- The menstrual cycle has four phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulation, and luteal.
- The main purpose of the menstrual cycle is to produce an egg for potential fertilization by sperm.
- Stress, certain medications like birth control, polyps, fibroids, and more can disrupt the cycle.
While your period is often viewed as the main event of your menstrual cycle, there's much more going on in your body that you may not think about.
The menstrual cycle is what allows you to eventually become pregnant. That's why people with vaginas typically have a menstrual cycle during the age that their bodies are most capable of carrying a fetus to term, starting around age 12 or 13 and continue through their 40s or 50s.
The average duration of a menstrual cycle is 28 days, but it varies person to person. If you're not pregnant, you'll go through four main phases or events. Here's a visual of how those phases overlap:
1. The menstrual phase
The menstrual phase is the first phase of the menstrual cycle and lasts about seven days — you may know it as your period.
During the menstrual phase, your hormones shift: Estrogen and progesterone drop and your body releases prostaglandins, another type of hormone.
Estrogen and progesterone cause the lining of your uterus to shed — and this fluid is what you bleed out when you have your period. The uterus sheds its lining because it's not necessary when there is no embryo to support, says Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, reproductive health expert and the co-founder and CEO of women's telehealth provider Pandia Health.
Some people will bleed for only three days, while others will bleed for a week or longer, says Yen.
Aside from bleeding, you may experience other symptoms during your period such as:
- Tender breasts
- Acne breakouts
- Mood changes
2. Follicular phase
The follicular phase overlaps with menstruation, since it begins on the first day of your period, and lasts between 10 to 16 days.
During this phase, your body releases Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH). This triggers your ovaries to create follicles, which are sacs containing immature eggs.
Yen says around 10 follicles will grow and compete to "win." The follicle that is the strongest will get to grow and eventually contain a mature egg capable of fertilization. Your body will reabsorb the other follicles.
Since the follicular phase overlaps with menstruation, the symptoms you experience around this time, such as cramps and bloating, are related to your period and not the follicles growing.
Ovulation happens around day 14 of your cycle, or about a week after the last day of your period, says Yen.
The "winning" follicle from the follicular phase grows into a mature egg that gets released during ovulation. The egg will travel from the ovary down into the fallopian tube, where it can potentially be fertilized by sperm.
Ovulation lasts for as long as the released egg is alive — typically 12-24 hours. However, it's important to note that there is a 3-to-5-day window around ovulation where you're most likely to get pregnant. That's because sperm can live inside your body for up to five days, waiting around for a mature egg to pass by.
During ovulation, you may experience changes such as:
- Clear, slippery discharge similar to a raw egg white, says Yen.
- Mittelschmerz, or pain on one side depending on which ovary releases the egg. The pain can be dull, achy, or sharp.
- Increased libido
4. Luteal phase
The luteal phase is the last phase of the menstrual cycle, and it typically goes for 14 days.
During this time, Yen says the remainder of the dominant follicle turns into the corpus luteum, which is essentially a mass of cells which makes the hormone progesterone. This thickens the uterine lining, preparing the body pregnancy if the egg should be fertilized.
Since this phase leads up to your period, you may experience symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) around day 12 of the luteal phase, such as:
- Mood changes
- Bowel movement changes
- Difficulty sleeping
What could disrupt the menstrual cycle?
Irregular menstrual cycles are one of the most common gynecological concerns, says Jerome Chelliah, MD, MPH an OB-GYN at Cleveland Clinic and women's health educator. He says there are many possible causes for disrupted menstrual cycles, including:
- Stress: The exact reason why stress can throw off your cycle is unknown, Chelliah says, but it may be because stress causes the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) which can trigger an overall hormonal change that disrupts your period.
- Medications or birth control: Medications, even if they aren't directly related to your reproductive system, can cause irregular periods. For example, Chelliah says psychiatric medications, blood thinners, and steroids may affect your hormones and disrupt your cycle. Additionally, birth control such as IUDs may cause cycle irregularities, especially at first.
- Ovulatory dysfunction: This is when your period is irregular due to lack of ovulation or irregular patterns of ovulation. "As ovulation is a key marker for hormonal changes that happen during a cycle resulting in the eventual menses [aka bleeding], abnormalities in ovulation can cause abnormal periods," says Chelliah.
