women`s secret

The cyclicity of processes is the basis of life. We all live in alternating cycles of day and night, seasons. Cyclic hormonal changes occur in the organs of the reproductive (genital) system of an adult woman, the main manifestation of which are the monthly bleeding from the genital tract - menstruation.

Normal menstrual cycle and control of it

Menstruation , or regular uterine bloody discharge, is a physiological phenomenon that occurs only in organisms of sexually mature women. The process of menstruation is regulated by hormones of the pituitary and ovaries. The first menstruation (menarche) occurs, as a rule, at the age of 11-14 years and continues throughout the reproductive period of a woman's life, which ends in 45-55 years with menopause (climax). The duration of the menstrual cycle is different and depends on the physiological, psychological, emotional and social conditions of life of a woman. A cycle of 28 days is considered normal, although the deviation for several days in both directions (cycle 24 or 32 days) is also within the limits of the norm. Irregularity of the cycle indicates abnormalities in the process of ovulation. In cycles not in 28 days, only the first (follicular) phase changes, when the growth and maturation of the follicles occurs in the ovaries. After ovulation, the second (luteal) phase occurs, which is always constant and lasts about 14 days. This means that ovulation precedes menstruation for 14 days, but does not necessarily occur 14 days after it.

The normal menstrual cycle consists of the following phases:

• the phase of menstruation (1-4 days of the cycle) - spotting, during which the loose mucous layer of the uterus is rejected;
• phase folliculin (5-13th day of the cycle) - growth and maturation of the follicle (graafovaya vesicle), in which hormones estrogen, which promote healing and restoration of the mucous membrane of the uterus, are intensively produced;
• phase of ovulation (around the 14th day of the cycle) - a high level of estrogen leads to rupture of the follicle and the release of a mature, capable of fertilizing the egg;
• the phase is luteotropic (15-28 day of the cycle) - on the spot of the bursted follicle is formed the yellow body that produces the hormone progesterone. Under the influence of progesterone, the mucous membrane of the uterus thickens, its blood vessels expand and become full of blood - the egg is ready for fertilization. If fertilization does not occur, the egg cell dies, the functions of the yellow body decrease and completely decay, the hormone level drops sharply, the swollen and friable mucous membrane is rejected, and bleeding begins - menstruation.

Calendar of the monthly cycle - what is it for a woman?

First of all, the calendar helps to determine the period of fertility . When you visit a gynecologist, the question of the date of the previous menstrual period will be the first one that the gynecologist will ask you. If the calendar is kept up to date, you will immediately notice if any changes in the cycle duration unexpectedly occur.
How to lead a women's calendar of critical days ? The easiest way is on paper, marking the days in a regular calendar. However, the age of modern technology offers convenient solutions even in this intimate matter. Special applications will not only mark the start and end date of the critical period , but also preserve details such as intensity, mood and mood swings, changes in basal temperature and the nature of precipitations within a month. All this will be very useful in case you are planning to conceive a child.
At www.MaxyBaby.net.ua we published a large overview of applications that can make a modern woman's life easier and more pleasant. In the review Android apps for moms: scheduling, schedules, fitness and more, you will find several interesting suggestions for keeping the female calendar!

Menstruation

Bloody discharge lasts an average of 3-7 days, although there may be a different duration. The blood loss does not exceed 150 ml. Up to 35 years of isolation are more intense than in older age. During menstruation, blood is excreted, a loose layer of the endometrium (mucous membrane of the uterus), cells of the mucous membrane of the vagina, mucus from the cervix and bacteria are rejected. The presence in the menstrual blood of the fibrinolysin enzyme contributes to the fact that the blood does not fold if the discharge is not too abundant. Painful menstruation - a fairly common phenomenon, especially among young girls.

