5 THINGS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEIR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

5 THINGS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEIR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

By lifehack.org - Jenna Anderson

It seems like from the time we are very young women are affected in some way by the monthly cycle. For young girls it is through our older sisters, cousins, aunts, and female relatives where we see the effects of menstruation, in how they change their day to day, moods, and how they interact with us as children.

In adolescence we look forward to the growth into womanhood. We think that menstruation will be a sign showing we’re becoming adults, even though we don’t understand the hormones and moodiness which we later learn will plague us through one week out of the month– not to mention the uncomfortable cramps, struggling with being at school when you don’t feel good, and not being able adequately process and deal with the all the changes happening in our suddenly strange little bodies.

Once we’ve passed the mile marker into adulthood, we spend the rest of our time trying to figure out how to get rid of menses, contain it, control it, or otherwise manipulate this very natural part of our lives until menopause…which is an entirely different post.

What we don’t learn about our periods is learning to track and pay attention to what your cycle is doing; naturally, this is your first clue as to what’s happening with your health. Furthermore, it’ll give you great insight into your own moods, feelings, energy levels, and the power of really knowing and understanding your menstrual cycle. This gives you the power to use the information to enhance your life, instead of believing it is a burden.

Here are five things you may not have known about your cycle and how they can relate to your health.

1) Notice the Flow

Just keeping an eye on your monthly flow can help you determine changes happening in your body. Is it lighter? Heavier? Did you have to use more protection or less? Are you suddenly bleeding more than usual?

Granted, it may seem like you’re losing a lot of blood during your cycle, but, on average, women only shed about a cup from the uterine lining. It’s not unusual to have a few days of heavy flow. With that said, increased heavy flow for 5 days or more can cause anemia, polyps, or endometriosis, some very serious health issues.

On the other side of this, if you continually experience extremely light periods (without birth control) you could be suffering from poor nutrition, extreme stress, or it could be an indicator of an auto-immune disorder or other health issue.

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