When it comes to talking about your cycle, who knew that it’s not all about your periods? We mark its expected day of arrival each month as a reminder to stock up on our period products and practise some extra self-care before its arrival. But whilst your periods manage to steal the limelight, behind-the-scenes there’s a whole process of perfectly synchronised dancing hormones taking place. If just one or more of these hormones are out of time, the whole performance could be interrupted and cause your health some chaos.
Your cycle is an excellent looking glass into your reproductive and overall health, so much so that in 2017, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists evaluated that menstrual cycles should be included as an additional “vital sign” (a measurement of the body’s most basic functions) alongside the main four: body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. Identifying any abnormalities with your menstrual patterns or behaviours may improve earlier diagnosis for potential health concerns, making it essential for your health to understand your “norm”.
So how do you know if there’s something up, down below? It’s important to look out for:
Heavy bleeding: If you’re having to change your period products every 1-2 hours, and your periods last for more than 7 days.
Irregular periods: It might seem like a blessing to have infrequent periods, but they should be consistent. If your cycles are longer than 35 days - they’re considered irregular.
Painful periods: Periods sure can be a pain, but they shouldn’t be too painful. If your pain is affecting your everyday life - don’t suffer in silence!
No periods: If your menses goes missing, its a sign that your body is under significant stress, whether from excessive exercise, malnourishment or experiencing troublesome times.
These symptoms are often your body signalling that elsewhere there is an issue that needs to be identified. As many as 30% of women suffer from a reproductive health condition, yet sadly, modern medicine’s answer is too often a pill prescription that masks these symptoms and does not cater to your individual health needs. Leaving many of us with a lack of information about our own health.
At Hertility, we don’t agree with ignoring your symptoms. We believe in being proactive with your reproductive health, so you can understand your unique biology. Knowledge is power after all, and equipping yourself with the knowledge about your fertility should be easily accessible for everyone.
Fancy a reproductive health check? Join our #ReProductive Revolution!