Can the menstrual cycle change? Change in menstruation: the nature of the cycle, causes, duration

The concept of "cycle" includes a certain process that has a beginning and an end. Then the cycle repeats from the beginning, and so on continuously. This constant movement is the meaning of cyclicity.

When you are asked at the reception: “After how many days does your period begin?”, They mean the duration of your cycle.

Regardless of the individual duration of menstruation, the first day is exactly the first day of spotting, followed by the second, third, and so on.

After menstruation, the cycle does not end, it continues until the first day of the next menstruation.

What is the normal length of the menstrual cycle?

Variations are possible: from 21 days to 32 days. For most women, 28 days elapse from the first to the first day of menstruation.

If within two to three months the time intervals for the onset of menstruation are different - then after 20 days, then after 30 days- this is regarded as a lack of regularity of the menstrual cycle.

Why do periods keep shifting by a few days?

This happens because our official calendar does not match the personal calendar. Otherwise, it is called lunar, in which the length of one month is exactly 28 days, that is, is exactly 4 weeks.

If your last period started on the 21st, for a 31-day month, the next period for a 28-day cycle should be expected three days earlier.

What is ovulation, why is it necessary?

- this is the release of an egg formed by the ovary, which, after fertilization by a spermatozoon, can turn into a fetal egg - an unborn child.

Even if this does not happen, the egg is still needed! And why? Because the entire female body develops cyclically and functions according to a cyclic law.

The processes of maturation and rejuvenation are ongoing. In other words, ovulation provides uninterrupted functioning of the entire female body.

The physiological cycle is two-phase. middle of it just in time for ovulation. With an average cycle length of 28 days, ovulation should occur on the 14th day.

First phase(growth of young cells) - before ovulation, second(maturation of cells) - after it.

If ovulation does not occur- the menstrual cycle is absent, then acyclic bleeding occurs. Pregnancy without ovulation is impossible.

The reproduction of a new life is inherent in every woman. And for a new life, a young egg is needed, the formation of which takes place in the ovary continuously under the influence of female sex hormones.

If a woman does not have a menstrual cycle, then she has a normal hormonal background. By this, she is protected from serious illnesses that prevent pregnancy, even if one does not occur.

What is the corpus luteum of pregnancy?

When a mature follicle develops into an egg, a corpus luteum forms in its place. This is a cluster of cells that produce gestagens - maturation hormones.

With the onset of pregnancy the corpus luteum continues to function until the placenta develops, then it turns into a white body - a small scar in the form of a callus in the tissue of the ovary.

Before the onset of menstruation, the corpus luteum stops its work if pregnancy does not occur.

Manifestations of ovulation

Sometimes the process of releasing an egg is accompanied by the appearance of pain. in the lower abdomen during ovulation, due to rupture of the surface membrane of the ovary.

Causes of pain there may be inflammatory processes in the tissues of the ovary, or increased sensitivity of peritoneal receptors to estrogens.

In gynecology this condition is referred to as ovulatory syndrome and requires treatment.

Mood change and even the life position of women is determined by the replacement of growth and acquisition hormones (estrogens) with gestagens, which are responsible for the preservation and further development.

If in the first phase of the cycle a woman wants to acquire something, then in the second - she thinks differently. Now there is a need to save what is available.

This is where the concept of female logic came from., which is not clear for a man, whose hormonal background remains unchanged from birth until death.

The menstrual cycle is a reproductive mechanism running in the body of every healthy woman of fertile (childbearing age) that ensures the woman's ability to conceive and bear a child.

The stability and regularity of this cycle affects the general well-being of a woman, her condition, activity and mood.

How does this happen

The functioning of the menstrual cycle depends on the central nervous system and hormonal levels - the balance of sex hormones - progesterone with estrogen, which are produced by the ovaries. Depending on the hormones produced by the ovaries, hormones of the main gland appear - the pituitary gland, but if there are few female sex hormones, then the pituitary gland stimulates their greater production, this also happens in the opposite case.

The pituitary gland, in the framework of stimulating the normal menstrual cycle (MC), acts in three directions:

• stimulates the release of the follicle, the maturation of the egg in the first half of the MC;
• stimulates the release of the egg and the production of progesterone in the future, if conception has occurred;
• promotes the production of prolactin - to provide the baby with breast milk after childbirth.

The pituitary gland is affected by the central nervous system (nervous system) and its department, which corrects the work of the endocrine system - the hypothalamus. It is in the hormones that inhibit or inhibit, depending on the need, the production of gonadotropic pituitary hormones are not located and are constantly produced. At the head of the entire hierarchy is the cerebral cortex.

ovarian cyst

Often, due to a violation of the maturation of the follicular component, the accumulation of fluid in the cavity, a benign formation appears - a cyst.

