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The day comes, the hour comes, and you experience quite unpleasant, but inevitable periods - menstruation. Someone endures them calmly, someone painfully. However, there is hardly a granddaughter of Eve who can confidently say that she knows everything about the menstrual process. And if there is one, let him check his knowledge. He probably shares at least one of the common misconceptions in this regard. Judge for yourself.

Can I have sex during my period?

Many women, and men, are also interested in the question of whether it is possible to have sex during menstruation. It would not be entirely correct to speak unequivocally about the dangers of intimate life, in principle, during menstruation, a woman is more susceptible to various infections. At the same time, the risk is not so great that it cannot be negated. modern means barrier contraception.

The question of whether to have sex during menstruation or not lies entirely in the realm of the desires of the woman herself. Some during menstruation do not even want to think about any kind of intimacy, while others, on the contrary, increase libido.

However, it is worth dispelling the common misconception that having sex during menstruation, the probability of getting pregnant is zero. The fact is that male sperm is able to remain viable in the female body for up to three days, so even during menstruation, contraceptives should be used as usual.

Periods in early pregnancy

It is believed that menstruation early dates pregnancies often continue. During pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, there may be some bleeding. However, this is not menstruation in the usual sense of the word, since the maturation of the egg does not occur. (Otherwise, a woman could become pregnant again without even giving birth to her first child...)

Slight bleeding may signal that a fertilized egg has implanted in the uterus. In this case, there is no reason to worry. However, if bleeding continues for a long time and especially if it is accompanied by pain and muscle contractions in the lower abdomen, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is possible that an ectopic pregnancy develops, and delay can be costly.

Painful periods, what to do?

Many women who experience pain during their period find that painful periods cannot be treated.

Severe pain during menstruation is very common, especially in young girls. Moreover, periodically this trouble can happen to a woman of any age. Prolonged pulling pain in the lower abdomen is sometimes accompanied by involuntary contractions of the muscles of the uterus. Sometimes there is a headache, nausea.

Fortunately, unlike their grandmothers, modern women can cope with painful periods quite well. There are many medicines, allowing not only to dull discomfort, but also in some cases to get rid of the causes that cause them. Naturally, the choice of the drug is up to the gynecologist.

If it is not a serious illness, the doctor will usually prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs or those containing the hormone progesterone. May prescribe so-called anti-prostaglandin drugs that prevent uterine muscle cramps - very effective if taken immediately after the onset of pain. Some women take such drugs without even waiting for the onset of menstruation, a day or two before it.

What to do with painful periods? Relaxing exercises and light massage can reduce the chance of uterine contractions. (Your doctor will recommend specific exercises.) From natural remedies- evening primrose oil in capsules (one per night), warm short baths at night. There is also a "grandmother's" remedy: a warm heating pad, which is applied to the lower abdomen.

For those who are worried about painful periods, I want to recommend the collection of herbs. It has been used in our family for a long time, it passes from mother to daughter. You need to take valerian root, mint leaf and chamomile flowers, mix them in a ratio of 1:1:2 and pour a glass of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes in a warm place, then strain. Take this tincture on "sick days" 2 tablespoons 3 times a day after meals. It helps better than any panadol, believe me!

Is it possible to play sports, physical education during menstruation?

Some girls think that doing sports, physical education during menstruation is not the best thing. best time. There is only one limitation on sports, as well as regular morning exercises - your well-being and desire. However, many women at this time are not up to it: they feel in the best way, irritated, get tired faster.

However, once in a while it is not necessary. But although there are no categorical contraindications, it is worth remembering that increased physical activity during menstruation can cause convulsive muscle contractions and increased bleeding.

Is it possible to take a bath during menstruation and swim?

Many people think that swimming and taking a bath during menstruation is impossible. Regardless of what our grandmothers and great-grandmothers thought about this, you can swim or bathe as much as your darling wants. What's more, some women find that these exercises help reduce bleeding.

Of course, bathing or swimming by itself is just as effective for treating excessively heavy or painful periods as it is for myopia. It's not about bathing, it's about the temperature of the water. Hot promotes increased blood circulation, which means more copious excretion blood. It also helps to relax the muscles, which reduces pain. Therefore, there are no medical contraindications, and the only limitation is your personal well-being.

