Determination of blood volume during menstruation in women

The nature and regularity of menstruation directly depends on the general health of the woman. Their quantity is different - abundant, scanty or average, while the discharge can be scarlet, red, pink or brownish. It is difficult to say exactly how much blood a woman loses during menstruation, because each case is individual. However, the rate of recovery of the body and the woman’s ability to bear children depend on the volume of blood released. Now you will find out which indicators are normal and which indicate the need to visit a doctor as quickly as possible.

Why do girls and women have periods?

Menstruation is an important period of the classic menstrual cycle, during which part of the old endometrium of the uterus is shed. The process is accompanied by the release of a specific fluid consisting of blood and other components.

The mechanism of formation of regula is complex in nature and includes the following features:

• The ovaries produce hormones that peak in the middle of the cycle;
• The egg exits the fallopian tubes and moves towards the uterine cavity, which provokes enlargement and swelling of the endometrium;
• In the absence of fertilization, the egg with part of the mucous membrane and blood clots is released through a natural physiological process.

Menstruation begins on average at 11-13 years of age and continues until the end of a woman’s reproductive period. Moreover, in the first months the cycle is unstable and becomes stable for a year, sometimes longer.

Determination of blood volume during menstruation in women

Menstruation, although a normal physiological process, occurs with its own characteristics for every woman. The volume and nature of discharge can provide important information about the health of the reproductive system. Calculating how much blood a woman loses during her period is not an easy task. To do this, it is necessary to clearly understand the physiology of bleeding.

The volume of blood released during menstruation varies from person to person.

Phases of the menstrual cycle

Modern gynecology divides the general natural menstrual cycle into several phases:

• The follicular phase is the conditional beginning of the menstrual cycle after natural uterine bleeding associated with rejection of the endometrial layer in the absence of fertilization of the egg. Duration – on average 14 days. The beginning is counted from the actual 1st day of menstruation. The process begins with the synthesis and release of gonadoliberin, which in turn stimulates the formation of follitropin and lutropin. Within 3-4 days, secretion is limited by low levels of estradiol, but concentrations gradually increase until the release of lutropin from the adenohypophysis.
• Ovulatory phase . From the middle of the follicular phase, a dominant is formed, actively growing and reaching maturity by its end (ovum). After the release of LH hormone and its distribution through the systemic bloodstream, the production of prostaglandins increases in parallel, inducing the release of a mature egg. During 1 day of ovulation, about 10 milliliters of follicular fluid is released, carrying the egg through the fallopian tubes into the main cavity.
• Secretory phase . During this phase, which lasts 9-13 days, the uterus prepares for implantation of a potentially fertilized egg. The endometrial glands are actively maturing, progesterone and estrogen reach peak values ​​due to the degeneration of the Graafian vesicle into the corpus luteum. If pregnancy does not occur and the egg is not fertilized, then the latter is structurally destroyed by the end of the phase, which leads to the resumption of the work of LH and FSH hormones, bleeding, and stimulation of the development of a new follicle.

Why does menstruation occur?

Menstruation is an indicator of youth and a reminder that the main purpose of a woman is childbearing. It performs a cleansing function. Throughout the menstrual cycle, the uterus prepares to receive an egg.

Menstruation will not occur if fertilization has occurred

By the time of ovulation, its layer increases in size and accumulates enough nutrients to nourish the embryo. If conception does not occur, the body removes unnecessary dead endometrial tissue, which helps renew the uterine layer and prepares it for further implantation of the egg.

How much blood does a woman normally lose during her period?

The potential volume of blood loss during menstruation is purely individual and depends on the physiological characteristics of the woman’s body, her nutrition, the presence of certain pathologies, and external factors.

Modern medicine estimates the rate of blood loss during menstruation to be within the range of 40-160 milliliters per cycle.

Moreover, in some cases, relative variations are values ​​of 10-50 and even 200-250 milliliters. The discharge itself is darker than normal venous blood, since it contains additional enzymes, endometrial breakdown products, and so on.