It can often be diagnosed in fertile women. The cyst may disappear and reappear on its own. The disease occurs in 70 percent of women. Ovarian cysts are classified according to the zone of occurrence:

• follicular;
• corpus luteum cyst;
• paraovarian.

If the cyst does not go away within 1-2 cycles or does not disappear after childbirth in pregnant women, it must be removed surgically.

Crashes in the cycle, why they happen

We can observe irregular cycles in most women. Few can boast that menstruation begins on the same day of the month. Why is this happening? The first and obvious reason: ideally, the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. Therefore, if menstruation began on January 6, then after 28 days they will come on February 3-4, and then on March 1-2 and March 31-April 1. After all, each month has a different number of days, and the cycle can normally be delayed by 1–2 days. On average, it is calculated that the cycle can be from 24 to 35 days. For many women, the cycle changes every month.

Another reason is violations in the body of a woman. This includes nervous experiences, malfunction of the pituitary gland, hormonal system ailments, infections, inflammation, bad habits, excessive physical activity, weight lifting, taking certain drugs, blood diseases, exacerbations of chronic diseases, oncology, etc. The cycle can be affected by unsuccessful surgical interventions for gynecological problems, as well as trauma and damage to the uterus, diseases of the appendages, hypothermia.

What types of violations of the MC are

Since the mechanism of the functioning of the cycle is triggered by different departments in the body, the classification of MC disorders is based on where exactly the regulation is disturbed. There are cycle failures at levels:

• cortex and hypothalamus;
• pituitary gland;
• ovaries;
• uterus;
• thyroid gland;
• adrenal glands.

If violations occur in one of the listed departments, the MC also fails. After stressful situations, severe fright or prolonged nervous tension, the pituitary gland suffers, not releasing the right amount of the hormone for the cyclic maturation of the egg. Ovulation is absent - menstruation also does not occur.

If the function of the hypothalamus is impaired, the ovaries can reduce the production of estrogen, so the maturation of the egg will not occur within this cycle. Perhaps a failure in the MC is associated with damage to the ovaries up to their fibrosis, as a result of which there is a decrease in the number of follicles ready to create an egg during the menstrual cycle. The follicles are laid individually during the prenatal development of the fetus.

How to determine that the MC has failed

Violations of the MC are divided into the complete absence of menstruation - amenorrhea and the presence of meager discharge of a non-menstrual type at inopportune times.

Another intermediate failure is observed if the intervals between regular menstruation have changed, the intensity of bleeding has increased or decreased, and irregular menstruation has appeared.

The main clear signs of failure:

• the volume of secretions changes - hyper- or hypomenorrhea;
• the period of discharge was shortened - if earlier menstruation took place within 7 days, now this period has been reduced to 3-4, for example;
• the period of allocations has increased;
• the usual rhythm of menstruation was disturbed - menstruation appears twice a month, then there is a 90-day break.

Hypomenorrhea - the scarcity of secretions occurs due to a decrease in the activity of the pituitary gland and sclerosis of the ovaries. Menorrhagia - prolonged heavy menstruation, accompanied by pain and blood loss, lasting up to 2 weeks. Such phenomena occur during the formation of the cycle in adolescence and with hormonal extinction in the premenopausal period. At fertile age, such failures occur from chronic diseases of the uterus, fibroids and the presence of polyps.

Any violations of the cycle require attention and timely consultation with the attending gynecologist.

Menstruation is a physiological process that is normally repeated in women every month. The duration of the menstrual cycle and the nature of menstruation are individual for each woman, this is due to the structural features of the body, the presence of any diseases of the female reproductive system, genetic characteristics and many other factors.

A healthy woman of childbearing age should have regular periods. The duration of the menstrual cycle (from the beginning of the previous menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation) should be approximately 28 - 35 days.

Why does menstruation occur? Every month, an egg cell matures in the body of a healthy woman. If fertilization does not occur, the egg is released.

A regular cycle of menstruation is the main indicator of the normal functioning of the reproductive function of the body. In other words, a woman whose menstrual cycle is constant is able to conceive and bear a child.

Menstruation is a necessary process for the normal functioning of the female body. However, there are many reasons that can disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and cause changes in the nature of menstruation. Let's take a closer look at why such violations can occur.

Causes that can cause a failure in the cycle of menstruation and the main clinical forms of disorders

Violation of the menstrual cycle, as a rule, is a consequence of any pathology or occurs as a result of the impact of adverse factors on the reproductive function.