Hormonal control

Menstrual cycle under strict neurohormonal control. Control begins at the level of the most important part of the brain - the hypothalamus. It is here that neurohormones are developed, guiding and regulating the work of internal organs, which through the network of blood vessels enter the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is under the influence of the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for our feelings and emotions. Therefore, a psychological condition, such as stress or intense agitation, can cause a violation of the menstrual cycle . The pituitary gland consists of two parts: the anterior and posterior. Neurohormones: vasopressin and oxytocin accumulate in the posterior lobe. In the anterior, under the influence of the hormones of the hypothalamus , tropic hormones (tropins) are formed - physiological stimulators of the glands of internal secretion of the organism that produce other hormones, namely:

• thyrotropin (TSH) - is responsible for the functions of the thyroid gland;
• corticotropin (ACTH) - controls the activity of the adrenal glands;
• somatotropin (STH) - growth hormone;
• melanotropin (MSH);
• gonadotropins (HG) - regulate the functions of the ovaries: the hormone follitropin (FSH), which stimulates the growth and maturation of the follicle (the so-called graafovoy bubble), and luteinizing hormone (LH), contributing to ovulation and development of the yellow body.

The anterior pituitary gland produces lactogen hormone, or prolactin (LTG), which supports the functioning of the yellow body and plays an important role in the lactation process (milk production in the mammary glands of the mother).
The sexual cycle is under the direct control of pituitary hormones - gonadotropins - and with the participation of ovarian hormones - estrogen and progesterone. FSH and LH stimulate the production of estrogens (LH promotes ovulation and development of the yellow body, which is the main source of progesterone). There are direct and reverse links between gonadotropins (FSH and LH) and sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone): a low level of sex hormones in the blood leads to the release of gonadotropins, and a high level of estrogen and progesterone leads to a decrease in the functions of the ovaries in the woman's body. In a broader sense, it can be said that FSH promotes the growth and development of graafovyh bubbles containing eggs, and LH is responsible for rupture of the vesicle and the release of the ovum, ready for fertilization - ovulation. In fact, the menstrual cycle is a much more complex and multicomponent process.
Hormones of FSH and LH are formed in the body of a man. They stimulate the production of testosterone, the most important sex hormone.

Changes in the follicles

The first follicles appear in the cortical layer of the female newborn's ovaries just a few days after their appearance. But the process of growth and maturation of a graafovaya bubble, which ends with the release of a mature egg, occurs no earlier than the beginning of the period of puberty. In the initial phase of each menstrual cycle, the development of immature follicles begins as a result of stimulation of the ovarian hormone FSH. During one menstrual cycle, only one graafa vesicle usually ripens, inside of which is an ovum. Very rarely it happens that two or more bubbles ripen. The outer membrane of the follicle produces a large number of estrogens, the level of which gradually grows in the first half of the cycle. About the 14th day of the cycle, there is a sharp rise in the level of LH, rupture of the follicle and the release of the egg, ready for fertilization - ovulation. As a result of rupture of blood vessels there is a small hemorrhage into the cavity of the empty follicle. In the center of the future yellow body appears a scar from the connective tissue - stigma. Under the influence of LH is the development of the yellow body, then, in the luteal phase, the hormone LTG supports its functioning. The yellow body begins to produce a certain amount of estrogens and progesterones, preparing the uterine mucosa to attach a fertilized egg. The highest level of progesterone is observed on the 23-24th day of the menstrual cycle. A large amount of progesterone delays the release of gonadotropins, which supports the duration of the ovarian cycle. If the fertilization does not occur and the egg is attached to the uterine wall, the yellow body reduces its activity and disappears within 2-3 days, leaving a small scar - a white body. The level of progesterone drops sharply.

