Menses, also known as Menstruation, Period, and Monthly, is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the uterus of a woman. The onset of menses marks puberty which usually occurs when a girl is about 11 or 12 years of age. However, in some cases, it can start at an earlier age like 8 or 9 and at a later age like 13 or 14, sometimes even 15. Bleeding usually lasts around 2 to 7 days. Menses stop occurring after a woman reaches menopause, which usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age.
Symptoms
- Acne
- Tender breasts
- Bloating
- Feeling tired
- Irritability
- Mood changes
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Lack of periods (amenorrhea)
- Painful periods
- Abnormal bleeding
- Emotional disturbances
- Crying spells
- Depression or anxiety
- Most common Menstrual Disorders:
- Infrequent periods (Oligomenorrhea)
- Short or extremely light periods (Hypomenorrhea)
- Too-frequent periods (Polymenorrhea)
- Extremely heavy or long periods (Hypermenorrhea)
- Extremely painful periods (Dysmenorrhea)
- Breakthrough bleeding (Spotting) between periods (Metrorrhagia)
- Absent periods (Amenorrhea)