- Uterine polyps: Polyps are growths in the uterus that are typically benign, meaning non cancerous. Chelliah says they may cause prolonged periods or spotting in between periods.
- Uterine Fibroids: Fibroids are also typically benign growths in the uterus. They can cause you to have heavy menstrual bleeding and periods that last longer than a week.
While the general 4-step process of the menstrual cycle is the same for everyone, every individual's cycle is unique.
If your periods suddenly become irregular or if you're experiencing new symptoms such as extra heavy or long periods, be sure to see your OB-GYN to get checked out.
- Mzunguko wa hedhi una hatua nne: hedhi, follicular, ovulation, na luteal. - Kusudi kuu la mzunguko wa hedhi ni kutokeza yai kwa ajili ya mbolea ya uwezekano wa uzazi na shahawa. - Mkazo, dawa fulani kama vile dawa za kuzuia uzazi, polyps, fibroids, na mengine yanaweza kuvuruga mzunguko huo. Wakati wa kienyeji ni mara nyingi kuchukuliwa kama tukio kuu ya mzunguko wako wa hedhi, kuna mengi zaidi ya kwenda juu katika mwili wako kwamba unaweza si kufikiri kuhusu. Mzunguko wa hedhi ndio unaokuwezesha hatimaye kupata mimba. Kwa hivyo, watu wenye vagina huwa na mzunguko wa hedhi wakati mwili wao una uwezo wa kubeba kijusi kwa muda, kuanzia karibu na umri wa miaka 12 hadi 13 na kuendelea hadi miaka ya 40 hadi 50. Kwa kawaida mzunguko wa hedhi huchukua siku 28, lakini inatofautiana kutoka mtu mmoja hadi mwingine. Ikiwa wewe si mjamzito, utapitia hatua nne kuu. Hapa ni picha ya jinsi awamu hizo zinavyoingiliana: 1. Kipindi cha hedhi ni kipindi cha kwanza cha mzunguko wa hedhi na huchukua siku saba hivi. Wakati wa kipindi cha hedhi, homoni huanza kuanguka, na wakati huo huo, homoni nyingine zinazotokana na homoni za kawaida, prostaglandins, hutolewa. Estrojeni na progesteroni husababisha utando wa tumbo lako la uzazi kutokwa na umajimaji huu na ndio unaotokeza damu wakati wa hedhi. "Kama uterasi haujatengenezwa, uterasi haujatengenezwa tena, ""alisema Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, mtaalam wa afya ya uzazi na mwanzilishi mwenza na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa mtoa huduma wa afya ya wanawake wa Pandora." "Watu fulani wanapoteza damu kwa siku tatu tu, wengine wanapoteza damu kwa juma moja au zaidi,"" anasema Yen." Mbali na kutokwa na damu, unaweza kupata dalili nyingine wakati wa hedhi yako kama vile: - Vifua nyembamba - Kuonekana kwa vimelea - Mabadiliko ya hisia 2. Kipindi cha follicular ni kipindi cha kwanza cha hedhi, ambacho huanza siku ya kwanza ya hedhi na huendelea kwa siku 10 hadi 16. Katika kipindi hiki, mwili wako hutokeza homoni inayochochea follicle (FSH). Hii huchochea ovari zako kutengeneza follicles, ambazo ni mifuko yenye mayai yasiyo ya kukomaa. "Yen anasema ""karibu follicles 10 zitakua na kushindana kushinda.""" Foliuli yenye nguvu zaidi itakua na hatimaye itakuwa na yai lililokomaa linaloweza kuzaliwa. Mwili wako utachukua follicles nyingine. Kwa kuwa hatua ya follicular huambatana na hedhi, dalili unazopata wakati huu, kama vile maumivu ya tumbo na kuvimba, zinahusiana na kipindi chako na sio follicles zinazokua. Ovulation hufanyika karibu siku ya 14 ya mzunguko wako, au karibu wiki moja baada ya siku ya mwisho ya kipindi chako. Kifuko cha "kushinda" kutoka katika hatua