There are three main types of reasons that provoke the failure of the menstrual cycle:

• pathological (disruption of the cycle due to the presence of diseases);
• physiological (stress, diet, climate change, etc.);
• medication (disruption of the cycle is caused by taking or canceling any drugs).

Pathologies that can cause menstrual irregularities:

1. One of the main and most common causes of menstrual disorders in women is ovarian pathology.
2. Violation of the hypothalamic-pituitary system.
3. Pathologies in the work of the adrenal glands.
4. endometrial polyps.
5. Endometriosis.
6. Diseases of the uterus.
7. Oncological diseases.
8. Damage to the uterine cavity as a result of curettage or abortion.
9. Diseases of the liver.
10. Violations in the work of the blood-clotting system.
11. Conditions after operations on the organs of the female reproductive system.
12. genetic reasons.

As mentioned above, one of the types of reasons that can affect the regularity of menstruation are external factors. This is work in hazardous industries, and a change of residence, and strong emotional upheavals, drinking and smoking, unbalanced nutrition, and sudden weight loss.

In addition, irregular periods are observed in women undergoing drug treatment with hormone therapy drugs, antidepressants, anticoagulants, and others. That is why the appointment of medications and control over the patient's condition in the course of treatment should be carried out only by a doctor.

The main clinical forms of menstrual cycle disorders are:

1. Cyclic changes in menstruation:

• hypermenorrhea - an increase in the volume of menstrual flow with a normal duration of menstruation;
• hypomenorrhea - scanty menstruation;
• polymenorrhea - normal in terms of the volume of secretions, monthly lasting more than a week;
• menorrhagia - a significant increase in the volume of menstrual flow, the duration of menstruation is more than 12 days;
• oligomenorrhea - short menstruation (1-2 days);
• opsomenorrhea - rare periods, the interval between which can reach 3 months;
• proyomenorrhea - a menstrual cycle of less than 21 days.

2. Amenorrhea - the absence of menstruation for more than 3 months.

3. Metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding):

• occurring in the middle of the cycle (anovulatory);
• dysfunctional (independent of the process of ovulation).

4. Painful menstruation (algomenorrhea).

Diagnosis

In order to regulate the menstrual cycle and restore it, it is first necessary to understand what caused the violations. For this, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination, according to the results of which the specialist will be able to choose the necessary treatment.

Diagnostics includes several stages:

1. History taking - it is necessary to tell the doctor about all diseases, the number of births and abortions, medications taken, external factors that could affect the constancy of menstruation.
2. Gynecological examination and delivery of smears.
3. Blood tests, including for the determination of hormones.
4. Additional studies prescribed by the doctor.

What can menstrual irregularities lead to?

Irregular menstrual cycles are not considered by many women to be a big problem. However, such violations can lead to infertility. Intermenstrual bleeding, for example, can cause apathy, fatigue, and reduced immunity.

How to deal with irregular periods

After the diagnosis, the doctor decides on the need for one or another method of therapy, it can be either conservative drug treatment or elimination of the causes of the cycle disorder with the help of surgical intervention. Often these two methods are combined in the treatment process.

To normalize the cycle of menstruation, it is necessary to eliminate exactly the cause that caused the failure of the cycle, so anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal contraceptives, and hemostatic drugs can be prescribed.

Restoration of the menstrual cycle after childbirth

Separately, I would like to talk about the restoration of the cycle of menstruation in women in the postpartum period. It is worth considering that menstruation has resumed only after the onset of the first menstruation. But even here you should not hope that the cycle will immediately become regular.

Changes that have occurred in the female body in connection with pregnancy and childbirth, including hormonal ones, can affect the stability, nature, and pain of menstruation. Irregular periods are acceptable during the first 2-3 months from the moment they start to resume.

It is worth worrying for women whose periods do not come 2 months after childbirth, provided that the child is bottle-fed. If your baby is on a mixed diet, then menstruation may be absent for up to six months. Young mothers who are breastfeeding a baby may not wait for menstruation during the entire first year.

It takes time to restore the menstrual cycle. Often, disruptions in the menstrual cycle occur precisely because of the influence of external factors: try to avoid conflicts, stress, emotional experiences, eat right and have a good rest in the postpartum period.

If menstruation after childbirth has become more abundant or scarce, long and short-term, more painful, you should immediately consult a gynecologist for advice.

