Hyderabad: Being a woman is a celebration in itself because every woman, despite facing all the problems at different stages of her life, fulfils all the responsibilities of home, family, children, and office very well. The journey from a child to a young woman, a mother and a grandmother is not an easy one. There are many changes in their bodies during this journey, and because of this they often have to face physical and mental problems.
Despite the problems caused by menstruation every month and the problems caused by hormones and other reasons at different stages of ageing, women fulfil all their responsibilities. But it is also true that amidst the burden of their responsibilities, they largely ignore their health. Generally, they consult a doctor for problems like cold or fever, but when it comes to menstruation, infection in the reproductive organs or some issues related to them, even today most women prefer to ignore them.
Menstruation is indeed a regular process in women and during this time most women have to face abdominal pain or some other problems. But if these problems start affecting their health and routine, then they should not be ignored at all. Dr Vijayalakshmi, a gynaecologist from Uttarakhand, talks about why menstruation is necessary, and when the problems occurring during menstruation can become serious.
Dr Vijayalakshmi explains that menstruation is not a smooth and easy process for most women. Due to continuous bleeding for 4-5 days, abdominal pain, cramps and sometimes some other problems during this period can be very uncomfortable for them. On top of that, if the bleeding is excessive or the pain is severe, then it can make the duration of menstruation more painful.
But menstruation is very important for reproductive health. During this process, hormones are produced or their activity increases in the body of women, which helps in preparing their bodies for pregnancy. Even if a woman is not menstruating, it is a big problem, because it can cause problems in reproduction.
She explains that this process usually starts at the age of 12 or 13 in girls. In some girls or women, menstruation lasts for 3 to 5 days, while in some it lasts for 2 to 7 days. This cycle of menstruation continues till menopause in women. But in normal conditions, this cycle stops during the entire period when a woman conceives. However, sometime after the birth of the child, this cycle starts again. Menopause usually occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 50. After menopause, the reproductive cycle stops in women. That is, after this, she cannot conceive.
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Dr Vijayalakshmi says that the absence of menstruation in women is considered a big problem. She explains that the absence of menstruation, also known as Amenorrhea, is of two types: The first is Primary Amenorrhea, in which girls do not start menstruating till the age of 15 or 16. And the second is Secondary Amenorrhea, that is, due to health or other reasons when regular menstruation suddenly stops.
- Primary amenorrhea can usually be attributed to an abnormality or disturbance in chromosomes, a problem in the ovaries, a disease or problem in the reproductive organs, a disorder, or a thyroid problem. When this happens, the fertility of the woman is affected.
- On the other hand, in secondary amenorrhea, due to pregnancy, fibroids in the uterus, PCOD and other types of health-related reasons and due to menopause, menstruation stops permanently or temporarily.
If the condition of menopause is left out of the above-mentioned reasons, menstruation can start again. As menstruation starts on its own sometimes after pregnancy, whereas the condition of stopping menstruating due to a disease or any problem can be cured after proper treatment.
Dr Vijayalakshmi says that most women have to face abdominal pain, stiffness, cramping, abdominal gas or flatulence, bleeding more or less and some other problems during menstruation. In some, it is of very low or tolerable condition whereas in some it can be so much that even the daily routine of the woman gets affected. But most women ignore the pain or problems during menstruation considering it as a period routine until the problem increases too much. She explains that in most cases, uterine contractions are responsible for pain during menstruation or dysmenorrhea. More or less contraction in the uterus is responsible for more or less pain and cramps in the stomach.
A hormone called prostaglandin is believed to be responsible for contractions in the uterus, which is also necessary for the right digestive system. In such situations, the formation or activation of this hormone can not just affect the speed of contraction in the uterus, but can also cause digestive problems such as abdominal pain or bloating during menstruation. Apart from this, sometimes due to reasons like fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, adenomyosis and cervical stenosis etc. in the reproductive organs, it can also cause severe pain in the abdomen or pelvis or abnormal bleeding during menstruation.
Dr Vijayalakshmi tells that whether it is an urban or rural population, informed or uninformed, a large number of women do not take care of necessary hygiene during menstruation. It is also important to know that cleanliness does not mean only the use of sanitary napkins. Rather, using them correctly, changing them for a fixed period, trying to keep the vagina clean during this time, washing it with clean water three to four times a day, and wearing clean undergarments are also very important to maintain cleanliness.
On the other hand, women who use cloth during this time should also keep in mind that the cloth used should always be washed and cleaned. Apart from this, women who use tampons or menstrual cups etc. should take special care of hygiene. She tells that usually, women ignore pain or discomfort, especially during menstruation, if the bleeding is too much or any other problem or pain is too much, They shy away from going to the doctor until the pain becomes completely unbearable. This is not just done by older women or women living in rural areas, but this is also seen in urban women who are very educated.
Menstruation is a normal condition, in case of any kind of problem, it is necessary to contact a doctor immediately. Especially if the problem is related to menstruation or reproductive organs, then immediate consultation with a gynaecologist becomes very important. Otherwise, sometimes the problem can become serious if the disease or infection is not treated properly and at the right time. Apart from hygiene, a lack of essential nutrition or water in the body can also affect the processes related to hormones or the reproductive system, especially menstruation. That's why it is very important to eat healthy food for good health.
