Is my period normal?

A woman's period normally comes every 22-35 days and can last from 3 to 8 days and begins sometime during puberty between 10 and 18 years of age, with an average of 12 years.

During the first two days of the period, a larger amount of blood is shed. In the following days, the color may be pink, brown, or black. It is estimated that a woman sheds an average of 30 to 72 ml of blood during each period.

Knowledge of the specific characteristics of menstruation is, for every woman, valuable knowledge about her own body and its functions, while it becomes a matter of central importance for issues related to gynecological check-ups, fertility, contraception and pregnancy.

What are menstrual disorders?

Menstrual disorders are one of the most common reasons why a woman seeks help from a gynecologist. Menstrual disorders are defined as characteristics of the period such as:

Intercyclic bleeding, i.e. bleeding before or after the period
Frequency less than 20 days or more than 35 days
Duration over 7 days
Duration and frequency are constantly changing
Discharge of large amounts of blood during menstruation
Not starting until 18 years of age
Excessive pain during
Severe premenstrual syndrome which may include sudden mood swings, muscle or joint pain, headaches, abdominal swelling, cramps, breast tenderness, stress or anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and acne

Possible causes of menstrual disorders

Reasons that often lead to menstrual disorders are pregnancy, puberty, menopause, hormone therapy, sudden and large changes in body weight, overwork, excessive exercise, stress. Various gynecological diseases such as: endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cyst or polycystic ovaries, uterine polyp. Various other diseases such as: Diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases.

Treating menstrual disorders

Most women with menstrual disorders rarely need treatment, as they are caused by transient events and after a short period of time, menstruation returns to normal. However, it is possible that the doctor will recommend that the patient make significant lifestyle changes, including regular exercise and changing eating habits, especially stopping extreme diets or starting a diet program, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, quitting smoking, and avoiding excessive fatigue.

In any case, a visit to the gynecologist is considered necessary.