Blood clots that are discharged from the female body as part of the menstrual bleeding are actually masses of tissue that are discarded by the endometrium. It can be safely said that blood clotting is a common feature of menstruation as menstrual cramps.

While blood clotting is a normal aspect of menstruation, it may become a cause for concern if it is accompanied by heavy bleeding. A woman should consult her doctor if blood clots suddenly start appearing as part of the bleeding. In case blood clots appear for more than a day or are unusually large in size, a medical expert should be consulted.

A menstrual cycle, which begins on the first day of the period, entails menstruation. As part of this cycle, sex hormones inside the woman’s body prepare it for pregnancy. Hormones that influence the menstrual cycle are estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Estrogen develops the female reproductive structures in the body, such as the uterus lining called ‘endometrium’. It also promotes little sacs called ‘follicle’ that contain the egg, to release it.

Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy. It also helps the mammary glands produce milk. The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) helps mature the egg, so that they can be released. The luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulates ovulation. If the egg gets fertilized by a sperm, the woman conceives. However, if the egg is not fertilized, it gets discarded by the body in the form of vaginal bleeding.

Women may experience mood swings around the time of their periods. This is referred to as the ‘pre-menstrual syndrome’ or PMS. There may be a feeling of anxiety, depression, and fatigue during this time. Some women also experience menstrual cramps. Medical experts usually administer non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help ease the pain. Regular exercises also help prevent menstrual pain.

Several hygiene products are available in the market to help women absorb this bleeding. These include sanitary pads which can be worn inside the undergarment to absorb the flow of blood. Disposable cotton in a cylindrical shape is called a tampon. This is inserted inside the vagina to absorb the bleeding.

An early menstrual cycle may be caused by physical and psychological reasons. The menstruation cycle is influenced by hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. These hormones help regulate the process of ovulation. It is important therefore, that the level of both estrogen and progesterone is balanced in the body. An alteration in the level of either of these hormones may adversely affect the ovulation process, causing irregular menstruation.

Psychological factors cast a subtle effect on the functioning of the body. Stress, fatigue, or anxiety can lead to an early menstruation cycle. These causes need to be checked in case they have a harmful effect on the body, causing irregularities with the periods.

But first, it is important to determine the exact cause of an early menstrual cycle. If it is being caused due to an imbalance in the hormone levels in the body, one must ensure its resolution. Hormonal imbalances can be cured with the help of medication, and also by making changes in one’s lifestyle pattern. An early occurrence of the menstruation cycle caused by factors such as stress or fatigue can be rectified by relaxing the body and mind. Therapies such as Aromatherapy or physical exercises such as Tai Chi or Reiki can prove extremely successful in alleviating stress, as well as improving the body’s reproductive system.

These cramps usually occur before the commencement of the menstrual cycle or during its initial days. They are usually caused due to a heavy contraction in the uterine muscles. Women may also experience diarrhoea, headaches, and nausea along with this pain.

Doctors usually administer non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDS in order to bring relief in case of menstrual cramps. They are considered safe for young girls to take. This line of drug does not cause drowsiness. Other than that, women can also use a hot water bottle for comfort. Experts are of the opinion that regular exercise goes a long way in warding off menstrual cramps.

For pregnancy to occur, the egg released from the ovary has to be fertilized by the sperm. The process where the egg is released from the ovary is known as ovulation. Ovulation takes place on the 14th day of the menstrual cycle. If however, the egg does not get fertilized, it is discarded by the body in the form of menstrual bleeding.

One of the causes of a woman conceiving while she is menstruating could be her short menstrual cycle. In such a case, the process of ovulation would begin soon after the menstrual bleeding ends. In some cases, women experience menstrual bleeding for as long as seven days. In such an instance, there are chances that the woman may have finished menstruating but the bleeding has continued. So, she could be bleeding even while she is ovulating.

The male sperm has been known to be able to stay inside the woman’s body for days. A woman might complete her periods and start ovulating. If the sperm is inside the body, it may fertilize an egg. Also, sometimes, women bleed while they ovulate. This might be taken as a period.

