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Menstruation
Pronunciation
Definition 1
Periodic discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus. From puberty until menopause, menstruation occurs about every 28 days when a woman is not pregnant. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
The normal physiologic discharge through the vagina of blood and mucosal tissues from the nonpregnant uterus. (NCI Thesaurus)
More information
Menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman's monthly cycle. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus. It passes out of the body through the vagina.
Periods usually start between age 11 and 14 and continue until menopause at about age 51. They usually last from three to five days. Besides bleeding from the vagina, you may have
• Abdominal or pelvic cramping
• Lower back pain
• Bloating and sore breasts
• Food cravings
• Mood swings and irritability
• Headache and fatigue
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. (NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Also called: Amenorrhea, Menses, Menstrual period, Period
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