Of course, you should not swim in natural reservoirs, since the water in them is rarely clean.

Causes of missed periods other than pregnancy

There is a misconception that a delay in menstruation always signals pregnancy. Pregnancy, of course, leads to the cessation of menstruation. But there are many exceptions to this. The following are possible causes of missed periods other than pregnancy:

Stress, disease, taking hormonal drugs, severe fatigue or emotional trauma - any of these reasons can cause a delay and even cessation of menstruation. Intensive weight loss (especially if it is not caused by medical indications, but the pursuit of fashion), active sports should also not be discounted: the presence of a certain amount of body fat is necessary for the normal maturation of the egg and ovulation.

Menstruation after hormonal pills

There is an opinion that taking hormonal pills does not affect bleeding and the duration of menstruation.

In women who do not protect themselves, the egg cell is, so to speak, in a state of waiting for a long time. For those who use hormonal contraceptives, the body receives a false signal about an alleged pregnancy. Therefore, the process of producing new “capable” eggs is suspended. Naturally, ovulation does not occur either, due to which the duration and intensity of menstruation after hormonal pills are significantly reduced. If a woman stops regular intake pills, the body returns to its original state. However, this takes some time. The scarcity of menstruation for the first month or two after stopping oral contraceptives is called “residual bleeding”.

Despite the small amount of discharge, this is the most common menstrual blood.

The next opinion is that taking hormonal contraceptives does not help establish the regularity of the cycle.

Hormonal pills for regulation menstrual cycle often prescribed to women suffering from a violation of the regularity of the cycle. As practice shows, in many cases the only way to make the body work like clockwork is to take hormonal contraceptives on a strict schedule - in this case, an artificial cycle is formed, as it were. Gradually, the body adapts to this regimen, and menstruation begins strictly within the framework when a woman takes the appropriate series of pills.

It should be noted that some may begin to bleed slightly if the regularity of taking the pills is disturbed. In this case, you should consult with your gynecologist. He may recommend another drug.

To the gynecologist during menstruation

It is believed that for any violation of the regularity of the cycle, you should immediately contact a gynecologist during menstruation.

It's never bad to consult, but it's not always necessary to panic. In adolescent girls, the first two years after the onset of menstruation and in women in the premenopausal period, a violation of the regularity of menstruation is quite common. In these cases, there is usually no need for medical attention. And in itself, the regularity of menstruation is not yet an accurate indicator of health, so a delay of one or two days usually does not mean anything.

Of course, the irregularity of menstruation can be a rather annoying circumstance, since in this case the only way to establish the highest probability of pregnancy, as well as safe days, is a rectal temperature measurement.

REMEMBER: if an adult and practically healthy woman begins inexplicable and abrupt “jumps”, you should consult a doctor.

Bad mood during menstruation

It is believed that the approach of menstruation always causes mood swings, and usually during menstruation, a bad mood.

Indeed, usually women are very acutely experiencing the approach of menstruation, experiencing bouts of irritability and bad mood. There are several explanations. Experts believe that the culprit for this is the hormone progesterone, the lack of which affects the lowering of blood sugar levels and an increase in the production of adrenaline (the latter is released during a period of strong nervous tension or fear).

However, many doctors believe that the instability of mood during menstruation to a large extent depends on the subjective attitude to this fact of the woman herself. In other words, she feels comfortable (morally and physically) if the menstruation starts on time, and takes it hard when the untimely (including earlier) onset of menstruation makes them an unpleasant “surprise” ...

Weakness during menstruation

Many people think that weakness during menstruation is more difficult to bear if a woman gets tired at work and at home.

This is not entirely true. Rather, it is about replacing the cause with the effect. The point is that it is not physical exercise contribute to the deterioration of well-being during menstruation, and menstruation reduces performance. To a large extent, this is due to the loss of a certain amount of blood - depending on the intensity and duration of menstruation, it ranges from 30-40 to 100 ml or more. With a known assumption, the monthly loss of this amount of blood can be considered the cause of mild anemia, and its consequences - fatigue. By the way, in a woman who has given birth to two or more children, and if she also has abundant menstruation, anemia can be significantly pronounced.

