WHY ARE PERIODS! A TABOO???
A lot of people mostly women are not comfortable talking about Periods, it’s a TABOO! Talking about something that happens to every single woman out there. I am mostly talking about us women, yeah, I know you guys are gonna flip and bash me after doing so but this is so wrong in many aspects, don’t you think?
“Your period is not your enemy. On the contrary, it’s a sound barometer of your overall health”.
Kirsten Karchmer
Why I am saying this because we need our children to get educated about these things. They need to know what is happening to their body. Why is it happening? Is this normal? Is this alright to have cramps? Why my cramps are so bad, is it normal body function? What remedies should I try to ease my pain? And so many so why not explain this to them instead of scolding and saying Shhh!!!! Don’t be loud, don’t talk about this.
Well let me tell you what is happening with your body. Let’s start with PMS.
PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
Premenstrual syndrome are the hormonal changes your body before having your period, causing emotions to go haywire.
This is also known as PMT or premenstrual tension. There are more than 150 symptoms of PMS but they gradually decrease when you get your period. Symptoms of PMS mainly including:
§ Mood swings
§ Lack of sleep
§ Carvings
§ Tender breasts
§ Different hair conditions
§ Bloating
§ Headache
§ Weight gain
§ Acne
There is a severe form of PMS known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder PMDD, this occurs in lesser number of women but has more severe symptoms.
PM symptoms may vary woman to woman, they may have symptoms before some days to a week before their period.
Treatment of PMS:
Treatment of PMS is challenging as its diagnosis, most measures lack scientific basis but it helps many woman. A healthy lifestyle is a healthy person’s insurance. Here are some methods prescribed by doctors to relieve PMS:
§ Emotional support
§ Exercise
§ Decreased caffeine intake before period
§ Less sugar intake
§ Less alcohol intake
A variety of medications are used to treat PMS. Mostly pain killers are given to reduce menstrual cramps and headaches and for pelvic discomfort.
Period:
Period is your monthly bleeding. In medical terminology it is called menstrual bleeding, menses or catamenia. Menstruation starts when puberty hits and stops at menopause.
Endometrium is the innermost lining of uterus, which prepares placenta to nourish the fetus. During menstruation this lining sheds, this happens throughout a woman’s reproductive life.
Menstrual bleeding lasts 3–7 days in some cases 5. Blood loss during this cycle is ½ to 2 ½ ounces. Menstrual cycle is regulated by several hormones including Luteinizing hormone LH, Follicle-stimulating hormone FSH, Estrogen and Progesterone.
There are four stages of menstrual cycle:
1. Follicular phase:
When the bleeding starts, it is the indication of start of follicular phase. During this stage level of estrogen and progesterone are very low which results in the shedding of endometrium. Level of estrogen rises as an egg is prepared for its release. This cycle is the longest marking 14–15 days.
2. Ovulatory phase:
In this phase LH surge is initiated by pre ovulatory follicle called estradiol. Beginning of LH occurs 36 hours prior to ovulation. The increase level of LH causes increase in size of follicle which causes its rupture and results in release of mature egg. This release of egg is called ovulation.
Egg travels toward fallopian tube which connects ovary to uterus. Here egg and sperm fertilize, if this happens cycle stops and pregnancy occurs. Around this time women feel pain in their lower abdomen known as mittleschmerz, which may last from several minutes to a few hours. Precise cause of this pain is still unknown but it occurs at side from where ovary released the egg.
3. Luteal phase:
It is the time between ovulation and before the start of menstruation, body prepares itself for pregnancy and progesterone levels are increased than decreased. The egg was released from follicle which now closes and forms corpus luteum. Estrogen stimulates the endometrium to thicken again.
If no fertilization occurs, corpus luteum starts degenerating itself and new cycle begins.
4. Secretory phase:
If fertilization occurs and embryo is implanted in uterus, corpus luteum remains intact by the release of human chronic gonadotropin. Progesterone hormone is made continuously till fetus grows and produces its own hormones.
Cramps:
If you experience PMS, you may experience dysmenorrhea (cramps) starting a day or two before your period. It has two types primary and secondary. For some women it’s mild but to other it’s severe that it doesn’t even let them perform daily activities. If you have dysmenorrhea trust me I can feel you!
Primary dysmenorrhea:
This occurs due to chemicals made inside uterus called prostaglandin, these chemicals cause uterus vessels contracts. During start of period, prostaglandins are high and as uterus sheds this level goes down lessening the pain gradually.