The number of pads required during menstruation depends on their quality, as well as their ability to absorb liquid. In general, it is recommended to change products 3-4 times during the day and install the night version of the pad before going to bed, removing it in the morning. Products are selected individually depending on the intensity of normal bleeding. For poor people - pads marked 1-2 drops. Moderate – 2-3 drops. Intensive – 4-5 drops.

In order to save money, it is not recommended to purchase products with high absorbency during normal or scanty discharge, and then wear them all day, since the risks of secondary bacterial infections and other problems increase.

How much blood comes out during menstruation

Man is a creature capable of reproducing all year round. This makes it different from most other animal species on the planet. But for the possibility of year-round reproduction, a mechanism is needed that allows one to get rid of an egg that is not fertilized in time, and the tissue that lines the uterus is ready to receive an embryo.

This tissue is called the endometrium and sheds off during your period. Since the endometrium is connected to the walls of the uterus by many capillaries, the purpose of which is to deliver nutrients to the fetus, when detached, the capillaries rupture. Naturally, a ruptured capillary bleeds. When there is only one, we usually do not even notice such bleeding. But in the endometrium there is a dense network of capillaries. As a result, quite a lot of blood flows out.

Blood loss during menstruation varies even within the body of one woman. Bleeding may be more profuse in one month and less in another. But in general, the amount of blood lost by women ranges from 50 to 250 ml. According to other sources, no more than 150 ml.

On a note! In this case, the amount of pure blood is indicated without taking into account mucus and exfoliated endometrium.

Menstruation can be:

• scanty;
• average;
• abundant.

They differ not only in the amount of blood lost, but also in duration.

The heaviest bleeding occurs on the first and second days. Since it is at this time that the endometrium is separated. Next, the walls of the uterus heal, and the amount of oozing blood decreases.

The blood norm during menstruation is about 150 ml. Often girls are happy about their scanty periods, not suspecting that this is one of the types of pathology.

Hypomenorrhea

A type of scanty menstruation, when the amount of blood lost is less than 50 ml. In this case, menstruation looks like spotting discharge of a dark brown or light color. This condition does not cause any inconvenience and they do not pay attention to it, considering such periods as a variant of the norm.

Hypomenorrhea can indeed be the norm in the first 2 years after the onset of puberty or at the onset of menopause, when the reproductive function of the body fades.

Reasons for hypomenorrhea can be:

• strict diet. Leads to a lack of nutrients that are necessary for the functioning of the reproductive system;
• anorexia. A consequence of a strict diet, during which a mental shift occurs and a person considers himself fat even with very little weight;
• the influence of hormonal contraceptives;
• miscarriage. In fact, a “period” lasting less than 2 days may not be a period, but a miscarriage in a very early stage of pregnancy;
• some infectious diseases of the brain;
• low amount of estrogen in the body. In women with a masculine appearance, menstruation may last less than 4 days;
• ovarian disease affects the regularity of the menstrual cycle and the amount of blood lost;
• climate change;
• genetic predisposition.

In mature women, hypomenorrhea is most likely a sign of hormonal imbalance or other problems of the reproductive organs. The worst variant of hypomenorrhea is amenorrhea, that is, the complete cessation of menstruation.

Amenorrhea

If this is not a consequence of the disease, it means that the body does not have enough nutrients. And, paradoxically, these days amenorrhea can occur due to the desire for a healthy lifestyle. If by this healthy lifestyle they mean a raw food diet and veganism.

For normal functioning, the female body needs animal protein. Even if it is the protein of insect larvae. Proponents of the theory of a return to the eating style of their ancestors would do well to remember that gathering meant not only eating fallen fruit, but also collecting ant eggs, beetle larvae and flies.

Today, few women can be forced to eat a tasty live cockchafer larva, and raw plant food is not enough for the body to function normally. Therefore, with a raw food diet, menstruation gradually stops completely. But adherents of a raw food diet, and for some reason male ones, are sure: the absence of monthly bleeding is evidence of cleansing the body of toxins.

On a note! There are no toxins in the human body from which it needs to be cleansed.

