Menarche
The first period is called Menarche (say it men- ark-key). The cycle of getting periods is called Menenstration (sp.?) (Comes from the Latin word mensis, meaning month). For the first year or so of menenestraion (sp.?), a girls periods are never regular. WHen ,most girls start to get reguar periods, It is around a month long beetween 2 periods, for some girls its longer or shorter. Once a girls periods become regular, she will be able to have a baby. The averge American girl gets her first period at 13, but although, depending on when the girl started puberty, she may get her first peiriod younger or older that 13.
The process of Menenstration (sp.?)
At the start of the menstral flow, the hormones estrogen and progestrone , produced by the ovaries, are at a very low level. This causes the brain to relase GnRH (gonadotropuin relasing hormone) , whih stumiulates the pituatary gland to relase FSH (follice-stmulating hormone) and LH (leutenlizing hormone) , which works on the ovary. FSH causes an egg to start maturing inside its follicle ands LH stumilates the maturing follice to release estrogen into the blood stream. Estrogen affects the uterus, causing an increase of the blood supply to increase and a thickening of the uterine lining.
The effects of FSH, LH, and Estrogen build up for about 14 days, although it is highly variable. Just before day 14 of the cycle, the sudden increase of LH from the pituary gland
Causes a follicle to burst open and relaese the egg. This process is called ovulation. The rupered follice isn't done playing a role. It delops into a stucure called the Corpus luteum, which relases estrogen an progestone. These hormones stumulate extra bulidup of lining.
Meanwhile, the hypothamus detects high levels of Estrogen and progestrone and lowers the levels of GnRH accordingly. This causes the pituartary gland to relase the amount of FSH and LH it is realesing. Progestrone is now the hormone found in the highest concentration. If the egg is not fertilized by a sperm on its way traveling through the fallopian tube on its way to the utrus, the corpus luteum starts to disenigrate, and the levels of estrogen and progestrone decrease. The drop in hormone levels causes a decrease in the blood supply. The blood filled uterine lining tissues disintgrate and are discharged. This is called a menstaral period. This marks the begining of the next cycle. However, if the egg is fertilized by a spem, it goes on to the utrus and devolps inytop an embryo.
Do periods stop?
Yes they do. Reasons include
- Pregancy, a woman doesn't get periods while pregant.
- Illness.
- Menopause (which I'll explain in the next paragraph)
Menopause
Menopause marks the end of a womans reperductive years.
Menopause happens in a corse of years. Woman in this coruse are called premenopausal. It is common to skip periods and resume menestarating once more in this corse of years. Syptoms Include Hot flashes,Vaginal dryness, and and increased growth of facial hair.
What can go wrong?
Amenorria is the abensence of any Periods in premenopausal woman who are not preganant.
Primary Amenorria is diagoned when young girls have not begun memestaring by age 16. Menarche can be delayed in gvery thin or atletic girls.
Secondary Amenorria is Diagonesd when Periods are abesent for 6 months or longer in adlut women who are not pregant.
Dysmenorrea refers to painful periods. More than half of all women experence mild cramps during the first few days of a peruiod. Dyssmenorriea Occours ion 190 % of all women, involves severe pain that cannot be tolerated without medcation.
Olligomennoria is diagonesed when a woman exerences less than the usual 11 - 13 periods per year. Some women never have reguar periods (Like Aubery Hepburn) JIf erraic cycles are accompained by acne and an increase in Facial and body hair, there may be an excess of male hormones called Androgens.
Menorrhagia refers to long periods that last more than 7 days and usually involvwe heavy bleeding. A one time heavy period that arrives late may be due to a misscarge. Menorhhagia may result in animaia, due to heavy blood loss, but is otherwise not a serious problem.
Warning: Do not leave a Tampon in place for more that eight hoyurs. You could get a serious contion called Toxic Shock Syndrome. (Or TSS for short)
Hope this helps!
Camelle
she sometimes crapped herself without noticing! 0_0