But the intensity of bleeding is not necessarily determined by the menses themselves. Often causes an increase in the intensity and duration of menstruation intrauterine device, especially in the first two or three months after its introduction.

By the way, there are women - and there are many of them - even dissatisfied if a small amount of blood is released during menstruation. According to a widespread misconception, “bad” blood is excreted from the body with menstruation. This, of course, is not so - menstrual blood does not contain any toxic elements, and the specific hormones and secrets present in it do not in any way contribute to the “pollution” of the female body, and as much blood as necessary, so much blood will be released.

The composition of menstruation

There is an opinion that the composition of menstruation is no different from ordinary blood. Although the blood released during menstruation consists for the most part of the same elements as regular blood, there are significant differences.

Firstly, menstruation practically does not coagulate due to the presence in their composition of a special physiological secret secreted by the female body only at the time of menstruation. Thanks to this phenomenon, a mature egg on its way through the fallopian tubes to the uterus does not encounter obstacles from blood clots.

Secondly, the composition of menstruation contains a hormone that causes convulsive contractions of the uterus after an unfertilized egg has entered there, due to which it is brought out in time.

Aspirin during menstruation

There is a misconception that taking aspirin during menstruation and other similar drugs helps to transfer them more easily.

Dangerous delusion! Aspirin and other drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid, especially if taken regularly, thin the blood, which leads to a prolongation of menstruation.

If necessary, to reduce pain, it is better to resort to alternative means. Paracetamol-containing drugs or ibuprofen may be recommended. Their analgesic effect is not inferior to aspirin, and they do not affect the state of the blood.

Hormones often cause you to feel beautiful, joyful, and confident one day, and not even want to look in the mirror the next. Everything annoys you, and it is impossible to determine the reasons for the rage raging inside. We invite you to learn about the power and power that hormones have over you, as well as ways to use this knowledge to your advantage and at the right time.

Menstruation

The first day of menstruation is, at the same time, the first day of the cycle. When menstruation appears, it means that the fertilization of the egg has not occurred, and the uterine mucosa, which has become coarse, ready to receive the fertilized egg, becomes useless. To remove it, the body begins the process of rejection, accompanied by bleeding. During menstruation, the mucous exfoliates and is excreted from the body along with the blood.

During this period, the ovaries begin to produce more estrogen. These hormones restore the lining of the uterus, which will appear at the site removed during menstruation. Due to this, estrogens prepare the uterus for the next cycle. Now your health is improving. In the first days of the period, you may feel pain, but then you return to normal. After menstruation, the body enters the follicular phase. Already another hormone gives impetus to the development of follicles in the ovaries.

During the first two days of your period, you should give yourself time to rest. You may feel weak, so consider saturating your diet with foods containing iron. It could be meat, poultry, fish, or spinach, which will raise your red blood cell count and give you energy. Immediately after your period, your brain works most efficiently - you are inventive, memorize new things without any problems and learn faster. it perfect time for planning important matters or, for example, passing a driving test.

Ovulation

Around the middle of the cycle, ovulation occurs. The hormone that stimulated the formation of the follicle gives the ovaries a signal to produce more estrogen. At this time, one of the follicles ripens there. In order for it to open up and release the egg, the presence of another hormone is necessary - from the pituitary gland.

During ovulation, the girl feels a surge of energy - you are cheerful and optimistic. Your well-being is excellent - no one can be more attractive and more confident than you during this period.

The desire for sex is also growing, this is because this is the best time for pregnancy. The body gives you a signal about the right moment for conception - the egg is ready for fertilization. On such days you are full of strength, courage and persuasiveness.

After ovulation

A few days after ovulation, estrogen levels drop, appearing, in turn, large quantity progesterone. This hormone causes the lining of the uterus to thicken and prepare to receive a fertilized egg. If you don't get pregnant again, your body begins a "big cleaning". A large amount of progesterone and low estrogen levels lead to the approaching premenstrual syndrome.