A woman, who wants to stop her periods temporarily, must consult a gynecologist. The doctor will determine if this is a safe option. There are two ways of stopping the menstrual cycle temporarily. The doctor may either administer a contraceptive pill or can give a birth-control shot.

It is said that approximately 5% of women experience menstrual spotting, usually around the time of their periods. Although spotting is generally considered to be harmless, it may also occur because of lack of ovulation in the body. In this case, an absence of ovulation makes the lining outside the uterus to grow thicker, and then causes some tissue to get discarded from the body. This is most likely to result in spotting.

Menstrual spotting may occur due to the following reasons:
i. Pregnancy
ii. Cervical cancer
iii. Usage of contraceptives
iv. Hormonal imbalance
v. Infections
vi. Medication
vii. Polyps
viii. Dysplasia

Pregnancy
Some women, who have had an intercourse around the time of their periods, may experience some spotting instead of their normal menstrual cycle. This could be due to pregnancy. In some cases, it is a combination of delayed periods and spotting. In both the cases, it is important that women consult their gynecologist.

Cervical cancer
A case of menstrual spotting could be caused due to cervical cancer. Therefore, it is important that a doctor is consulted in case of menstrual spotting.

Usage of birth control pills
Contraceptives are known cause changes in the body, and so may lead to spotting. If a woman has only just started on contraceptives, she may see some spotting, for others it may occur the entire time they are on birth-control pills. Irregular use of contraceptives can also lead to some spotting. It is best however, to consult a doctor in case of spotting to ascertain its cause.

Hormonal imbalance
Hormonal imbalance is also one of the common causes of menstrual spotting. A visit to the doctor should help in resolving this problem.

Infections
Usually, vaginal or cervical infections cause spotting. Occasionally, infection in the bladder may also lead to spotting. A medical expert should be consulted to treat the infection.

Medications
There are some medicines that may have a harmful effect on the menstrual cycle, causing spotting. This, usually, is attributed to blood-thinners.

Polyps
Small growths on the cervical canal are called polyps. They too may adversely affect the menstrual cycle, leading to spotting. Doctors usually prescribe a small surgical procedure to remove the growth, in case of which, normal menstrual cycle may resume.

Dysplasia
Women suffering from Dysplasia usually experience menstrual spotting. Dysplasia is a medical condition where the cervical tissues mature in an abnormal manner. A doctor must be consulted in this case.

Studies have proven though, that there is only a marginal change in the eating habits of women during menstruation, especially the intake of food. According to experts, the body metabolism also undergoes a slight change during the menstrual cycle. So, in effect, the slight increase in metabolism adjusts the small increase in food. But in case the woman is on a diet, then there may be some weight loss. This is because the metabolism would have increased slightly during periods, but the calorie intake would remain the same.

Women are also said to crave for certain types of food while they are menstruating. Although scientists have not conclusively proved this hypothesis, they have suggested that women may prefer carbohydrate sweets during their periods. At the same time, these cravings have been attributed to pre-menstrual syndrome or PMS. Even then, experts opine that the increase in weight due to a somewhat high intake of carbohydrates during this time may be negligible.

One definite cause of weight gain during menstruation is said to be water retention. But this too is considered both normal and temporary. A reduction in the intake of sodium may help remove water retention.

Reports suggest that there is a ‘fertility window’ within a period when women are most fertile. The fertility window, say experts, is five days before the process of ovulation and two days after ovulation. This is the period when a woman is most likely to conceive if she has had intercourse. However, this is just estimation, and not a conclusive theory.

Lactational amenorrhea is also said be a contraceptive, based on the postpartum infertility of the female body. Normally, women who are nursing at least six times during the day or are breastfeeding every four hours, and are not using any food supplements for the baby, may find that they are not menstruating and their period does not start. But periods will begin once the baby starts eating solid food or is sleeping for at least 4-6 hours in a day.

Experts say that sleeping with the newborn may also induce menstruation in some women. In this case, it is important to note that women are likely to start ovulating before the get their first period. This means that will become fertile before their first menstrual cycle after the birth of their newborn.