The menstrual cycle is a phrase familiar to, perhaps, every woman. But not everyone understands what this cycle is, how it should be calculated and why. Let's look at this issue.

The menstrual cycle is not quite correct definition, it would be more correct to say - monthly or menstrual cycle. Its definition is simple - this is the period of time from the first day last menstrual period until the first day of the next one. Attention - the cycle is not counted from the end of menstruation, but from the first day! Average duration menstrual cycle - 28-35 days. If menstruation begins more often than every 21 days, or less frequently - than once every 35 days - this is no longer the norm. If pathologies are not identified through tests and examinations, some minor, most likely temporary, circumstances are to blame for cycle disturbances. To normalize your menstrual cycle, your doctor may recommend drinking it for 3-4 months. oral contraceptives, of course, if the woman has no contraindications to them.

The vast majority of women planning a pregnancy know how to count their menstrual cycle. After all, having this knowledge, you can calculate the most favorable day for conception - the day of ovulation. In addition, knowledge of how to calculate the menstrual cycle is necessary for women being treated for infertility. They regularly provide all information regarding their cycle to the doctor. This is required for appointment proper treatment, as well as to monitor its (treatment) results.

What does a disruption in the menstrual cycle indicate? Sometimes this is considered normal, and sometimes - pathology. For clarity, we give examples. Menstrual irregularities are normal:

1. when establishing a cycle in teenage girls (within 2 years after menarche);

2. after childbirth (especially if the woman is breastfeeding);

3. upon the onset of menopause (hormonal levels change).

Abnormal, but often there are irregular periods after abortion (hormonal imbalance occurs). Menstruation may completely disappear with sudden and significant weight loss (menstruation stops due to a lack of estrogen caused by excessive weight loss). A menstrual cycle of 40 days or more occurs in women suffering from hyperprolactinemia (increased production of the hormone prolactin). Uncontrolled reception medicines also rarely passes without a trace. And these are not all the reasons that lead to malfunctions in the female body.

Menstruation is a cyclical phenomenon, and therefore the intervals between each menstruation should be approximately the same number of days. U different women the cycle is different as it is defined individual characteristics body, heredity, the presence or absence of diseases and even the lifestyle that a woman leads. But there is a certain norm within which the cycle must be. Using it, you can determine whether there are violations, and if they appear, promptly apply for medical care for diagnosis and treatment.

Cycle indicators: what is normal and what is not

Medical indicators of cycle duration and each of its components are defined as the norm:

• 21-35 days of interval between menstruation, in which the days from the beginning of menstruation to the first day of the next discharge are taken into account;
• 2-5 days is the usual duration of menstruation, which usually subsides in the last days;
• 20-60 ml of discharge is the usual daily volume of blood loss, which requires 3-4 pads with maximum number“droplets” marking its capacity.

Disorders of the menstrual cycle are the following:

• There is a period of 30-35 days between periods, the interval tends to change regularly.
• The interval is reduced to 19-21 days.
• The discharge lasts on the 6th - 7th day, and the interval between them is also disturbed.
• There is blood loss of more than 80-100 ml of secretions per day.

If such deviations are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor. Perhaps, if the deviation is small, it is just a feature of the woman’s body, unhealthy heredity. But sometimes a delay in menstruation, an increased or decreased interval between periods, a long break is the first syndrome serious illness posing a danger to women's health.

How many days of delay must pass for this to be a serious reason to see a doctor? Although a delay of 5 days is normal, the accompanying factors should be taken into account. Brown spotting with pungent odor, appearing on menstruation days are not the norm. They are also not the norm painful sensations in the lower abdomen, no matter how many days of delay have passed.

If the cycle is broken

Cycle disturbances occur during puberty and during menopause, when a woman’s body gains and loses the ability to conceive and give birth to a child. In other cases, deviations from the norm may be symptoms of the following gynecological diseases:

• Inflammation of the appendages;
• Polyps in the uterine area;
• Endometriosis;
• Development of a cyst on the ovaries;
• Ectopic pregnancy;
• Cancer of the cervix or uterine body;
• Ovarian cancer;
• Oncological diseases of organs adjacent to the uterus and ovaries;
• Cervical fibroids.

Any of these ailments is a serious threat to the health and life of a woman, and therefore their timely detection is very important.

When cycle irregularities are normal

The interval between menstruation can arbitrarily increase or (less often) decrease at the ages of 11-16 and 40-60 years.

In the first case, cycle disruption is associated with puberty and does not require any treatment.

Puberty occurs differently for each girl; most teenagers have their first period at 12-14 years of age, but differences are possible. Over the course of 2 years, the formation of the cycle occurs - at this time, periods can be irregular, and the interval between them is sometimes even six months.

