PERIOD PROBLEMS
Diagnosis & Treatment of Menstrual Disorders
Menstruation is the technical term for getting your period. With each menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus (endometrium prepares itself to sustain a pregnancy. If fertilization doesn’t occur, the body sheds the endometrium during the monthly period. Periods are a natural, healthy part of a woman's life. They shouldn't get in the way of work, exercising, having fun, and enjoying life.
In some cases, the menstrual cycle can be problematic, resulting in heavy bleeding, painful cramps or irregular periods that can disrupt a woman's quality of life, and may even signify an underlying imbalance or disorder that requires investigation and treatment.
Common types of period problems we can help with include:
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Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
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Painful Periods
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Pelvic Pain
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Irregular Bleeding
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Loss of Periods (Amenorrhea)
PERIOD TALK
Aunt Flo, Shark Week, Time of the Month... Forget the Taboo, Let's Talk About Periods!
MENARCHE: THE FIRST PERIOD
A girl's first period (called menarche, pronounced men-ar-kee) usually occurs about two years after the onset of breast bud development, and about one year after the onset pubic hair growth. In Canada, the average age of menarche is 12 years, and the normal range is between age 10 - 14 years, although it can occur earlier or later. Menstruation essentially marks the completion of puberty.
For the first two years after the first period, the brain / ovary connection is just getting warmed up, and ovulation might not occur at regular intervals, so it is normal for her to skip periods or have irregular periods. A regular period occurs predictably every month or every 21-35 days. If you’re experiencing irregular periods more than two to three years after your first period, an assessment is appropriate to rule out an underlying medical condition.
MENSTRUAL CYCLE: 101
It is important to understand how the menstrual cycle works to be able to better manage any menstrual symptoms you might have, to help to either get pregnant or avoid getting pregnant, and understand when there might be a problem.
Approximately once a month, females who have gone through puberty will experience menstrual bleeding because the lining of the uterus has prepared itself for a possible pregnancy by becoming thicker and richer in blood vessels. If a pregnancy does not occur, the thickened uterine lining is shed, along with blood and other secretions. Bleeding usually lasts for 3-8 days. Most women get their period in a fairly regular, predictable pattern: the length of time from the first day of one period to the first day of the next period normally ranges from 21-35 days (measured from the first day of one period to the first day of the next).
How menstruation works - Emma Bryce
Why can't we talk about periods? | Jen Gunter