And not only in the human. With an active lifestyle, all nutrients are either converted into energy or used to build new cells. If a raw foodist wants to get pregnant, she will have to resume consuming animal protein. At least at the level of eating dairy products. Resumption of menstrual bleeding is a prerequisite for pregnancy.

Menorrhagia

If daily blood loss exceeds 80 ml, we can talk about another pathology: too heavy periods. It is difficult to determine how many milliliters of blood are lost every day at home. Moreover, only pure blood needs to be measured, and not a mixture of blood with other natural secretions. But you can roughly estimate.

If during menstruation a woman needs to change super-absorbent pads every 2 hours or more often, it is better to consult a doctor. In this case, the total amount of blood during the entire period is taken into account. On the first day, if the bleeding is heaviest, you may need to change pads every hour or two. But on other days, the amount of blood released may decrease sharply. This phenomenon is considered a variant of the norm. But if you often have to change pads for several days in a row, then a visit to the doctor is overdue.

The causes of menorrhagia are:

• stress;
• low blood clotting;
• tumors;
• intrauterine device;
• hormonal drugs;
• genetic predisposition;
• climate change.

The last two points are also true for scanty monthly bleeding.

On a note! Sexual intercourse during menstruation prolongs bleeding by 1-2 days.

Blood clots

It's actually clotted blood. Blood clots may appear:

• with a sedentary lifestyle;
• after sleep, when blood stagnates in the vagina or even outside between the labia;
• when the uterus is bent;
• if there is a septum in the cervix;
• with polyps in the uterus;
• with uterine fibroids;
• with hormonal imbalances;
• as a reaction to the presence of a spiral.

Single blood clots are normal, especially 2-3 days after sleep. If multiple blood clots appear, in combination with heavier monthly bleeding, you need to visit a doctor.

On a note! Adherents of a raw food diet point to the presence of blood clots as a sign of “severe contamination of the body with toxins.”

In fact, there is no need to “cleanse” the body. You need to undergo a full examination.

Duration of the process and reasons for deviation

The general average norm is considered to be a range from 3 to 7 days, but the parameter is also individual and depends on the presence of both physiological and pathological factors.

The menstrual cycle takes on average 28 days , with values ​​in the range of 21-31 days considered normal. Significant deviations from the indicated parameters can be caused by various reasons:

• Physiological. Pregnancy, lactation period, complete end of the reproductive period of the body’s development;
• Pathological. Inflammatory processes, ulcerative lesions, any other diseases, pathological syndromes and negative conditions that delay or accelerate the natural menstrual cycle in women. The vast majority of problems are associated with pathologies of the pelvic organs in general, as well as lesions of the uterus, appendages, ovaries and other components of the reproductive system in particular.

Causes of scanty discharge

Scanty periods are a consequence of hormonal deficiency, disruption of connections between the brain and the reproductive system, nutritional and metabolic disorders. It is very important how much blood comes out during menstruation. With scanty menstruation (hypomenorrhea), the volume of discharge does not reach 50 ml.

During breastfeeding, menstrual flow is scanty and irregular. This is due to the restructuring of the body for motherhood.

For the first time, scanty menstruation, with the release of dark blood, as well as pain in the lower abdomen, may be a sign of an ectopic or frozen pregnancy.

What does discharge consist of and where do periods come from?

Absolutely all natural discharge comes from the vagina. Various special rare cases associated with a direct correlation between the end of the cycle and the appearance of blood from unusual locations (for example, bloody tears, bloody diarrhea) are usually associated with obvious pathologies.

Extragenital endometriosis is considered typical in this context, when, due to a number of circumstances, endometrial tissue takes root in the most unexpected places - the mucous membranes of the eyes, intestines, and so on, and then reacts to the natural process by releasing blood.

The composition of menstrual discharge includes blood, mucous secretion of the cervix, vagina, endometrial tissue, remnants of the egg and corpus luteum.

