter or longer.
How Often Does a Period Happen?
Periods usually happen once every 4-5 weeks. But some girls get periods less or more often.
Should I Use a Pad, Tampon, or Menstrual Cup?
You have a number of choices about how to deal with period bleeding. You may need to experiment a little to find what works best for you. Some girls use only one method and others switch between different methods.
Most girls use pads when they first start menstruating. Pads are made of cotton and come in many different sizes and shapes. They have adhesive strips that attach to the underwear.
Many girls find tampons easier than pads, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl inserts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that holds the tampon in place. The tampon absorbs the blood. Do not leave the tampon in for more than 8 hours as this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.
Some girls prefer a menstrual cup. Most menstrual cups are made of silicone. To use a menstrual cup, a girl inserts it inside her vagina. It holds the blood until it is drained.
How Much Blood Comes Out?
This may seem like a lot of blood, but a girl usually only loses a few spoonfuls of blood during her entire period. Most girls need to change their pads, tampon, or menstrual cup approximately 3-6 times a day.
Will I Have Periods for the Rest of My Life?
When women reach menopause (around 45-55 years of age), their menstrual periods will stop permanently. Women do not menstruate even when they are pregnant.
What Is PMS?
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) occurs when a girl has emotional and physical symptoms that occur before or during her menstrual period. These symptoms may include moodiness, depression, anxiety, bloating, and acne. After the first few days of the menstrual cycle, the symptoms disappear.
What Can I Do About Cramps?
Many girls experience menstrual cramps, especially in the first few days. If the pain bothers you, you may try:
- A hot heating pad on your stomach
- Taking ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or the store brand) or naproxen (Aleve or the store brand).
How Does Period Occur In A Girl?
The ovaries secrete the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus (or womb) to form. The built-up lining is ready to attach to the fertilized egg and begin development. If there is no fertilized egg, the lining breaks, and bleeds.
Should I Watch for Any Problems?
Most girls don’t have any problem with menstruation. But call your physician if you:
- 15 years old and you have not begun menstruating.
- You have had periods for more than 2 years and they are not regular (about every 4-5 weeks).
- Bleeding between the periods.
- Having severe pain that does not improve with ibuprofen or naproxen.
- Heavy bleeding (blood that comes out of the pad or tampon faster than every 1 hour)
- There are periods that last longer than a week.
- Have severe PMS which interferes with your daily activities.
Treatment
- Pain medications.
- Some birth control methods.
- gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists.
- Surgery to remove the fibroids.
- A hysterectomy means removing the uterus.
- Endometrial ablation refers to the removal of the uterine lining.
Looking Ahead:
From her first period to menopause, the average American woman will have approximately 450 periods in her lifetime. This is a long time. Plus, that equates to about 10 years — or about 3,500 days — of the average woman’s life spent on her period.
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