WHAT IS MENSTRUATION (PERIOD)?
Menstruation (also known as a period) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of hormones. Menstruation is triggered by falling progesterone levels and is a sign that pregnancy has not occurred.
WHEN DO MENSTRUATION (PERIOD) START?
Girls start menstruating at the average age of 12. However, girls can begin menstruating as early as 8 years of age or as late as 16 years of age. Women stop menstruating at menopause, which occurs at about the age of 51. At menopause, a woman stops producing eggs (stops ovulating). Menopause is defined as one year without periods, and after this time a woman can no longer become pregnant.
MENSTRUAL CYCLE.
The average length of the menstrual cycle is 28–29 days, but this can vary between women and from one cycle to the next. The length of your menstrual cycle is calculated from the first day of your period to the day before your next period starts.
Girls get their first period (menarche), on average, between the ages of 11 and 14 years. By this stage, other sexual characteristics have developed, such as pubic hair and budding breasts.
WHAT ARE THE FOUR MAIN PHASE OF MENSTRUAL PERIOD CYCLE?
The menstrual period cycle which progresses in four main phase :
MENSTRUATION.
During this phase, a menstrual fluid consisting of blood, mucus, and the cells of the uterine lining is eliminated through the vaginal opening. This is your period. It can last anywhere between 2 to 7 days.
THE FOLLICULAR PHASE.
The follicular phase of your menstrual cycle begins from the first day of your period and lasts up until ovulation. In the course of this phase, oestrogen levels rise, and the ovaries prepare for the release of an egg for possible fertilization.
The follicular phase also stimulates the phase where the uterine lining begins to build again.
OVULATION.
In this phase, ovaries release the egg. It travels through the fallopian tubes and implants itself into the lining along the walls of your uterus. This phase usually occurs around two weeks prior to your periods. During this process, the oestrogen level peaks and drops just shortly after. The typical life span of this egg is about 24 hours. Unless it is fertilised by a sperm cell during this window, it dies and is shed along with the uterine lining.
THE LUTEAL PHASE.
The phase that occurs between ovulation and the first day of your period is called the luteal phase. This phase sees a rise in the level of progesterone, required to maintain the thickness of the uterine lining to nurture the fertilised egg. Now, if during that time, pregnancy does not occur, progesterone levels drop. This causes the uterine lining to break down and shed away, along with other menstrual fluid.
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