What Is Menstruation?

Menstruation is actually a condition associated with normal vaginal bleeding that took place as a part of the normal monthly cycle of women.

What Are Menstrual Problems?

Also, there are several uncomfortable symptoms that are associated with menstrual cycles which lead to PMS. Premenstrual syndrome or PMS shows the most common symptoms like fatigue, cramping, upset stomach which go away at the onset of your periods.

Also, there are several other serious concerns that arise due to some menstrual problems like Heavy menstruation, Light menstruation, or there can be a complete absence of the menstrual cycle.

Also, a normal menstrual cycle differs from person to person.

Now let's discuss more common problems associated with the abnormal menstrual cycle.

1. Premenstrual Syndrome

You can observe the presence of PMS almost 1 to 2 weeks before your period starts. It carries with it a variety of emotional and physical symptoms that some women suffer. Other associated PMS symptoms are:

• Backaches
• Nausea
• Headache
• Irritability
• Acne
• Soreness of breast
• Food cravings
• Acne
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Stress
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Stomach ache
• Extreme fatigue

2. Heavy Periods

Heavy periods are another symptom of menstrual problems also called menorrhagia where there is much more bleeding than normal. It is seen that in the case of heavy periods you can have more days of the menstrual cycle than in the normal days.

Fluctuations in the estrogen and progesterone levels cause menorrhagia.

Here are some other causes of heavy menstrual bleeding: 

• Vaginal infection
• Puberty
• Hypothyroidism
• Fibroids
• Cervix inflammation
• Change in exercise and diet

3. Absent Periods

The absence of a period in some women is termed amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is called when the girl does not get her first period by the age of 16. This may be due to

• Delay in puberty
• A congenital defect in the women's reproductive system
• Abnormality in the pituitary gland

The absence of your regular periods for almost six months or more is called secondary amenorrhea. 

Some common symptoms of primary and secondary amenorrhea are:

• Pregnancy
• Anorexia
• Hyperthyroidism
• Sudden gain or loss of weight
• Ovarian cysts
• Stop taking birth control

In the case of no menstrual cycle of adults, the most visible causes are:

• Pregnancy
• Menopause
• Breastfeeding
• Premature ovarian failure
• Reproductive infection
• Menopause

Always take a test if you suspect your pregnancy in case of missed period. Now there are a variety of pregnancy testing kits in the market that are very less expensive and can test you with your pregnancy at the ease of your home.

Why Does Soreness Of Breasts Occurs?

Breast pain is usually categorized into two broad categories:

Cyclic pain of breasts occurs due to hormonal changes in the body and usually at regular intervals of time.

A rise in the level of Estrogen causes pain and swelling which result in stimulation of breast tissue in the latter half of your menstrual cycle. 

Among them, cyclic breast pain is the most common that occurs in premenopausal women. Some characteristics of cyclic breast pain are: 

• It affects both the breasts
• It usually appears around the same time of the month.
• Feeling of lumpiness in the breasts

Now let's have a look at non-cyclic breast soreness. It has no connection with the menstrual cycle, as a result, it does not follow any particular pattern in its appearance. Noncyclic pain commonly affects only one breast and it can be intermittent or constant in nature.

Painful Periods

Periods can also be painful, additional to lighter or weaker. Stomach aches also occur due to the contraction of your uterus and are also very normal during PMS. However, there are many women that have excruciating pain during their period called dysmenorrhea. Having such an extremely painful menstrual cycle can be linked to:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Fibroids
• Abnormal tissue growth outside the uterus

Diagnosing The Menstrual Problems

You need to see your doctor first, that is the very first step. By understanding your symptoms like what are the symptoms? For how long are you experiencing this? He will prescribe you the best available option in medical science and treat you accordingly.

In addition to all such verbal questioning, the doctor may also conduct a physical exam like examining your pelvic to check for any inflammation in your cervix. Also in order to rule out the possibility of cancer or other conditions a test called pap smear will also be performed. 

Other several blood tests can also be performed to determine any hormonal imbalances in your body. In case you are pregnant your doctor will conduct a blood test to confirm the pregnancy.

Some other tests that the doctor advised you can be:

• Hysteroscopy
• Endometrial biopsy
• Ultrasound of your uterus

Treating Menstrual Problems

The selection of the treatment depends upon the symptoms you are having in your menstrual disorder.

Some of the birth control pills can also help you in relieving symptoms of heavy flow and of PMS. Hormonal balance medicines have been prescribed in case you are having hormonal issues leading to lighter or heavier or lighter flow. 

Take Away

There are many irregularities that do happen between periods so you need not worry about heavy or light flow during the menstrual cycle. However, in case you are experiencing severe pain accompanied by heavy flow or even blood clots, you should seek some professional help to treat the symptoms. 

Please do remember that periods are something that is a natural process and can fluctuate a little bit from normality which is perfectly fine. Sometimes its symptoms fade away as soon as they appear. But it's also the case when the severity of symptoms makes it necessary to visit a trusted doctor and follow scientifically proven procedures to treat them.