When to see a doctor

Many women's problems are solved before they even begin, thanks to regular examinations by specialists (and now we are talking not only about gynecologists, but also about other doctors). Blood loss during menstruation is a normal process. It is not capable of harming the body or weakening the woman too much. But this is only in the case of normal flow of regulation. If there are any anomalies, you need to contact a gynecologist about them.

The average amount of blood is very individual for each woman. When the cycle more or less stabilizes (this happens two to three years after the start of the critical days), it is worth fixing the volume. Slight fluctuations in blood loss during menstruation are normal. But a change that is out of control and cannot be explained by simple reasons (stress, climate change, diets...) is a “bell” about problems in the body.

When during your critical days you feel not just discomfort, but sharp pain, dizziness, nausea, and the amount of blood is much greater than usual, you should visit a gynecologist. And urgently. This may indicate acute inflammatory processes that are going through an active phase right now. If there is no response to the disorder, it will result in a much larger problem - up to operations and loss of reproductive function.

If blood loss is minimal for a month and the diet has not changed, this is also a sufficient reason to visit the hospital. Especially if you are not yet 55 years old and there are no reasons for the onset of menopause yet. Don't wait for the problem to go away on its own.

Even if nothing unusual happens (you do not suffer from constant pain or stinging, the color has not changed, the volume remains at the same level...), but you still have the feeling that your periods are going “wrong,” it won’t hurt to consult a gynecologist. Vigilance in such an important and sensitive issue is never superfluous. Now it is possible to identify many complex and dangerous diseases long before the critical point. This became possible thanks to modern technologies and regular gynecological examinations. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the better the prognosis for recovery.

Symptoms of approaching menstruation

A typical symptom of the rapid completion of the menstrual cycle with the appearance of bleeding in a number of women is premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

The above condition is a cyclical set of symptoms that occur 2-5 days before menstruation. They are characterized by individual psycho-emotional, vegetative-vascular and metabolic-endocrine temporary problems.

It should be noted that PMS usually does not manifest itself in absolutely healthy women and indicates the presence of a number of provoking factors - from stress and general exhaustion of the body to infectious diseases and postpartum depression.

Possible symptoms of PMS:

• From the mental side – depression, apathy, irritability, aggression;
• From the physiological side - swelling of the face, fingers, soreness and swelling of the mammary glands, headache, sweating, increased blood pressure, disturbances in stool and urination.

The intensity of manifestations is heterogeneous. These can range from short-term mild symptoms to real crises that completely block performance for several days and significantly worsen the quality of life.

Scanty periods

Quite often, women, especially young girls, experience scanty discharge instead of menstruation. Usually such menstruation is not dangerous, because in a healthy woman they are never profuse, but they may indicate a pathological condition. The main reason is the formation of the menstrual cycle. The reproductive system tries to find the optimal way to produce progesterone, which is responsible for menstruation.

However, if such periods are observed in mature women, their cause may be:

• decrease in the amount of estrogens;
• endocrine disorders;
• unexplained weight loss or gain;
• dysfunction of the ovaries;
• hereditary pathologies that worsen with age;
• hormonal imbalance, including due to the use of hormonal therapy;
• pathological conditions of the endometrium.

Controlling the amount of fluid released by the body during menstruation is quite important. This is necessary to determine the general state of health and timely diagnosis of pathological conditions. Of course, it is quite difficult to find out the exact amount of blood, but each girl can develop her own technique and control the process, determining the intensity and consistency of the discharge.

Delayed menstruation: reasons and what to do

By the term delayed menstruation, modern gynecology means the absence of bleeding as the final stage of the cycle for more than 35 days from its beginning. This condition is caused by a wide range of reasons:

• Adolescence. Rapid maturation against the background of unstable hormonal levels in teenage girls determines the instability of their menstrual cycle in the first 1-2 years of appearance;
• Pregnancy. The most common reason for delay;
• Gynecological disorders and diseases. Inflammatory processes, endometriosis, hormonal imbalances and other pathologies;

• Disorders of the maturation process in the follicular phase. Persistence, atresia, hyperplasia and other negative processes affect pathological changes in the quality of previous menstrual cycles, which sometimes leads to delayed bleeding and its complete cessation;
• Physiological external influence. Physical overload and emotional stress, sudden changes in lifestyle, use of emergency contraception, malnutrition, postpartum lactation, etc.

