The Period File: What's Normal, What's Not.

“Period.” Yes, we all know that word with an all too familiar set tone, different in every woman. And we all get it at an early age. As the years go by from adolescent, teen to grown adult woman, we become more and more less scared of this word and instead it forms a comfortable set spot in our vocabulary as an everyday easy missed punch instead of a blow to the cheekbones. Every woman has a different schedule and routine, or so called scenario, when their period comes. Some get it at the beginning of the month and some get it after their last paycheck, when they have to surrender the monthly rent bill. But, hey, either way, we can’t stop it, and instead we have to face the fact of embracing it as our nature and a part of our "allure".

I will title this blog and the, next, following blog, “The Period File.” We will tackle all the need to knows, questions, and problems faced of every woman when she goes through that time of the month. I will better aware you of how to overcome that week when it arrives, and how to make it less draining, but more of a so to call, "Set on the sails, off to the horizons!" form of ride. Let’s think of how to have a happy period and kick all the worries and headaches outside the neighborhood, and reinvigorate our mind with a new way of looking at that time of the month, with some assurances. To start off, let’s talk about what is normal during your bloody trial, and then we will end this article of what is not normal. I will make another article as a continuation to this one, entitled, “The Period File: A Happy Period,” so it is much easier to read all I have to say, progressively. If you want to check it out, I will tackle all about, as mentioned above, how you can combat "period worries" and have a "happy", "healthy" period instead.

What’s Normal?

Let's get straight into this mess. According to most doctors, a regular period should last from three to five days or even two to seven, and the cycle between each period gap, each month, should be 21 to 35 days. The length of days of your monthly visit usually depends on your age, as well as the cycle length sometimes. When you are younger you tend to have longer days of cycles and monthly visits.

Brown Blood anyone? Is it normal to get some spotting or brown blood before your period? Yes, it is. Every woman has experienced this some time or another. This may be a cause of numerous reasons, related to the fact that maybe your period is late, or better, that your body is cleansing out any old blood, from the previous months, that wasn’t released and was left in the lining of the uterus. This is a normal and good, healthy, "okay" sign. We may also get red spotting during our ovulation, the time in the middle of the month or cycle, that lasts at most, two days.

Getting cervical fluid? First off, what is this?... This is a wet, sometimes clear discharge or at times it changes to a more white (because of the egg content) and sort of long and stretchy consistency. Other times it may become sticky and dryer arriving near your period. Cervical fluid is a very normal sign of a healthy body and reproductive system. It may not be the same as your period, but getting a discharge besides red, is normal, in the case that it is cervical fluid only. Cervical fluid is a sign of good estrogen levels in a woman. If you are experiencing this, this is a winner in the bullseye for you!

What’s Not Normal?

At a younger age, near teen years, it is is a bit normal to have longer cycle gaps between periods and longer visits of your actual monthly period, but as you grow older, around age 23 to 25, you should already have signs of a regular cycle length, and much shorter monthly visits. Your blood flow should be more regular also. A normal blood flow is anywhere from two to four napkins a day. If any of this is not the case, you may be underweight, overweight, or you may be having too much stress in your daily lifestyle.

Too much exercise can cause irregular periods as well. Too much exercise although may seen good, may be strenuous on a woman’s health. The condition that is associated with being physically over-active, is called “amenorrhea”. We all know that girls love working out these days and achieving a rockin' physique! And although, not having to deal with your period may seem "all too heavenly". It has long term health issues and dangerous affects to your well-being. When your body undergoes too much exercise, it goes into starvation mode and shuts down all systems that are not needed in a survival call. The body is tired and trying to just get by, in other words. Amenorrhea, happens when your estrogen levels go down because the reproductive system stops. This is actually alarming and draining to the body. Estrogen is needed for your bones. This subsequently and consequently causes brittle bones, quite fast. You are more prone to fractures and less bone density as you age. You are also unable to become pregnant if you are at that stage of taking it further with your significant other, and you may encounter other health ailments if amenorrhea prolongs long term. Amenorrhea can also be termed as another form of Anorexia.