Particular attention should be paid to the process of restoring menstruation to those women who gave birth by caesarean section. To avoid complications or to identify them at the very beginning, it is necessary to constantly visit a gynecologist.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the detection of pathologies that caused menstrual irregularities in the early stages significantly increases the chance of getting rid of them. Do not self-medicate - this can only aggravate the situation. The prescription of medications should be carried out only by a doctor, taking into account the diagnosis and anamnesis of the patient.

Answers

A normal menstrual cycle should last from 21 to 34 days. It is divided into 2 phases: follicular and luteal, during which, under the influence of sex hormones, egg maturation, ovulation and menstruation occur.

Shortening of the menstrual cycle or proiomenorrhea can occur due to various reasons. Before starting the correction of this condition, it is necessary to understand why this happened.

A short menstrual cycle can manifest in different ways. Most often, this looks like either the arrival of menstruation every 15-17 days, or as a strong reduction in the amount of discharge, both in volume and in time.

Physiological causes

The most common physiological causes that cause the period between periods to become shorter are overwork and stress. Strong emotional upheavals can change the hormonal background, causing an increase in the concentration of the hormone prolactin. In this case, dealing with a short menstrual cycle is quite simple. The body needs proper rest, minimizing any stressful situations and increasing resistance.

If the menstrual cycle has become short, then vitamin deficiency can be another reason. A lack of vitamins A, E, B and K can cause metabolic disorders and affect blood characteristics. This also includes such a state of the body, which appears with excessively rapid weight loss. Usually, when going on a diet, a woman drastically reduces the amount of nutrients consumed, which can lead to the fact that the period between menstruation will become shorter. Also, excessive thinness often leads to hormonal imbalances.

Physiological reasons for changing the cycle, which are very easy to detect, include a recent operation on the organs of the reproductive system, childbirth, abortion, menopause. In these cases, practically no adjustment is required and you just need to wait out this period.

Taking certain medications and flying from one climate zone to another can cause the menstrual cycle to become shorter. But in these situations, the next menstruation should already start on time.

Sometimes women take a spontaneous miscarriage that happened in the first week of pregnancy for the early onset of menstruation, because these two conditions are very similar. But in this case, the next menstruation will begin on time, it will not be possible to say that the cycle has become short.

Pathological causes

Most diseases of the reproductive system affect the duration and nature of menstruation. Therefore, with them, the cycle may well become shorter. But at the same time, pathologies of other body systems can cause changes in menstruation.

• Uterine fibroids and other tumors.
• Inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system.
• Ovarian cyst.
• Diseases associated with impaired blood clotting.
• Endocrine pathologies.
• Diseases of the kidneys.
• Metabolic disease.

All these pathologies, which may be the reason that the menstrual cycle has become shorter, need timely and adequate treatment. Therefore, if you notice changes in the nature and duration of menstruation, you should contact a gynecologist.

Accompanying symptoms

If the menstrual cycle has become shorter, then you should pay attention to other changes in the body. After all, a short cycle practically does not appear alone, there are almost always other failures. You should also pay attention to the nature of the changes in the cycle: observe which of the phases has become shorter, because this will help the doctor understand why this symptom appeared.

Depending on the reasons for shortening the cycle, there are the following varieties:

• biphasic with a short follicular phase, in which ovulation occurs ahead of time;
• biphasic with a short luteal phase, in which the corpus luteum disappears prematurely;
• single-phase anovulatory, in which ovulation does not occur.

The danger of the last two varieties is that pregnancy is impossible. With early resorption of the corpus luteum, the reproductive system simply does not have time to prepare to accept the egg, and if this does happen, then there is a high probability of miscarriage. With a single-phase variety, ovulation does not occur, so conception is impossible.

Hormonal disruptions

If the menstrual cycle has become noticeably shorter, then the first reason that comes to mind is an imbalance in the balance of sex hormones. Such failures can occur due to physiological factors, for example, at certain periods of life, such as menopausal restructuring of the body.

Just before the onset of menopause, there is a natural extinction of estrogen synthesis and a decrease in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.

A similar condition can occur in a woman after childbirth, since the body needs some time to rest after bearing a child before it becomes possible to conceive the next one.

During these periods, a short cycle is not accompanied by other symptoms, but both you and the gynecologist understand why the shortening occurred.

Tumors in the reproductive system

The menstrual cycle becomes shorter if a woman has tumor processes in the uterus or ovaries. Other organs of the reproductive system are practically not subject to the appearance of neoplasms. Depending on the location and nature of the tumor, other symptoms will appear.

So, for example, with fibroids or polyps, the duration of menstruation increases, and the periods between discharges decrease.

With an ovarian cyst, one of the phases is shortened, but often this symptom is no longer observed during the next menstrual cycle.

