What is menstrual cycle

Periods usually start between age 11 and 14 and continue until menopause at about age They usually last from three to five days. Besides bleeding from the vagina, you may have. Premenstrual syndrome , or PMS, is a group of symptoms that start before the period. It can include emotional and physical symptoms.

Consult your health care provider if you have big changes in your cycle. They may be signs of other problems that should be treated. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Menstruation Also called: Menses, Menstrual period, Period.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens but in most women, it happens around 10 to 16 days before the next period.

This might be true for women who have a regular, day cycle, but it won't apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer. For more information on fertility awareness, see the FPA guide to natural family planning. Vaginal secretions sometimes called vaginal discharge change during the menstrual cycle.

Around the time of ovulation, they become thinner and stretchy, a bit like raw egg white. See your GP if you are concerned about a change in your vaginal discharge. Read more about getting pregnant , fertility and period problems. Take our survey. Page last reviewed: 05 August Next review due: 05 August Periods and fertility in the menstrual cycle - Periods Contents Overview Delayed periods Period problems. What happens during the menstrual cycle?

These are: 2 ovaries — where eggs are stored, developed and released the womb uterus — where a fertilised egg implants and a baby develops the fallopian tubes — two thin tubes that connect the ovaries to the womb the cervix — the entrance to the womb from the vagina the vagina The menstrual cycle is controlled by hormones. Watch an animation about how the menstrual cycle works. Video: menstrual cycle This animation explains in detail how the menstrual cycle works. Media last reviewed: 21 October Media review due: 21 October This can occur around day 10 of a day cycle.

The growth of the follicles stimulates the lining of the uterus to thicken in preparation for possible pregnancy.

Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the surface of the ovary. This usually occurs mid-cycle, around two weeks or so before menstruation starts. During the follicular phase, the developing follicle causes a rise in the level of oestrogen. The hypothalamus in the brain recognises these rising levels and releases a chemical called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone GnRH.

Within two days, ovulation is triggered by the high levels of LH. The egg is funnelled into the fallopian tube and toward the uterus by waves of small, hair-like projections. The life span of the typical egg is only around 24 hours.

Unless it meets a sperm during this time, it will die. Read more on ovulation and fertility window.

During ovulation, the egg bursts from its follicle, but the ruptured follicle stays on the surface of the ovary. For the next two weeks or so, the follicle transforms into a structure known as the corpus luteum. This structure starts releasing progesterone, along with small amounts of oestrogen.

This combination of hormones maintains the thickened lining of the uterus, waiting for a fertilised egg to stick implant. If a fertilised egg implants in the lining of the uterus, it produces the hormones that are necessary to maintain the corpus luteum.

This includes human chorionic gonadotrophin HCG , the hormone that is detected in a urine test for pregnancy. The corpus luteum keeps producing the raised levels of progesterone that are needed to maintain the thickened lining of the uterus. If pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum withers and dies, usually around day 22 in a day cycle. The drop in progesterone levels causes the lining of the uterus to fall away.

This is known as menstruation. The cycle then repeats. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Alcohol is responsible for most drug-related deaths in the teenage population. Androgen deficiency in women and its treatment is controversial, and more research is needed. It is helpful to imagine assertiveness as the middle ground between aggression and passivity.