You feel empty – no desire, no energy. Mood swings and blues appear. We need to get through this difficult time somehow. Now it is better to avoid ambitious tasks, difficult negotiations or meetings that could offend or upset you. This is the time when you want to exaggerate everything - any concern or problem. To improve your mood, you should make an appointment with a hairdresser and beautician, as well as go for a massage, a pool or a sauna.

Before menstruation

You are irritable and have been yelling at everyone since morning. And you yourself feel disgusting and would most willingly stay in bed under the covers. You lack self-confidence, and the feeling of attractiveness has disappeared somewhere. You modify your disappointments and regrets into quarrels with loved ones. The circle is closed.

The pituitary gland reduces the production of its hormones, and the ovaries reduce the production of progesterone and estrogens to a minimum. This happens to prepare the vainly prepared uterine lining for exfoliation.

Your next period will start soon. Most likely, this will lead to the fact that your mood will again deteriorate sharply. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) appears, now you are very touchy, sometimes sad or scandalous. PMS concerns, unfortunately, not only poor physical, but also mental well-being.

Why does my mood change before menstruation?

Premenstrual syndrome for many women is an unbearable period during which the thought appears - menstruation would begin faster. The reason for this is not just a deterioration in well-being before menstruation, but irritability, bad mood, in some cases aggressiveness and rage, which are not so easy to cope with on their own.

Moreover, with age, women who have, note an increase in their intensity - they become more pronounced.

• Irritability during PMS. How to fight?
• What should men do?

Why does the mood change before menstruation?

bad mood in critical days- has long become an occasion for ridicule and anecdotes. The girls themselves joke about it. So what to do? It is not possible to overcome irritability - you need to ridicule it, it makes life easier.

A bad mood before menstruation and during menstruation is the result of physiological fluctuations in the hormonal background in the blood. Analyze your relationship with a man. When do you most often "figure out" relationships, and when do you have nervous breakdowns (big and small)? I can answer you - after, in a good and upbeat. You are ready to “move mountains”, work and bring beauty to the world. It takes only a few days - and everything changes dramatically. The slightest deviation from life plans causes aggression and the point here is not in character, but in hormones. A sharp change in mood and its swings are not observed in all girls.

The period when fluctuations in the state begin is different for everyone. Change vitality can occur a week before critical days, or 2-3 days.

Progesterone - stimulates the growth of the endometrium, preparing the uterus for fertilization. There is pain in the lower abdomen, discomfort, there may be difficulties with the act of defecation. Fluid is retained in the body, weight begins to increase, and the mood deteriorates. There is an increase in appetite.

In the ruptured follicle (in which the egg matured), cells grow that synthesize progesterone.

That is why during menstruation a bad mood. Yes, and menstruation itself is not a pleasant phenomenon. Nevertheless, the beginning of a new cycle - the first day or two eases the condition and the mood begins to level off.

Irritability before menstruation: how to cope and what to do?

Of course, not everyone was lucky enough to have an understanding spouse who can alleviate a nervous condition and overcome irritability during menstruation, protect against "female" troubles and avoid tearfulness.

How to help yourself? First of all, you need to learn how to live with it, as, for example, people with diabetes live. They adapt, they just have a different way of life.

Those who have a disgusting mood with PMS need to take into account:

• Every woman, girl knows the time when she starts having mood swings, so plan all responsible business and decision-making for other days of the cycle. You won’t be able to plan completely, but you will be able to complete some of the important things, avoiding possible conflicts with loved ones and others.
• Admit to yourself (if you haven't already) that your period affects your mood. Tell this to someone you trust. Support doesn't hurt. A person will always treat with understanding and, perhaps, take some of the worries upon himself at “this time”. And you just relax.
• To overcome fatigue and reduce the severity of symptoms of approaching menstruation for a long period, sign up for fitness. Training is a great opportunity to “pour out” aggression on a soulless iron, get a boost of energy and positive emotions, normalize metabolic processes. Regular exercise contributes to the release of “joy” hormones. In tandem with proper nutrition this will help to cope with a bad mood before menstruation. In addition, muscle load helps to get rid of fluid retention in the body.