Similar processes are observed in almost a third of girls and are the norm. After the formation period, the cycle improves, and if disturbances occur later, they can no longer be attributed to teenage problems: you need to go to the doctor.

Consultation with a pediatrician, gynecologist, endocrinologist and other specialists may also be necessary if a teenage girl discovers developmental abnormalities during puberty. They may be:

• Abnormal thinness (anorexia);
• Obesity, speed dial weight;
• The appearance of hair on the cheeks, chin, chest, thighs; "moustache" above the upper lip.

Any of these symptoms indicates a hormonal imbalance in the body and requires medical supervision.

Menopausal changes in the body, when a woman loses her reproductive function, are also accompanied by menstrual irregularities. Menopause occurs in women over 40, the time of its onset varies depending on the age, usually between 45 and 55 years. Sometimes it is possible to manifest early menopause(40-42 years old) or his late arrival (after 60 years old).

Over a certain period (usually from 2 to 5 years), the body is completely rebuilt, it stops producing eggs, and ovulation gradually disappears. The number of days between periods gradually increases, and at the end of menopause they disappear completely. Only rare and scanty discharge, but cycle disruptions with heavy discharge, brown lumps of blood and other abnormalities should cause concern.

Cycle disorders

Gynecologists distinguish several types of menstrual cycle disorders, which differ from each other and require separate treatment for each specific case.

• Amenorrhea is the absence of periods in a sexually mature woman who should have them.
• Opsomenorrhea and bradymenorrhea are rare periods, which are characterized by lengthening the interval between the cycle to 40-60 days.
• Spaniomenorea is an unusual cycle that involves menstruation only 1 to 3 times a year.
• Tachymenorrhea is a shortened cycle when the period between menstruation is only 10 to 15 days.

The seriousness of these disorders, their causes, consequences, and most importantly, treatment is prescribed by a gynecologist. Sometimes an examination by an endocrinologist may also be required.

Women's health is a very fragile mechanism in which it is easy to provoke a breakdown, and therefore you should treat your health with special attention.

The female body - great mystery! And like inexplicable events in nature, changes in the phases of the moon, a woman’s life also changes. Many scientists have noticed that the cyclical nature of the heavenly body is reflected in a girl’s menstrual cycle. But sometimes there are storms, and a woman’s health is susceptible to changes from the outside and disturbances occur in the body, which can bring a lot of inconvenience to a woman’s life, and most importantly, deprive her of the opportunity to experience the joy of motherhood!

Let's figure out what a normal menstrual cycle is

Regular menstrual cycle is a sign of health female body.

This is a cyclical, monthly period in everyone's life. healthy woman, except for the period of pregnancy and breastfeeding, starting from the first day of the appearance of bleeding (menstruation) and until the first day of the next menstruation. Normally, this period ranges from 21 to 35 days, plus or minus 3 days. If the cycle is shorter or longer, then we can already talk about pathology and sound the alarm. The menstrual cycle plays a huge role in a woman’s reproductive function and is necessary for the ability to fertilize, bear and give birth to children.

A girl becomes a girl with the onset of her first period (menarche), which usually begins between 11 and 14 years of age. They may be irregular at first, but after a couple of years the cycle becomes established. And throughout life it is stable, until the period of premenopause, somewhere around 40–50 years.

From birth, a girl’s ovaries contain up to 2 million follicles; by the beginning of menarche, there are up to 400 thousand of them left. One menstrual cycle “uses” one ripening follicle to release an egg.

Cyclic changes normally in women have a two-phase cycle and are clearly controlled by the hormonal mechanism of influence of the endocrine glands.

Normal parameters of the menstrual cycle:

• The duration of the cycle is from 21 to 35 days. On average 28 days.
• The duration of menstruation is from 2 to 7 days. On average 5 days.
• Conditional blood loss is from 40 to 60 ml. On average 50 ml.

Cycle phases

• The first phase, or follicular. During this period, the follicle grows and matures in the ovaries under the influence of hormones from the pituitary gland and hypothalamus (follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH). An egg is released from a mature follicle during ovulation (the middle of the menstrual cycle), ready for fertilization.
• The second phase, or luteal. During this phase, again under the influence of brain hormones (luteinizing hormone or LH), the corpus luteum matures, releasing the follicle egg. If, nevertheless, pregnancy occurs during ovulation, then from this follicle a corpus luteum pregnancy, producing progesterone up to 16 weeks, the high level of which helps maintain pregnancy. And at 16 weeks, the placenta takes over this function.

Parallel to the ovaries, cyclic hormonal influence The endometrium in the uterus is also affected.

The endometrium, as is known, consists of several layers, the superficial layers are represented by the functional and intermediate layers. The basal layer is not rejected during menstruation, but ensures the restoration of the rejected layers. The intermediate one, being rejected, comes out in the form of menstruation.