Secondary dysmenorrhea:
This primary dysmenorrhea is caused by disorder in reproductive organs. Pain at this stage is much worse and last longer than normal menstrual cramps.
Endometrium happens here, like bleeding of tissues causes’ pain. Scar tissues adhesions are formed inside pelvis where bleeding occurs. Adhesion also cause organs to stick which also cause pains in body.
Certain defects in a woman’s body like problems with uterus or other reproductive organs causes pain during menstruation. Many other disorders can also be cause of pain like Crohn’s disease.
If you are having painful periods, you should go to your obstetrician-gynecologist or OB-GYN to talk about your painful menstrual cramps and other symptoms.
Medications are made for this but do not take them without your doctor’s permission. You can always do exercise it will feel you better, eat healthy, apply heat to the aching parts like use the hot water bottles it will soothe your pain.
Take enough sleep it will help you cope with discomfort coming with your period.
Menopause:
The stage in a woman when her period/menstrual cycle stops is called menopause.
It is diagnosed after 12 months of not having your period, usually it occurs in women between age of 40’s and above 50’s.
It is also a biological process but may have symptoms too. You might experience some of them during your way to menopause:
§ Irregular periods
§ Night sweats
§ Mood swings
§ Sleepless nights
§ Slow metabolism
§ Losing weight
Irregular periods are is common during pre-menopause symptoms. Periods may tend to happen on shorter cycles so they are closer. Always seek your doctor’s advice if you have bleeding after menopause, it may seem harmless but bleeding after menopause is not to taken lightly.
FAQ’s
v WHAT CAN HELP ME DURING MY PMS?
To be honest, everyone’s body is different from other. If you are feeling some symptoms may be others don’t have them. But to relieve PMS you can always try these
Try to have a balanced diet including vegetables and fresh juices.
Lessen the amount of salt in your diet to help bloating.
Try warm heating pads to help headaches, backache and tender breasts. A study in 2012 said 147 omen between ages 18–30 years having regular cycle found heat pad at 40°C as helpful as ibuprofen.
Try yoga.
v WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL YOUR DOC?
If you are feeling depressed and have bad moods for more than two weeks immediately book an appointment with your doctor.
Having severe PMS symptoms for longer period of time, consult your doctor.
Try tracking your periods to get to know your body better. You can always get help through apps the one I use and recommend is CLUE. It helps me track my period and to be honest it has made my life easier in many ways.
v ARE IRREGULAR PERIODS A PROBLEM?
Irregular periods are when a woman does not get period during 4–5 weeks’ time period. First one or two years it may be irregular it all depends on factors described already but if it last longer go to your Ob-gyn for a detailed checkup.
v SOME REMEDIES TO SOOTHE PAIN?
First and foremost go to your doctor if you have symptoms for more than a normal time period. You can always try heating bottles or medications to cure pain but not without your gynecologists recommendation.
v HOW TO TRACK MY PERIODS?
Try using apps like clue, this is one of the best apps to track your period and helps with its indicators or alarms that your period is coming so you can prepare in advance.
Having period is a normal thing, some people may not think it is necessary but it is.
Some parents may not afford sanitary pads, they are facing financial problems so they won’t talk about it. Or if you live in a house where there is just your dad or brother not having a mother figure around is difficult for some young girls.
We have to talk about ‘PERIODS’ in our social circles, we have to be able to say the word without being disgusted by it.
The lack of knowledge about periods is cause of anxiety and shame for some girls as they don’t appear in schools or their family gatherings, girls get mocked by others if they are seen with blood spots on their clothes. Others don’t help them they just mock them, Why is the question here, Aren’t we all girls, women why can’t we tell them what it is and help them understand the situation instead of mocking them and making them uncomfortable.
I just saw this and wanted to share with you all:
“Society has placed a taboo surrounding periods and menstrual health, as if we should be ashamed of this natural and miraculous process that ultimately kept the human species alive”.
Tracy Lockwood
Many of us go through this experience yet we don’t talk with our sisters and daughters, we feel ashamed we don’t want them to go through what we went through, but we can’t talk with our families because of insecurities.
In Pakistan, it is a taboo literally, women don’t know about periods at all. This topic is held deliberately as a mean of protecting their chastity. This has turned negative impacts to their physical and emotional health.
Discussing and educating people about their body, their needs shouldn’t be a taboo. It should be like having education about our body, its needs, functions, and good and wrong everything. Try to speak about these matters for education purpose.
Try talking with your children about it, make them comfortable talking about their body, what and why is something happening to them.
Written by: EYESCHA