Another case, that is quite common but actually not really wanted, related to your period of course, is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This is when woman are usually overweight. They develop enlarged ovaries that contain small collections of fluid, called follicles. Common side effects of being polycystic, are prolonged cycles, missed periods and heavy or irregular blood flow, or even longer days during your monthly visit. You can tell for guarantee, if you are polycystic, by getting an ultrasound with a ob-gyne. The cure is usually birth control pills to make your period and hormones regular again, or even, directly losing weight.

Another unwanted development, similar to polycystic is Uterine Fibroids. It is said 70 to 80 percent of women by age 50 have or will experience this. It is much more severe and can be seen when you have heavy or longer menstrual periods. Uterine Fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus. They can be very subtle or even alarming. According to webMD and MayoClinic, when a uterine fibroid is much worse, symptoms may include pelvic cramping, painful sex, constipation and an urge to urinate or hard time emptying the bladder. Other more keen signs are back and leg pains. Consult your doctor if you have any of these. However, don't be too scared, because it is quite common to get this at some point in your feminine life.

Now, if you are sexually active, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is something to have a heads up for. PID may be caused by an infection of the reproductive organs, if you have unsafe sex. So be careful, that means, in every possible way. Signs are irregular menstrual bleeding, and...

As noted from MayoClinic, signs of (PID) may be:

• Pain in your lower abdomen and pelvis

• Heavy vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor

• Abnormal uterine bleeding, especially during or after intercourse, or between menstrual cycles

• Pain during sex

• Fever, sometimes with chills

• Painful or difficult urination

Now let's talk about the all too famous and most talked about gossip among ladies, when the word "period" is brought to air: PMS. Signs of PMS, premenstrual syndrome, are very normal, but at the same time they actually are considered by science to be "not normal"? Signs of PMS are actually signs of an imbalance between estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol. Now what was that? All these are related to the reproductive hormones and underlying carriers in a woman's reproductive system. These imbalances can be controlled, however, according to health personals. We all think PMS is normal, because it happens in every women, but if we are keen to our physical and mental well-being, including and especially our nutrition we can prevent PMS from actually happening. But hey, we said it is extremely normal too. It occurs all the time, and with our busy lifestyles and not so perfect environments, it is kind of impossible to avoid.

Signs of PMS are also confusing, because they can be mistaken for signs of swings in your blood sugar at times. Progesterone is a hormone that is sensitive to blood sugar swings, and symptoms of blood sugar swings are also the same as PMS symptoms. Keeping your progesterone levels intact with protein, brown carbs and healthy fats should be noted, or just all together, eating a balanced diet could help in so many ways.

PMDD, the "great grandmother" of PMS, is another note for that matter. PMDD stands for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It is a condition on a whole other level than PMS. PMDD is caused by greater fatigue, and more severe physical and mental onsets. Common symptoms include:

Lack of interest in daily activities

Sadness and thoughts of suicide

Anxiety

Binge Eating (in an abnormal manner)

Crying attacks and irritability

Problems sleeping and concentrating

And the usual, PMS symptoms like bloating, headaches and muscle or joint pains.

**Keep in mind that both PMS and PMDD are premenstrual, so they happen before your period. Anything during your period, sometimes, may be related to something else.

"Anemia"

Anemia is caused by uterine fibroids that cause severe bleeding or more often anemia can even be caused by lack of iron in the blood stream due to poor nutrition. Anemia can be seen by onsets of extreme fatigue and exhaustion. Typically you will experience heavy periods, during which you should talk to your health care practitioner if a combination of this occurs.

Bleeding Between Periods?

Bleeding between periods may be normal, considering the causes, or abnormal. Some women spot during ovulation as a result of hormonal changes, or they spot when they are starting or stopping birth control pills. One to two days of light spotting may occur during the ovulation stage of your cycle, as noted above. This is a sign of an active blood flow, and is nothing to be alarmed at, as it occurs in all women at one time or the other.