Cyclic changes in the endometrium are distinguished in the form of the following phases:

• Proliferation (follicular phase). The active hormone in this phase is estrogen. It lasts from the 5th day of the cycle for 12–14 days. During this period it grows surface layer endometrium with tubular glands up to 8 mm thick.
• Secretion (luteal phase). During this phase, both progesterone and estrogen levels increase and lasts approximately 14 days. During this period, the tubular glands begin to produce secretions, the peak of which is reached on the 21st day of the cycle. Blood flow to the endometrial arteries increases on the 22nd day of the cycle, creating favorable conditions for zygote implantation.
• Menstruation. When pregnancy does not occur, due to the low amount of hormones produced by the ovary, blood supply to the endometrium decreases, blood clots and spasms form in the vessels, and then their sharp expansion leads to endometrial rejection. This is observed by the 24th–27th day of the cycle. Menstruation itself consists of the following phases:

1. Desquamation (rejection of the functional layer).
2. Regeneration (healing of the functional layer). This phase begins immediately after the endometrial intermediate layer is shed. The basis for this, as mentioned above, is the basal layer. And on the 4th day, epithelization of the entire surface of the endometrium occurs after its rejection.

Continuous cyclical process of friendly reproductive organs– glands, ovaries and endometrium, throughout the entire menstrual cycle promotes maturation, release of the egg from the ovary and its fertilization, attachment to the already prepared endometrium (thanks to a two-phase cycle) and further development and maintenance of pregnancy, largely by ovarian hormones. If fertilization does not occur, then the functional layer (necessary during pregnancy for the embryo to attach to it and ensure its vital activity) is rejected in the form of menstruation.

The process of regulation of the cyclic process is carried out neuroendocrine system through direct and feedback between hormones, i.e. when some hormones decrease, others increase and vice versa. There is the following hierarchy of levels of regulation of the menstrual cycle:

1. The first level is the cerebral cortex, limbic system, hippocampus and amygdala. Influence top level depends on its initial state, action external factors. Therefore, menstrual irregularities often depend on mental state women, and sometimes you can observe a delay in menstruation after suffering stress.
2. The second level is the hypothalamus. It is influenced by the feedback principle of sex hormones coming from the blood.
3. The third level is the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, which produces LH and FSH, prolactin, adenocorticotropic and thyroid-stimulating hormones.
4. The fourth level is the ovaries, thyroid and adrenal glands.
5. The fifth level is sensitive to the action of hormones (uterus, endometrium and mammary gland).

But, unfortunately, not all women have a regular menstrual cycle and work like a clock. All violations are divided into the following categories:

• Irregularity of the cycle.
• Pain when releasing menstrual blood.

Reasons why the menstrual cycle is disrupted

• Impact on the body from the outside - stress, overwork, malnutrition, change of place of residence and climate.
• Internal factors – accompanying illnesses(pathology of the ovaries, central nervous system, adrenal glands, endometrial diseases, curettage of the uterine cavity and abortions, liver diseases, impaired hemostasis, etc.).
• Under the influence medicinal substances(hormones, anticoagulants, drugs used in psychiatry, etc.).

Types of menstrual irregularities

Algomenorrhea, or painful menstruation, is often not the norm, but one of the types of menstrual cycle disorders.

Menorrhagia (hypermenstrual syndrome)– cyclic heavy menstruation. It in turn is divided into:

• Polymenorrhea – prolonged bleeding, occurring cyclically with an interval of less than 21 days.
• Proyomenorrhea – increased menstruation.
• Hypermenorrhea – a large number of menstrual flow.

Hypomenstrual syndrome– external manifestation of decreased menstruation:

• Hypomenorrhea – scanty menstrual flow.
• Oligomenorrhea – duration of menstruation up to 2 days.
• Opsomenorea is an interval between menstruation of more than 5–8 weeks.
• Spaniomenorea - mensis is observed up to 2-4 times a year.
• Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation for more than 6 months.

• – bleeding that began a year or more after the cessation of menstruation in older women.
• Metrorrhagia is acyclic bleeding that is not accompanied by endometrial rejection.
• Intermenstrual bleeding – occurs between periods.
• Algodismenorrhea – painful menstruation.
• Juvenile bleeding – profuse bloody issues in teenage girls.

Treatment of menstrual disorders

After full examination women, including collection of anamnesis, detailed general and gynecological examination, performing ultrasound, taking smears, clinical and biochemical analysis blood, coagulograms, hormonal examination, hysteroscopy, and sometimes MRI, you can begin treatment.

1. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the influence of external factors.
2. Treatment of concomitant diseases.
3. Hemostatic therapy is provided for bleeding.
4. Surgical treatment (curettage of the uterine cavity, removal of the uterus).
5. Hormonal therapy. Combined oral contraceptives, gestagens, and GnRH agonists are used.