If a delay occurs, take a pregnancy test, then contact a gynecologist and undergo a comprehensive diagnosis.

Why does mucus appear before and during menstruation?

Mucus the day before the start of menstruation indicates inflammatory processes if it has a white, brown, green or yellow tint and a pungent odor. In this case, itching or other pathological symptoms may be observed, for example, irritation of the genital organs and pain during sexual intercourse.

If a woman is sexually active and instead of normal periods, she has brown clots, this may mean pregnancy or a hormonal imbalance. The first thing you need to find out is the presence or absence of pregnancy, septum in the uterus, def

ects of the genital organs or bending of the uterus with displacement.

Such deviations indicate stagnation of blood and the presence of only mucus or small clots. A similar phenomenon also produces small black clots and causes a painful course of the natural process. They cannot be treated. The only thing a doctor can suggest in this case is surgery.

The cause of menstruation with mucus and clots is intrauterine contraceptives. For example, this is an intrauterine device that protects a woman from pregnancy. It is convenient and reliable. But it can cause unpleasant symptoms in the form of menstruation with blood clots and mucus. In addition, pain appears during sexual intercourse if the IUD was placed incorrectly or the body rejects it.

Another reason for the appearance of mucus is the presence of cysts in the ovaries and endometriosis.

These are diseases that indicate a hormonal imbalance and can lead to severe bleeding, cycle disruptions, and pain during sexual intercourse. They are treated with medication or surgery.

The consequence of disorders in the body can be sports or excessive stress at work. Such actions seriously affect the functioning of hormones.

Why is there a lot of blood coming out?

Within the framework of modern medical practice, heavy discharge during menstruation is considered a variation of the norm in cases where the daily volume of fluid does not exceed 250 milliliters. If there are more of them, this is an obvious pathology.

Possible pathological causes of extremely heavy periods:

• Using an intrauterine device of inadequate quality, installed incorrectly or the use period of which is coming to an end;
• Benign tumors;
• Systemic failure of the hormonal system;
• Intragenital endometriosis;
• Polyps;
• Bleeding disorders;
• Other problems.

In this case, normal/pathological heavy menstrual and uterine bleeding should be distinguished. Main criteria:

• Cyclicality. Uterine bleeding, unlike regular bleeding, can occur at any time, not tied to the cycle;
• Appearance of the secret. Menstrual fluid is dark, while classic bleeding is bright scarlet or red;
• Duration. The cycle of excretion of the endometrium, the remains of the egg and the corpus luteum ranges from 3-7 days.

Even in the presence of uncharacteristic heavy discharge that falls under the definition of regulus, it is worth contacting a gynecologist for diagnostics, especially if the problem is not a one-time problem, but has been going on for several cycles. If there are signs of heavy uterine bleeding, call an ambulance immediately.

Heavy blood loss

During menstrual periods, the level of bleeding varies for each girl. However, heavy bleeding should be treated with extreme caution - contact a specialist for examination. Large blood losses can be a sign of uterine bleeding, which is an extremely dangerous condition.

Heavy discharge can be caused by many factors:

• stress;
• moral or physical exhaustion;
• chronic fatigue;
• pathological conditions of pregnancy.

The sooner a woman seeks help from a specialist, the faster the cause of the violation will be identified and eliminated. If heavy bleeding occurs suddenly, uterine fibroids may develop. Although such a neoplasm is benign, it still affects the duration of menstruation and the level of fluid released during this period.

If the number of clots increases during menstruation, the formation of polyps on the walls of the uterus is possible. In modern medicine, there are many methods for early diagnosis of such neoplasms, however, subject to regular examinations by a gynecologist.

Endometritis is one of the factors influencing increased bleeding. The surface layer of the endometrium grows excessively, and with the arrival of menstruation it begins to peel off, thereby increasing the amount and duration of discharge. The amount of discharge is also influenced by external factors in the form of injuries due to impact, sudden shaking.

