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Now, after much talk about perimenopause and menopause, we will take
a u-turn and answer some very basic questions about your body.
The first question that brings you to us, or any physician,
regarding your reproductive system is (usually) a menstrual
irregularity. There might be many questions on your mind pertaining to
the seriousness of the issue.
- Is my menstrual cycle telling me something about my body?
- Is an irregularity telling me something about my body?
- Do I have to be concerned about this irregularity?
- Do I need to see a doctor for this irregularity?
We will be answering all of these queries, but not right now. For that you will have to follow our series on Menstruation.
Like always, we will first begin with the basics, the menstrual cycle.
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Understanding a normal menstrual cycle
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What goes on in a normal menstrual cycle?
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Until
a few years back, one was constrained in terms of acquiring knowledge
and information, sometimes irrelevant, but often very germane. Today,
the internet has fulfilled this basic motive of universal access to
knowledge. Educating oneself was never so easy.
This means fewer people lack knowledge about a normal menstrual cycle. However, a lot of bad information is available as well.  Often
there is no check on the quality of content. We believe strongly in the
credibility of content, and so we will address both relevant and
irrelevant questions about the menstrual cycle. You may often come
across questions like “will a tubal reversal restore my normal
menstrual cycle” or “will my uterus fall out after menopause.” The
accuracy of some of this information, as well as the kind of
information available, is not always correct.
Your menstrual cycle will not be affected by a tubal reversal (until
you get pregnant after your tubal reversal). A tubal reversal does not
affect your ovarian function or your uterine lining, so your menstrual
cycles will remain the same.
Your
uterus will not fall out after menopause… unless you have pelvic
support issues. These will be addressed in another series on our blog.
Uterine prolapse is an issue related to the support structures of the
pelvic floor, and these are more commonly affected by genetic factors
and childbirth trauma.
A
menstrual cycle is a perfectly normal physiological occurrence that is
supposed to happen after a female has reached puberty. More than just
the cycle of monthly bleeding, menstrual cycles bring about some very
essential hormonal changes which alter the appearance of a female body
as well.
Only
humans and some of our Darwin relatives (i.e. chimpanzees) have been
blessed with the menstrual cycle. Although the rest of the mammals do
have a uterus, their reproductive cycles differ and are called estrous
cycles.
The
main difference between a menstrual cycle and an estrous one is the
show of blood. A menstrual cycle is completed with blood flow out of
the body where as in an estrous cycle the bleeding is inside the body
where the blood mostly stays inside the body. We hope you will not
wonder about the menstrual cycles of your pet animals anymore now.
A
menstrual cycle is an essential cycle required for a female before she
can reproduce. Inability of a menstrual cycle to occur is read as a
definitive issue with the reproductive system. We will discuss more of
that and the normal physiological changes in menstruation in the next
article.
Simply
put, the brain produces a hormone that is transported in the blood to
the ovaries. This hormone causes the ovary to produce a follicle.
Inside of the follicle, an egg is developed. Ovulation is induced by
another hormone from the brain sent down through the blood. Once this
occurs, ovulation causes the follicle to break open and release the egg
that has developed inside. The ruptured follicle (called the Corpus
Luteum) will then begin to produce yet another hormone that makes the
uterus a better place for the implantation of the fertilized egg (if it
gets fertilized by a sperm). If the egg does not get fertilized (for
example, a tubal ligation would prevent this) then the uterine lining
is shed and released into the vagina. This is referred to as your
menstrual cycle. Tubal Reversal
tubal reversal
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