Hormonal changes in a woman’s body before and after menstruation can cause physical and emotional symptoms known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The menstrual cycle typically lasts 28 days, with ovulation occurring around day 14. Increased estrogen levels cause the uterine lining to thicken, which can lead to pregnancy if conception occurs. If not, menstruation begins and PMS symptoms decrease.
The typical woman’s body can undergo significant hormonal changes in the days and weeks before menstruation. These changes usually start again after each menstrual period ends. Hormonal changes generally begin with a gradual increase in estrogen levels leading up to ovulation, which normally occurs around day 14 of the average 28-day menstrual cycle. As the newly released egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus, estrogen levels continue to rise, causing the lining of the uterus to thicken. If conception occurs, the fertilized egg normally implants itself in the thickened uterine lining and begins to develop into a fetus, but if conception does not occur, the body’s estrogen levels decrease and the uterus loses its lining in that which is commonly known as menstrual period.
The average menstrual cycle is thought to last about 28 days, although it is considered normal for the cycle to range from 21 to 35 days in length. Most healthy women enjoy regular menstrual cycles, where menstruation begins on roughly the same day each month. The physical changes that generally occur in the days just before menstruation can serve to alert most women to the onset of a menstrual period.
Even healthy women who have normal periods are considered likely to suffer from some unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms in the days just before menstruation. These symptoms are often collectively known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). They can include bloating, fatigue, diarrhea or constipation, mood swings, and irritability. While doctors don’t fully understand the causes of PMS, they believe it is related to the increase in hormone levels in the body just before menstruation.
The normal menstrual cycle typically begins with a gradual increase in the hormone estrogen, which helps stimulate ovulation, or the release of an egg from an ovary. It is believed that most women ovulate in the middle of their cycle, usually about two weeks after their last menstrual period. Women are generally considered most fertile in the three days leading up to and on the day of ovulation.
Increased estrogen levels in the body cause the uterine lining to become thicker. This thickened uterine lining typically develops into a fetal placenta if conception occurs. If conception does not occur, estrogen levels drop and menstruation begins. PMS symptoms typically decrease in the first few days of the menstrual period, possibly due to the reduction in estrogen levels in the woman’s body.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