There is also what may be a signal of what is called, “Breakthrough Bleeding,” outside of your period days. This is an indication of low progesterone (female hormones), in your body. Progesterone is the one in charge of keeping your uterine lining in form until the end of your cycle.

Other much unsatisfactory causes of bleeding and to watch out for or take note of, on the other hand, may be:

ovulatory dysfunction

thyroid gland problems

pregnancy complications

significant weight loss or gain

or even rare causes such as diabetes and extreme stress.

Cancer in the cervix, vagina, uterus, or ovaries can also be a cause... These are all the things to watch out for and closely monitor, if at unease.

And the worse of the worse, sometimes, is a case of premature ovarian failure or primary ovarian insufficiency. Not to scare or anything, but being aware of every woman's faced trials, will keep you in mind and at bay, if the worst of the worst steps at your door. Premature ovarian failure is when there is a loss of normal ovarian function before the age of 40. Not like this will happen. This is in rare cases. But these women who experience this, may have irregular or occasional periods for months or years, during which it may stop all together. The odds of this happening are very low at a younger age, but by age 30 it reaches to a case of 1 in 100, which is actually, quite a still low of a chance of happening for women, so yay!

To wrap it up, talk to your health care practitioner, if you feel uneasy with what you may think may be any abnormal signs. We want to always free our minds of any uneasiness, as women who go through enough stress as it is. Monitoring your period, with an app on your phone, or through a period calendar, will help you be aware also, of what is going on down there. Although any of the unfortunate cases, are very unlikely to happen, except for Polycystic Ovaries or symptoms related to different forms of what may be anorexia, always make a yearly visit to your OBgyne (feminine doctor). If you don't have one, get one! You need to have a continuous, yearly examination, starting at the age of 21, and you should also be having your yearly pap smear. It's what's due to our given nature as women, so just embrace it, and remember to take care of yourself!

Here is a diagram of what to expect during your monthly cycles.

Sources for Writing:

Healthline. "Vaginal Bleeding Between Periods." <https://www.healthline.com/health/vaginal-bleeding-between-periods#causes.> 28 June 2018.

Lacy Windham. WikiHow. "How to overcome extreme fatigue during menstruation." <https://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Extreme-Fatigue-During-Menstruation.> 4 July 2018.

Leslie Pepper. BabyCenter. "Fertility problem: Premature ovarian failure". <https://www.babycenter.com/0_fertility-problem-premature-ovarian-failure_10419292.bc.> 9 July 2018.

MayoClinic. Healthy Lifestyle: Women's Health. "Menstraul Cycle: What's normal, what's not. <https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/menstrual-cycle/art-20047186.> 28 June 2018.

MayoClinic. "Pelvic inflammatory disease." <https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pelvic-inflammatory-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352594.> 28 June 2018.

MayoClinic. "Uterine fibroids." <https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/uterine-fibroids/symptoms-causes/syc-20354288.> 28 June 2018.

New Kids-Center. "What causes Dark Brown Colored Discharge Prior to Period?" <http://www.newkidscenter.com/Dark-Brown-Discharge-Before-Period.html.> 28 June 2018.

Nicole Jardim. mbg health. "5 Signs You Have a Healthy Menstrual Cycle." <https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16043/5-signs-you-have-a-healthy-menstrual-cycle.html.> 28 June 2018.

Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). Arizona Center for Fertility Studies. <https://www.acfs2000.com/premature-ovarian-failure-pof.html.> 2 July 2018.

The Center for Innovative GYN Care. "Fighting for Research: The U.S. is in a Fibroids Crisis. WTOP. <https://wtop.com/center-for-innovative-gyn-care/2016/01/fighting-for-research-the-u-s-is-in-a-fibroids-crisis/.> 2 July 2018.

WebMD. "Uterine Fibroids Health Center." <https://www.webmd.com/women/uterine-fibroids/default.htm.> 28 June 2018.

Sources for Images:

"Ladies, this acupressure app could help reduce your period pain". Hindustan Times> Fitness. 6 April 2018. Press Trust India. 2 July 2018.

Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Period. Akam Nature Care, Natural Health and Beauty Solution. Web. 3 July 2018.