Inflammatory processes

With the appearance of inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system, the cycle almost always changes. If it has become shorter, then it is necessary to pay attention to the appearance of pain in the lower abdomen, itching and burning, discharge that differs from the norm and an increase in body temperature.

Various inflammatory diseases are often accompanied by the appearance of secondary infertility, as adhesions may appear. Also, tumor processes interfere with the conception and bearing of a child. Therefore, if the cycle has become shorter, then you should find out why this happened and start treatment.

Treatment

If the menstrual cycle has become shorter, then you should consult a gynecologist to find the cause and begin adequate treatment. In addition to the reasons for the appearance of a short cycle, it is also important which phase has changed. Most often, doctors prescribe medication, but in some situations, surgery may be prescribed.

Medical therapy

Usually, with a short cycle, not one medicine is prescribed, but a complex of drugs. They are designed to normalize the hormonal background, reduce blood loss, if necessary, and improve the patient's immune system.

If the cause is inflammatory processes, then antibiotics and antiseptics in the form of vaginal suppositories are additionally prescribed.

Surgical treatment

Such treatment is prescribed if the cycle has become shorter due to the fact that tumor processes have begun in the reproductive system. There are several options for surgical treatment.

• Laparoscopy.
• Laparotomy.
• Hysteroscopy.
• Hysterectomy.

The choice of treatment method is based on the survey data. Important information is how much the tumor has grown, which organs have been affected, whether the patient wants to have children in the future.

When cycle shortening is the norm

Often, women after 35 years of age begin to notice that their cycle is getting shorter. Why does such a shortening occur, because if we take the average values, then at 25 the duration is 32 days, and at 35 it already lasts 28. This is due to the fact that at a more mature age the corpus luteum begins to produce progesterone in smaller quantities. Therefore, there is a reduction in the luteal phase.

Then a decrease in the number of follicles and a decrease in their quality leads to the fact that estrogen production gradually decreases. All this leads to the fact that the ovulatory phase becomes impossible.

Gradually, all these processes in the female body lead to the onset of menopause. But before the final cessation of menstruation, a woman may notice their irregularity or shortening. Also, we should not forget that before the onset of menopause, hormonal disruptions occur in the body of a woman, which affect the duration of the cycle.

Do not ignore the fact that the menstrual cycle has become shorter. If this happened once, then it is worth reducing emotional and physical overload, as well as paying attention to your diet. If a short menstrual cycle continues, then you should visit a gynecologist to find out the cause of such changes. Timely treatment will help to avoid many complications and maintain health at the proper level.

2014-06-02 , 6763

A woman's life is subject to cyclicity - roughly speaking, beautiful ladies live from menstruation to menstruation. It often happens that menstruation is expected at an inopportune moment for her, for example, on the day of a gala event, during a trip to nature or on an excursion. Unfortunately, the critical days for most women do not look like commercials, where cheerful beauties, using ultra-thin padding, walk in white trousers and dance merrily in miniskirts at discos. What should ordinary girls do, whose condition is far from ideal? Do you really need to change your plans?

It turns out that there are ways that can help in this situation. However, we strongly recommend that you do not use them without the advice of a doctor, and therefore we deliberately do not publish the names of drugs. One visit to the gynecologist will solve all problems and protect against negative consequences!

Hormonal drugs

The easiest way to delay the arrival of critical days is for women who regularly take oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. It is enough for them to start taking the next pack immediately after the current one ends, without taking a break for spotting. Monophasic tablets give an almost 100% guarantee, and three-phase ones can fail, besides, in their case, you need to drink the contents of the third phase.

For girls who are not protected by combined oral contraceptives, but really want to change the cycle, it is recommended to start taking birth control pills on any day of the cycle, but no later than three days before the expected period. You need to take the pills until all the planned events have passed - bleeding, as a rule, begins 2-3 days after the drug is discontinued. However, you should not count on the contraceptive effect - in this mode, the effectiveness of the pills is extremely reduced.

Also, in order to delay menstrual bleeding, you can take gestagens. It is desirable to start taking them 2 weeks, but no later than 5 days before the expected threat. It is necessary to stop taking it on the day of the expected end of menstruation. If everything works, your period will start 1-3 days after the last pill.

Natural and folk methods

If you want to delay the onset of menstruation by 1-2 days, then this can be done with respect for your health. Firstly, you should not increase physical activity, you do not need to lift weights, exhaust yourself in the gym and go to the bath or sauna. Secondly, you will have to give up sex - a rush of blood to the genitals can cause the onset of menstruation a day earlier. Thirdly, it is desirable to exclude spicy and salty foods, pineapples, papaya, dates from the diet.