Self-medication is extremely unacceptable! This is dangerous for a woman's life. If menstrual irregularities occur, you should seek help from medical institution, because delay can lead to inflammation in mild cases, endocrine disorders, infertility, and in extreme cases - to fatal outcome. Take care of yourself and your health - it is priceless!

Women's periods are external manifestation complex physiological process, the result of a sequence of events accompanied by cyclical changes in organism.

The main participants in this process are: the hypothalamus, the anterior part of the pituitary gland, the ovaries and the endometrium.

It is through their coordinated work that a normal menstrual cycle is formed and the regularity of menstruation is determined.

• Show all

  1. What is the menstrual cycle?

  One menstrual cycle- this is the period of time between the first days of two consecutive periods. He is considered in calendar days, that is, the first day of the cycle is the day the menstruation begins.

  A long delay in the onset of menstruation may be a sign of pregnancy.

  Failures can occur during puberty in teenage girls, when changing climatic conditions, V postpartum period, and also during breastfeeding.

  4. Normal discharge during menstruation

  Homogeneous red discharge is considered normal. Normally, small clots may be found in them, representing the surface layer of the endometrium.

  In the first days, a change in the shade of the discharge is allowed - from pale pink to brown. This is due to the fact that the total blood volume is still insignificant, and the discharge changes under the influence of microflora.

  We should be wary copious discharge heterogeneous consistency, with pronounced unpleasant smell, large clots or scarlet blood, when 1 pad or 1 tampon is not enough for 2 hours.

  This may be due to:

  1. 1 Hormonal imbalance.
  2. 2 Termination of pregnancy.
  3. 3 Infection.
  4. 4 Myoma.
  5. 5 Endometriosis.
  6. 6 Pathologies thyroid gland, pituitary gland, adrenal glands and other endocrine diseases.

  A summary table of the phases will help determine the time when it is easiest to get pregnant and get an idea of ​​the health of the reproductive system.

The whole life of a woman from 13 to 55 years old is cyclical. We can talk about the superiority of the mind over the body. But the consciousness of a girl and a woman is influenced by her menstrual cycle. Many will exclaim - how and why?

No, in no way does it say that the menstrual cycle reduces or increases mental capacity. But menstruation has a strong influence on your overall outlook.

Menstruation - why, how and for what?

Many thousands of years ago, a mammal decided to evolve into Homo sapiens.

To do this, the female needed to give birth to offspring with more developed brain. And this increased the period of bearing and caring for the offspring. The body had to be rebuilt in such a way as to be ready for pregnancy not 2 times a year, like other mammals, but all year round. This is how nature invented a short menstrual cycle.

During the first half of the month, women prepare the inner layer of the uterus to receive a fertilized egg. The endometrium is filled with blood so that after attachment the embryo immediately receives all the necessary nutrients.

On days 12–14, under favorable circumstances, conception should occur. If conception does not occur, then you need to get rid of the swollen endometrium. This is where menstrual bleeding begins.

Normal menstrual cycle - how many days are these and how to calculate correctly?

This is considered to be a minimum of 21 days and a maximum of 35 days between bleeding.

When should you start counting your menstrual cycle? The answer is simple - from the first day of bleeding until the first day of the next period. If the calculated value is less than 21 and more than 35 days, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

But not everything is so sad! There are situations when you should not pay attention to the cherished few days of the cycle. So, when you need not rush to conclusions:

• adolescence. Young girls begin their periods between the ages of 11 and 14. For 2 years after the first bleeding, the menstrual cycle may fluctuate.
• in women after childbirth and during lactation. The body needs to recover after childbirth and focus on feeding the offspring. And questions of reproduction can be postponed for a while. Therefore, the cycle does not begin at the usual time.
• during menopause . At this time they begin hormonal changes, which take over the entire body. Reproductive function fades away. The menstrual cycle may be disrupted after termination of pregnancy, with hormonal imbalances. These conditions require correction and treatment.

What should you pay attention to?

But women are concerned about one more question. How many days does a normal period last?

Normal menstruation lasts from 3 to 7 days with an average blood loss of no more than 80 ml per cycle. Usually, during the first 2 days the discharge will be more abundant.

Why these complex calculations?

Does it matter what day your period starts?

1. For women, this is control over their own health. If menstruation occurs within the time frame established by nature, this means that the hormonal, vegetative and central nervous system works fine.
2. For a long time this was practically the only method of protection. In the Soviet past, women had only one method of contraception - calculating which day would be relatively safe for intimacy.
3. Ovulation tracking. For women who are planning a pregnancy, cycle counting is the simplest way to calculate the day on which the egg will be released from the ovary.

In any case, every girl should know the duration of her menstrual cycle. This is an indicator of a woman's health. If any problems occur, you should definitely consult a doctor.