Changes in the mucous membrane of the uterus

Mucous membrane of the uterus - endometrium - is divided into two layers: basal and functional. The functional layer, in turn, consists of the mucous membrane covered with ciliate epithelium, and the middle loose layer, in which the cells grow during the menstrual cycle under the influence of female sex hormones. Cyclical changes in the endometrium are most visible in the development of the functional layer. During menstruation, there is a rejection of the mucosa and the functional and basal layer of the endometrium located on the border. At the end of menstruation, the formation of the functional layer starts again due to the cells of the basal layer. In the first half of the menstrual cycle, the thin mucous membrane expands, thickens, its blood vessels expand and become full of blood. Changes occur under the influence of estrogens. This is the follicular phase. After ovulation under the influence of progesterone, produced by the yellow body, the growth of the mucous membrane continues - its thickness increases from 2-3 to 7-8 mm. The glands of internal secretion expand, the cells of the functional layer increase in size, a large amount of nutrients is deposited in them, a pillow is formed for the adoption of a fertilized egg. The mucous membrane becomes loose and swollen. These changes are called the luteal phase. Reduction of functions and disappearance of the yellow body, as well as a fall in the level of progesterone occurs 2-3 days before menstruation and causes changes in the mucosa: glands contract, a layer of shell prepared for a fertilized egg, thins, scars appear - white bodies, bloody discharge begins. This last phase before the menstruation is called the phase of secretion. After it begins the phase desquamation (actually menstruation), during which the mucous membrane of the uterus is rejected. If the egg was fertilized and it safely attached to the wall of the uterus, the yellow body continues to develop until 12-14 weeks of pregnancy, until its function is taken over by the placenta, and the mucous membrane is transformed into a maternal one.

Changes in the cervical mucus

During menstruation, there are obvious changes in the amount and consistency of the mucus of the cervix. The cervical canal serves as a kind of barrier for microorganisms so that they do not penetrate the vagina into the body of the uterus. Virtually all the time of the menstrual cycle, the cervical mucus is thick, viscous, yellowish in color. Before ovulation, it becomes transparent, watery and sparse. Such a consistency of mucus promotes easier penetration of spermatozoa to the egg and is the result of the action of hormones of estrogens.

Changes in other organs

Cyclic changes that occur in the body of a woman during this period, relate not only to the sex organs. The menstrual cycle affects the functioning of the whole organism. The reflection of changes in the metabolic process are regular fluctuations in the body's basic temperature. In the preovulatory phase, the body temperature is normal (36.60C). In the morning on the day of ovulation, the temperature drops sharply, and then rises rapidly to 0.50C and at this level it remains right up to the very beginning of menstruation, when it again drops to the level of a predovulatory state. Elevated temperature lasts for 10 days, that is, as much as the yellow body produces progesterone.
Other changes that occur in the body are:

• puffiness and water retention in the body, which leads to a temporary increase in body weight;
• increased emotional excitability, irritability, muscle tone, excessive motor activity;
• changes in the vascular system as a result of blood flow to the genital organs, increased fragility of the vessels;
• painful engorgement of the mammary glands;
• headache;
• sharp mood swings, depression.

These symptoms are called premenstrual syndrome (PMS) , sometimes they bring such discomfort that require immediate treatment. Often the menstrual cycle is accompanied by abrupt changes in the psychological and emotional state of a woman. Usually a woman's health is better in the first half of the cycle, when the hormone estrogen dominates the body, and the closer the menstruation, the worse the mood.

Definition of ovulation

The only direct method for determining ovulation is pregnancy or observation of ovulation during laparoscopic surgery. There are also indirect methods that help to establish the course of the menstrual cycle. It:

• Measurement of body temperature. During ovulation, the temperature rises by 0.50C; measured temperature in the mouth, vagina or anus. Measured in the morning, after a good rest (at least 6 hours of sleep).
• Observation of changes in the quantity and consistency of the mucus of the cervix uteri - a few days before ovulation, it becomes more abundant, more transparent and more watery. Such qualitative changes in mucus became the basis of many tests that determine the time of ovulation: from a simple test for viscosity and transparency to more professional - for the maintenance of certain chemical compounds in it.
• Ovulatory pain - observed in 25% of women in the form of colic or aching pain in the lower abdomen, appear before ovulation for a period of several hours to two days.
• Ovulatory blood discharge (a small amount of blood, a few drops), appearing a few hours before ovulation and rapidly stopping.
• Research of ultrasound - makes it possible to determine the development of the follicle and the moment of ovulation.
• Analysis of hormones - a serial blood test and determination of the level of estradiol (the main female sex hormone), progesterone, LH and FSH.