• Remove “evil” foods from the diet: salt, caffeine, hot spices, pickles and smoked meats. Before menstruation, eat foods high in phytoestrogens: legumes and soy products, meat, fish, milk, flax seeds, red grapes.
• Make an effort to talk to family members. First, they have the right to know what usually happens to you every month. Secondly, you have the right to understanding and support from them.
• Tablets for Have a good mood before menstruation - no. There is dark chocolate containing the "hormone of happiness" - serotonin and or lemon balm, which relieves irritability.

What is a man to do?

Try to accept the fact that a cute and beloved creature is not so cute after all. When they say that girls are hostages of hormones, it's true.

Aggressiveness, irascibility, tearfulness, nervousness, bitchiness are the hallmark of PMS. Therefore, do not let a woman spoil the relationship with you. Critical days are a difficult period, the nervous state of a girl can be transmitted to everyone around her. Pay a little more attention at this time to your beloved - she will appreciate, maybe not immediately, but she will definitely understand and be grateful to you.

Is a conflict brewing? Don't walk away as if you don't notice the change. So you will provoke a new portion of bad mood. Let her know that you are aware of the fact that she is having a hard time right now. If you have kids, go to the park, circus, etc. and leave your woman alone with a chocolate bar on the couch. Let her sleep longer than usual in the morning.

Tips for each case should be individual. Therefore, it is up to you to decide how to enter specific situation and avoid a nervous breakdown.

An unstable emotional state is characteristic of many women at the time of the approach of critical days. At the same time, not every one of them understands why the mood changes during menstruation. Everything is explained quite simply. There is a close relationship between the changes occurring in the body and the state of the emotional background.

Menstruation has been shown to affect mood. This is due. There are two important hormones in a woman's body - progesterone and estrogen. They are directly related to their activities. reproductive system which ensures the formation of the egg, its maturation and fertilization.

An increased concentration of estrogen is observed in the first half of the cycle. This hormone is primarily responsible for appearance: it gives beauty, energy and sexuality. It reaches its maximum at the time of ovulation.

During this period, hormonal changes occur in the body, the concentration of progesterone begins to increase. A woman becomes calm, reasonable, strives for peace. This hormone provides optimal conditions to accommodate a fertilized ovum. Closer to critical days, the amount of progesterone increases significantly - and mood swings are noted in women.

Tearfulness and aggression are observed, which replace each other with lightning speed. An excess of progesterone leads to the fact that the mood before menstruation is unpredictable. The more pronounced at the same time, the worse emotional background.

During critical days, the concentration of hormones decreases, the woman is in a calm state. After menstruation, there is an increase in the amount of estrogen, appears Vital energy, which reaches a peak at the time of ovulation.

Bad mood as a symptom of PMS

Before menstruation, a bad mood is observed due to PMS. A number of clinical manifestations characteristic of premenstrual syndrome affect the emotional background:

• pain in the lumbar region and lower abdomen;
• migraine;
• hyperthermia;
• sleep disturbance;
• pain in the area of ​​the mammary glands;
• dizziness.

For this reason, irritability, fatigue, depression and even aggression appear before menstruation. As a rule, on the second day of menstruation, all the symptoms of PMS are less pronounced, and, accordingly, the emotional background returns to normal.

For some girls, you can read more about the reasons for this phenomenon in a separate article on our website.

How to get rid of mood swings

Menstruation is a natural phenomenon that you need to learn to adapt to. During this period, the emotional state of a woman worsens under the influence of not external factors, but physiological processes that occur in her body.

Many experts recommend keeping a diary in which not only the days of menstruation will be noted, but also all changes in the emotional background. Thanks to this, it will be possible to obtain information about how hormones affect mood in different phases of the cycle. It will be much easier to deal with emotions.

• give preference healthy eating. Closer to the approach of the date of arrival of menstruation, it is recommended to exclude fatty and spicy dishes. They overload the liver, which is designed to utilize hormones;
• minimize the use of coffee, which stimulates the nervous system;
• don't hold back your emotions. According to most psychologists, thanks to this, the condition becomes better;
• perform breathing exercises that help saturate all cells with oxygen and increase endorphin levels in the blood;
• do a relaxing massage;
• walk outdoors more often.

