Author- Anika Singh
Editor- Navya Om Agnihotri
Periods form an integral part of most women's lives for many years. Unfortunately, cramps, bloating, breast soreness, mood swings, and irregular bleeding may all have a detrimental influence on their quality of life.
Your menstrual cycle and periods vary and evolve over time owing to natural age-related hormonal changes as well as other variables such as stress, lifestyle, medicines, and some medical conditions.
Your period significantly changes over the decades. Here's what you could experience:
1. Adolescence/Menarche- First Menstrual Cycle
Although there is no way to predict when a girl will have her first menstrual period, the median age throughout the world is between 12-13 years, and it usually occurs 1.5-3 years after the breasts begin to develop.
Menstruation may be irregular initially, with periods lasting up to 6 months. The majority of cycles last 21-45 days, however shorter or longer periods may also occur. By the third year, most menstrual cycles resemble those of an adult woman, lasting 21-34 days (28 days on average), with each period lasting 2-7 days.
2. Later Teens/20s
In your twenties, your periods stop being irregular, unpredictable, and abrupt like they were in your adolescence. We either learn how to regulate them or, to put it another way, it's because you did not ovulate very consistently in your adolescence.
But with regular periods comes the disadvantage of PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) symptoms, which can worsen with time. You may experience common premenstrual symptoms such as breast soreness, stomach cramps and headache among others.
Another significant menstrual development that occurs in your twenties is the introduction of birth control. This is the decade in which many women opt to begin using hormonal contraception. Going on the pill will almost certainly cause alterations in your normal flow. Consider lighter and more consistent periods, less cramps, and fewer PMS symptoms.
In fact, the pill (or another method of hormonal contraception, the birth control shot) might cause your periods to stop completely. Birth control medications suppress ovulation, and without ovulation, there is no uterine lining accumulation to shed.
Voila! There is no flow.
In our twenties, we discover how internal (hello, birth control!) and external (stress!) environmental variables affect our cycle, and then we experiment with a variety of largely educated-guess treatments.
Follow us on Instagram and keep yourselves updated on content related to Women Well-Being and Menstrual Education.
3. Your 30s
In this decade, your menstrual cycle should be quite regular and consistent. Some benign disorders, such as fibroids and polyps of the endometrium or cervix, might emerge in your 30s. These disorders can sometimes cause your period to be heavier and produce severe cramps, or you may suffer intermenstrual bleeding.
Your cycle might vary after having a baby during your reproductive lifetime (teens to 40s). Your period will generally return 6 weeks after birth, and if you're nursing, it may not return until you quit, even if you've been doing so for a year or more. Some women's periods get heavier, longer, or more painful after delivering a baby, while others' periods improve.
4. 40s/Perimenopause
The quantity of estrogen generated by the ovaries may begin to vary in your 40s, and you may not ovulate as frequently. Perimenopause refers to the years preceding menopause. Perimenopause can continue anywhere from a few months to over ten years before your last menstrual cycle.
The most frequent perimenopausal symptom is a change in your menstrual cycle. You may experience longer, shorter, heavier, or lighter periods than normal, or you may begin to skip periods. Hot flashes, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, urinary problems, and mood disturbances are also possible.
5. 50s/Menopause Stage
Menopause is experienced by the majority of women in their 50s. The average age of menopause is 51, with a typical range of 45-55. Other factors that might influence the age of menopause include the number of children you have (women with more children likely to have later menopause), smoking (which can cause menopause sooner), and ethnicity.
Notify your doctor immediately if you develop bleeding after menopause. It might be an indication of something more serious that will require immediate attention.
Have any queries about Menopause? How to cope with it? How to deal with this different phase? Worry not! Head over to our YouTube Channel and watch renowned Gynaecologist & Obstetrician, Dr. Sheetal Agrawal simplifying Menopause for you all.
Your period is an excellent sign of what is going on with your body and general health.
Although your menstrual cycle might alter over time, notify your doctor if you experience any of the following potentially dangerous symptoms:
Pelvic Discomfort or Abdominal Pain
Constant discomfort might be an indication of uterine fibroids or endometriosis. Sharp pelvic pain might indicate an infection, burst ovarian cyst, or ectopic pregnancy.
Bleeding Between Menstrual Periods
Occasional spotting is normal, but notify your doctor if your mid-month spotting persists, lasts for days, or is heavy and uncomfortable. It might indicate a vaginal injury, a miscarriage, or even cancer.
Heavy Menstrual Periods or Missed Menstrual Periods
Notify your doctor if you notice any unexpected changes in your cycle, such as extremely heavy periods (requiring you to change your pad/tampon every hour) or bleeding that lasts more than a week. Irregular or missing periods are common at times, but they might also signal a medical problem that needs to be treated.
Bleeding After Menopause
If you begin bleeding after menopause, you should see your doctor since it might be a sign of gynecologic cancer, such as cervical or endometrial cancer.
Don't worry, keep tabs on these symptoms. The earlier you diagnose them, the better it is! Remember, precaution is better than cure!
Your period changes as you progress and adapt through the stages of womanhood. Doctors have an unspoken rule that a woman's period tends to alter throughout the years. Our cycle is frequently a sign of what's happening on in our health and life, and there are numerous shifts between your twenties, thirties, and forties. So be ready for the journey ahead!! Good Luck & Happy Periods! <3
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