ya follicular hukua na kuwa yai lililokomaa ambalo hutolewa wakati wa ovulation. Kiini cha yai hutoka kwenye ovari hadi kwenye bomba la utumbo, ambapo kinaweza kutolewa mbegu na shahawa. Ovulation huendelea kwa muda mrefu kama yai iliyotolewa ni hai - kawaida masaa 12-24. Hata hivyo, ni muhimu kutambua kwamba kuna dirisha la siku 3-5 karibu na ovulation ambapo una uwezekano mkubwa wa kupata mimba. Kwa sababu ya uwezo wa spermatozoa kuishi ndani ya mwili kwa siku tano, wanangojea yai kukomaa. Wakati wa ovulation, unaweza kupata mabadiliko kama vile: - Clear, kutokwa na maji kama nyeupe ya yai mbichi, anasema Yen. - Mittelschmerz, au maumivu upande mmoja kulingana na ni ovari gani inayotoa yai. Maumivu yanaweza kuwa yasiyo na hisia, yenye uchungu, au yenye nguvu. - Kuongezeka kwa hamu ya ngono 4. Luteal awamu ni awamu ya mwisho ya mzunguko wa hedhi na kwa kawaida huchukua siku 14. Katika kipindi hiki, sehemu iliyobaki ya follicle ya msingi inageuka kuwa corpus luteum, ambayo ni kiasi kikubwa cha seli zinazotengeneza homoni ya progesteroni. Hii hufanya uterasi uwe mnene, na kutayarisha mwili kwa ajili ya mimba ikiwa yai linapaswa kutungishwa. Kwa sababu ya hali hii ya kawaida, unaweza kuwa na dalili za premenstrual syndrome (PMS) karibu na siku ya 12 ya awamu ya luteal, kama vile: - mabadiliko ya hali ya moyo - mabadiliko ya harakati ya matumbo - ugumu wa kulala - Nini inaweza kuvuruga mzunguko wa hedhi? "Uchunguzi wa kawaida wa hedhi ni muhimu kwa wanawake, ""anasema Jerome Cheliah, MD, MPH, OB-GYN katika Kliniki ya Cleveland na mwalimu wa afya ya wanawake." "Kuna sababu nyingi za kuharibika kwa mzunguko wa hedhi, pamoja na: ""Sisitizo: Sababu halisi ya msukumo inaweza kutupa mzunguko wako haijulikani, lakini inaweza kuwa kwa sababu msukumo husababisha kutolewa kwa cortisol (hormoni ya mkazo) ambayo inaweza kusababisha mabadiliko ya jumla ya homoni ambayo huvuruga msimu wako." Dawa za uzazi: Dawa za uzazi, hata kama hazihusiani na mfumo wako wa uzazi, zinaweza kusababisha hedhi isiyo ya kawaida. Kwa mfano, Chelliah anasema dawa za kuua akili, dawa za kupunguza damu, na steroids zinaweza kuathiri homoni zako na kuvuruga mzunguko wako. Kwa kuongezea, njia za kuzuia uzazi kama vile IUD zaweza kusababisha matatizo ya mzunguko, hasa mwanzoni. - Ovulatory dysfunction: Hii ni wakati kipindi chako ni cha kawaida kutokana na ukosefu wa ovulation au mifumo isiyo ya kawaida ya ovulation. "Kama ovulation ni alama muhimu kwa ajili ya mabadiliko ya homoni ambayo hutokea wakati wa mzunguko kusababisha mwisho wa hedhi [aka kutokwa na damu], abnormalities katika ovulation inaweza kusababisha vipindi abnormal, "anasema Chelliah. - Polyps ya uterasi: Polyps ni ukuaji katika uterasi ambayo kwa kawaida ni ya hali nzuri, ikimaanisha sio kansa. Chelliah anasema kwamba huenda zikafanya hedhi ziwe ndefu au ziwe na madoa kati ya hedhi. - Uterine Fibroids: Fibroids pia ni kawaida benign ukuaji katika tumbo la uzazi. Inaweza kusababisha kutokwa na damu kwa muda mrefu na kuenea kwa damu kwa muda mrefu kuliko wiki moja. Ingawa mchakato wa kawaida wa mzunguko wa hedhi ni sawa kwa kila mtu, mzunguko wa kila mtu ni wa kipekee. Ikiwa mara zako za kawaida hazijabadilika au ikiwa una dalili mpya kama vile vipindi vya ziada vya uzito au vya muda mrefu, hakikisha uone OBGYN yako ili uone.