Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Menstrual conditions/ Irregularities

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Menstrual conditions/ Irregularities

What is menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle begins when the level of estrogen start to rise. At certain point, the brain stimulates hypothalamus to produce Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to produce the Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), leading to initiating the growth and recruitment of immature Ovarian follicles in the ovary. At its peak, the pituitary gland switch to produce luteinizing hormone (LH), the FSH starts to decline which stimulates the mature of follicle and the production of estradiol and thickening the uterus lining as well as promoting friendly cervical mucus, triggering ovulation, resulting in extruding egg from the ovary into the Fallopian tube and initiating the conversion of the residual follicle into a corpus luteum, the corpus luteum takes over the process, by producing progesterone in preparing the uterus lining for a possible egg implantation. If pregnancy does not occur, hormone levels plumped, and the thickened uterus limning is shed through the vaginal canal.
There are many thing involved to make the cycle regularly, but unfortunately any disruption may cause irregular menstruation and sometimes interferes the natural process of fertility.

Understand your menstrual cycle
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining. It is normal to the reproductive system of women and happens on a regular basis. Normal menstruation happens around 3 to 7 days. During the monthly menstrual cycle, female sex hormones prepare the uterus to support a pregnancy. If pregnancy happens (remember do not drink more than one cup of wine a day, over dose of alcohol will drain the vital folic acid that is essential for fetus nourishment. Lack of folic acid may cause birth defect) menstruation will be suspended until given birth to a child, abortion, or miscarriage. Otherwise, the uterine lining sheds and menstrual blood, tissues, fluid and mucus leave the body through the vagina caused by natural reactions in the female reproductive system due to high levels of certain hormones.
a) Estrogen
Estrogen helps to promote the development and maintenance of female reproductive structures and prepares the follicle for the release of an egg.

b) Progesterone
It helps to prepare the womb lining for the implantation of an egg if pregnancy takes place, milk production occurs.

c) Follicle-stimulating hormone
Produced by the purity gland. Besides regulating the development, growth, maturation and reproductive processes of the female body it also helps to stimulate the growth of immature follicles to maturation resulting in ripening of an egg.

d) Luteinizing hormone
The mature follicles ripen over a period of about seven days and releases more estrogen into the bloodstream stimulating the hypothalamus (a gland in the brain responsible for regulating thirst, hunger, sleep patterns, libido, and other endocrine functions) to releaseluteinizing hormones that help to trigger the process in the menstrual cycle by discharging a maturity of follicles most commonly known as an egg resulting in the last stage of the menstrual cycle. Some people may suggest that sex during menstruation will stimulate the production of certain hormone, thereby helping reduce some of the menstrual cramps.
According to Chinese herbalist, sex during menstruation not only may cause prolong bleeding and sometime infection to the female but also causes the inflammation of your partner reproductive organ and chronic disease later on. Because of a surge of hormones during the menstrual cycle, some women may experience a variety of sensations before, during, or after their menses such as:
a) Complaints of pain in the inner thighs
b) Bloating and nausea
c) Mood change
d) Constipation
e) Breast tenderness
f) Irritability
g) Stress
And during menstruation:
a) Uterine cramping
b) Abdominal pain
c) Emotional sensitivity
d) Depression
Let's assume the menstrual cycle has a 4 weeks period. If you look closer at the cycle, you can see the 2 and 3 weeks are easier for conception than the others.

Menstrual conditions/irregularities are common disorders of a woman's reproductive organs and most women have been affected sometimes during their reproductive years. In TCM, menstrual irregularity is hindered of something wrong within the women body caused by some micro change, that can not be detected, if left untreated, it can many types of diease including infertility.

Types of menstrual irregularity
1.Amenorrhea
Amenorrhea is defined as a condition of delay of menstruation.
There are 2 types of amenrrhea:
a. Primary amenorrhea
Primary amenorrhea is defined as no period by age 16 and
b. Secondary amenorrhea
Secondary amenorrhea is defined as period beginning at the appropriate age, but later stops for more than 3 cycles or 6 months.Women who have a delay of period used to think that may be pregnant. In fact, there are many reasons of amenorrhea. In this article, we will discuss causes and symptoms of primary amenorrhea.

2. Dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual periods)
Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) means that women have periodic pains during or prior to, or after menstrual periods in the lower abdomen caused by disruption within the uterus contraction as a resulting of excess prostaglandins.

3. Menorrhagia
Menorrhagia is an abnormally heavy and prolonged menstrual period with excessive menstrual bleeding lasting longer than 7 days or blood loss exceeding 80 ml caused by abnormal blood clotting, disruption of normal hormonal regulation of periods, or disorders of the endometrial lining of the uterus.

4. Fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding
Fibroids are benign tumors that originate from muscle tissue adhering to either the inner or outer uterine wall as a resulting of varied estrogen levels in the women's body caused by unhealthy diet, prolong menstruation, emotional distress, physical inactive and abortion.

5. Premenstrual syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome is referred to symptoms occurring between ovulation and the beginning of menstruation that causes bloating, cramps, fluid retention, breast tenderness, sugar craving and many others such as anxiety, and mood swing as a resulting of excess estrogen that interrupts with liver function.

6. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
The severe case of premenstrual syndrome that affects approximate 3% to 8% of women in the US alone. It can interfere with a woman's function, ability, and social or occupational life. Women having a history of major depression, anger or mood disorders are at higher risk for PMDD than other women as resulting of abnormal response to normal hormone levels.

7. Oligomenorrhea
Oligomenorrhea refers as infrequent menstruation. Women with oligomenorrhera have period with interval over 35 days and only 4 9 period a year.

8. Polymenorrhea
Polymenorrhea refers to menstrual cycle of less the 21 days after last menstrual cycle. Women with polymenorrhea has more than 12 period a year.

9. Irregulars period
Irrgular menstrution refers to the abnormal variation in length of menstrual cycles of a woman. Women with irregular menstruation may experience cycle length variations of more than four days between the shortest and longest cycle lengths with no clue to approximate when the next menstrual menstruation will occur.

10. Spotting
Spotting refers to the abnormal vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods when a woman is not expecting to such as before age 10, when you are pregnant, after menopause or between period of a productive age woman.

11. Etc.