Emotional changes before menstruation are typical for many women. They are caused by hormonal changes and premenstrual syndrome. As soon as critical days come, the emotional background begins to recover.

A bad mood a few days before menstruation in women is the subject of many anecdotes and ironic statements. In fact, an aggressive and hysterical woman during PMS is a reason to send her to the doctor, and not throw her wallet at her, as in a popular status on social networks.

According to the gynecologist of the Boris medical network Oksana Ukrainian, if the family marks the dates of the mother’s menstruation in the calendar in order to foresee when she will have mood problems the day before, then this is not the norm. To understand what to do with, it is important to understand a few of its main characteristic points.

PMS is always a hormonal imbalance. This means that there are fewer than you need. This leads to the fact that a woman may feel any symptoms. And these symptoms are not limited to just a bad mood. A woman may have a stomach ache or headache a few days before her period, her blood pressure or temperature may rise, she may feel weak and depressed, maybe even depressed. The stronger the imbalance, the more pronounced. If the imbalance is mild, then the woman may not notice its effects.

PMS depends on age. AT different periods Every woman experiences PMS differently. Severe symptoms of PMS are usually characteristic of adolescence, when the correct production of hormones has not yet been established, and pass by the age of 20, when a regular cycle is established. Then, at the age of 40-45, the gradual fading of the production of female hormones begins. This process lasts for several years, and during this period the symptoms of PMS become more pronounced.

PMS depends on lifestyle. When we are active, healthy, happy, in love, we usually do not have PMS. Or the symptoms are so minor that we may not notice them. On the contrary, there are factors that exacerbate hormonal imbalance. These are factors that interfere with the normal production of female hormones:

excessive physical activity - if a woman spends too much time in gym, she begins to produce an excess amount of the male hormone testosterone. In this case, problems with the menstrual cycle may begin;

a strict diet - a lack of nutrients that the body experiences with severe food restrictions, leads, among other things, to hormonal imbalance;

chronic fatigue syndrome, stress can also be included here.

With severe PMS, it is necessary to eliminate the cause, not the consequences. PMS is not a disease, and the condition does not need to be treated unless it interferes with your life. If your mood or other symptoms of PMS spoil the life of you and your loved ones, you should go to a gynecologist. Depending on the type of PMS, the doctor will prescribe treatment.

What treatment is needed?

If your mood deteriorates during PMS, you know about it, but you just need to cry, read a book, watch a nice movie, chat with a friend or eat a chocolate bar, and your life is getting better, then nothing needs to be done about it. If you are hysterical and throw yourself at everyone or fall into a depressive state, then you should not justify your “nerves” by the fact that you are a woman and you have PMS, but it is better to go to the doctor to identify the cause of your inadequate condition and cope with it, having received doctor's recommendations.

depending on symptoms and possible causes that affect the symptoms, there are four types of PMS: edematous, neuropsychic, crisis and cephalgic. Mood changes such as irritability, aggressiveness, depression, loss of energy are characteristic of the neuropsychic form. In addition, sometimes women with this form of PMS may have auditory and olfactory hallucinations, memory problems, feelings of fear, suicidal thoughts, she may cry or laugh for no reason. There may also be headache, bloating, appetite disorders, breast engorgement.

To confirm the diagnosis of PMS, in addition to the patient's story, a blood test is needed to determine the level of the hormones progesterone, prolactin and estradiol, which is determined in different phases of the cycle. In the neuropsychic form, as a rule, the level of prolactin increases. Also, the doctor may recommend a consultation with a psychiatrist and a neurologist.

To correct the neuropsychic form of PMS, the doctor may prescribe sedative (sedative) drugs, as well as hormonal drugs - analogues of progesterone.

How to avoid anxiety?

To prevent a bad mood in PMS, adjust the mode of work and rest, play sports. Eat more foods rich in vitamin B6: walnuts, fish, liver, soy. Do not forget about vegetables and fruits as fiber-rich foods. But limit the use of alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate in the last phase of the cycle.

Tatyana Koryakina