What to do if the process is accompanied by pain?

In most cases, regulations within the monthly menstrual cycle do not cause direct pain. However, in some women it manifests itself in the presence of PMS.

If the gynecologist does not find pathological causes of pain and diagnoses “premenstrual syndrome,” then in parallel he recommends symptomatic therapy that relieves unpleasant manifestations. The regimen and specific drugs are prescribed individually, taking into account the physiological characteristics of a particular patient:

• Neuroleptics and angioprotectors;
• Nootropics;
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Vitamin and mineral complexes;
• Herbal remedies;
• Complex hormonal therapy;
• Physiotherapy.

Causes of small and large amounts of blood discharge

Depending on how much blood a woman loses during menstruation per day, her well-being changes. With heavy discharge, you often feel dizzy during menstruation, there is low blood pressure, a general loss of strength and nervous exhaustion. With an abnormally small amount, there is a high probability of unpleasant sensations - spasms, nagging pain, aching lower back.

Despite the fact that these are radically different manifestations, their reasons are quite similar:

1. Inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system and throughout the body.
2. Tumors of the ovaries or appendages.
3. Dysfunction of the hormonal system.
4. Injuries or consequences of operations with complications.

The intensity of bleeding can also be affected by the contraceptives used. Hormonal drugs interfere with the functioning of all body systems and, with prolonged use or misuse, stimulate both an increase and a decrease in secretions. Intrauterine devices increase bleeding, as the walls of the uterus are stretched and injury during egg rejection occurs over a larger area.

In addition to the pathological cases mentioned earlier, blood volume depends on the following factors:

1. What is the state of the woman’s nervous system? Increased anxiety, as well as regular stress, can affect not only the cyclicity, but also the amount of discharge.
2. Weight and physique. Increased volume is more common in women of large build. For slender girls, on the contrary, scanty periods are a more common problem.
3. Age. Until the cycle is formed, the amount of substance released may fluctuate. With age, this problem goes away and the standard average volume of menstruation is established. The same problem occurs when menstruation returns after childbirth.
4. Nutrition and diet. Strict diets and fasting, as well as a sharp increase in caloric intake, can make adjustments to the menstrual cycle. Both smaller and larger.
5. Climate and state of the atmosphere. The natural environment, as a factor, is constantly influencing. With a sharp change in climate, there is a possibility of not only a shift in the cycle, but also a change in volume.
6. Heredity. This refers not only to hereditary diseases, but also to the structure of the body and the internal arrangement of organs.

What not to do during menstruation?

As part of the general recommendations, the following points are highlighted:

• Sexual contacts. In general, they are not directly prohibited, but we are talking about the hygiene of the process and the increased risk of transmitting genital infections, so it is advisable to refrain from them;
• Use of medications. It is undesirable to use drugs that thin the blood;
• Hot bath. It is better to replace it with a warm shower and basic hygiene procedures;
• Physical exercise. Long-term impact training is prohibited, but light cardio exercises are allowed;
• Donation. During menstruation and 1 week after it, blood sampling exceeding 300-400 milliliters is prohibited.

Causes of heavy periods

Isolated cases of heavy periods occurred in every woman. An increase in the amount of discharge may appear in a completely healthy woman after suffering stress, heavy physical activity or climate change.

Menstruation is considered heavy if blood loss exceeds 100 ml over the entire period of menstruation.

Prolonged uterine bleeding that occurs at regular intervals is called menorrhagia. Occurs most often in women over 30 years of age. If blood loss is significant, anemia, tachycardia, and shortness of breath develop.

If there are formations in the uterus, periods can be very heavy

Factors contributing to the development of menorrhagia:

• hypothyroidism;
• formations in the uterus (polyps, fibroids);
• endometrial hyperplasia;
• bleeding disorders;
• anatomical defects of the uterus;
• lack of ovulation;
• renal failure;
• intrauterine contraception (spiral).