Have you ever stopped to wonder why you get a period? Many women (okay, me) have wondered this and end up dreading the days leading up to our monthly periods. Is there a purpose of the blood, sweat, and tears? Contrary to popular belief–it doesn’t have to be the bane of your existence; your period is the foundation of you looking, feeling and functioning optimally.
Your beautiful body is so wonderfully constructed that through the vital, natural, and necessary process of your cycle it releases tissue that it no longer needs. Every month, your body prepares to have a baby, whether you are prepared or not. The lining of your uterus gets thicker as preparation for nurturing an egg. If the egg is not brought to life through the help of a little sperm, your uterus doesn’t need to get thicker, so it starts to break down and is eventually expelled. Seriously, isn’t it crazy to think about all that happens inside the amazing female body?!
The Disney video entitled The Story of Menstruation (didn’t know Disney did a video on periods, neither did we) does a great job of explaining why having a period is nothing to be negative or ashamed about whatsoever. Even though it can be a nuisance, it really is the key to living the life you want. Now, you know why you get a period, but why do women get PMS (premenstrual syndrome)? See, periods aren’t the enemy but PMS just might be. PMS is “Premenstrual Syndrome,” it is an all-inclusive term for the monthly “struggles” women may experience around the time of their period. PMS affects 90% of all women in some fashion according to the Office On Women’s Health. PMS symptoms include mood swings, bloating, breast pain or tenderness, depression, anxiety, headaches, joint pains, food cravings, and more.
When you get your cycle, your hormone levels will fluctuate, this makes the miracle of pregnancy possible. Even if pregnancy is not your goal right now, fertility is a real big deal and a huge indicator of health. When our bodies function how they’re intended to, we feel good, experience healthy ovulation and have the ability to carry a baby (if that’s the goal).
Life can feel a bit like walking on a balance beam, trying to stand yet feeling like we’re about to fall on our face instead. When your hormones are out of balance everything is out of balance. You may experience debilitating PMS symptoms, or difficulty losing weight, fluid retention, intense mood swings, irregular cycles, acne, poor sleep quality and infertility. The opposite of everything we want in life.
Remember that the uterus is a STRONG muscular organ with the ability of serious muscle contractions (case and point: childbirth). Painful cramps or the clinical term, dysmenorrhea, is the build-up of prostaglandins—tiny compounds that have hormone-like effects in the body. When those pesky little prostaglandins congregate in the uterus, they cause the uterine muscles to tighten up. When these muscles tighten, they can press against nearby blood vessels that deliver oxygen to the uterus. In similarity to every other muscle, the uterus needs oxygen to function. When uterine muscles are depleted of oxygen the result is cramping.
The pro-inflammatory prostaglandins that live in a painful uterus are called PgF2-alpha and PgE2. Levels of these prostaglandins are low throughout most of the menstrual cycle, then they rise sharply before a woman’s period begins. Studies have found that women with dysmenorrhea produce 8 to 13 times more of these prostaglandins than women without dysmenorrhea.
One day as the natural cycle of our body progresses, a period will be something of the past. Welcome to the next stage of your life: menopause. The reason for this is that every woman is born with a certain number of eggs inside her ovaries. With age, the quantity and quality of a woman’s eggs decline.
It’s hard to believe that some women actually miss their cycle but it’s true. A period is a sign of fertility and youth. For many women menopause is bittersweet. No more ovulation, no more menstruation, and no more opportunities to have babies. The next time you get your period, remind yourself: you’re young, strong and can accomplish anything on or off your period.
Sources
Stöppler, Melissa Conrad. “What Is PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)? Symptoms, Signs & Treatment.” MedicineNet, MedicineNet, 14 Nov. 2016, https://www.medicinenet.com/premenstrual_syndrome/article.htm.
You and Your Hormones, https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/prostaglandins/.
YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67UkBcseQlA.
“PMS Relief.” Womenshealth.gov, 16 Mar. 2018, https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/premenstrual-syndrome.
“Menopause.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 7 Aug. 2017, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397.