Reasons for significant changes in menstrual health

If your menstrual cycle, menstrual flow, and pain suddenly deviate significantly from the previous pattern that has been maintained for more than half a year, the core reasons can be classified as The stability of the reproductive endocrine axis is disrupted + the combined effects of systemic functional status , there is no single "universal scapegoat", individual differences are much greater than you think.

In the 5 years I have been doing women's health consulting, I have met too many girls who label themselves "premature ovarian failure" as soon as they find out that their aunt is delayed and the amount is reduced. In fact, nearly 70% of the short-term significant changes are directly related to recent changes in living conditions. I just received a consultation from a 28-year-old Internet operator last month. She stayed up for 12 consecutive days during Double Eleven, staring at activity data, and drank coffee until two o'clock in the middle of the night. Before, her cycle was as accurate as setting an alarm clock. That month, it was delayed by 10 days. On the first day, she was so painful that she took two ibuprofen before she could get out of bed. She went to the hospital to check if there was any hormone problem. After adjusting her schedule for half a month, her aunt returned to normal the next time. After all, the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis in your body that governs menstruation is a delicate little customer service. If you continue to overload it with overwork, it is normal for it to lose its temper and go on strike.

When it comes to external stimulation, many people's first reaction is to ask: Will it affect me if I drink ice? This is actually an issue for which there is currently no unified conclusion in the academic community. Western medicine currently has no clear evidence-based evidence that low-temperature foods can directly change endocrine levels. Some foreign gynecologists even recommend eating popsicles during dysmenorrhea to relieve cervical spasms. ； However, the view of traditional Chinese medicine has always been that the intrusion of cold will cause qi stagnation and blood stasis, reducing the efficiency of blood circulation in the uterine cavity. Clinically, I have indeed encountered many cases of girls who ate iced watermelon and iced milk tea for half a month in the summer, and their blood volume became less, the color became darker, and the blood clots increased. My own experience is that there is no need to adhere to a unified standard. If you are usually afraid of the cold and prone to menstrual cramps, then touch as little ice as possible. If you have had no reaction from drinking ice since childhood, there is no need to forcibly avoid food for the so-called "health preservation". Your own physical feeling is the first priority.

By the way, there’s another point that many people don’t expect: a short-term drastic change in weight can have an almost critical impact on my aunt. Last year, there was a girl who lost 25 pounds by dieting and exercising a lot in 2 months in order to take wedding photos. As a result, she lost contact with her aunt for 3 months. It was found that her body fat rate had dropped to 16%, which was less than the minimum threshold (17%) required for normal estrogen synthesis. It took her half a year to slowly gain back 8 pounds, and her cycle was slowly adjusted back. The opposite is also true. If you gain more than 10 pounds in a short period of time, insulin resistance may affect hormone secretion, resulting in delayed menstruation and increased menstrual flow.

Don’t underestimate the role of emotions. It’s not the kind of crying and fussing that you can clearly feel that counts as mood swings. There are many hidden long-term stresses, such as preparing for exams for two or three months in a row, having a long-term cold war with your partner, and constantly worrying about someone in the family who is sick. You may not feel “I am stressed” yourself, but the hypothalamus has already sensed it first and will actively lower the priority of estrogen secretion to help you cope with “survival-level” pressure first. After the pressure is relieved, your aunt will return to normal. Every year half a month after the postgraduate entrance examination, I receive a dozen girls saying, "My aunt, who has been delayed for almost 20 days, is finally here." This is the reason.

There are also some more trivial triggers, such as not exercising at all, suddenly running 5 kilometers every day for a week and playing badminton for two hours. It may also be due to short-term fluctuations in hormones in the body that cause the aunt to advance in advance.； For example, if you have recently taken emergency contraceptive pills, antidepressants, or even some Internet celebrity weight loss pills that have illegally added hormones, they may disrupt your menstrual cycle. ； Even after taking the HPV vaccine and being infected with COVID-19, many people have experienced menstrual fluctuations for one or two months, and most of them can recover on their own.

Of course, not all problems can be attributed to lifestyle habits. If your menstrual abnormalities have lasted for more than 3 months, such as cycle fluctuations for more than 10 days, the amount has become so small that you only use panty liners, and abnormal non-menstrual bleeding, then you need to consider the possibility of pathological factors. Polycystic ovary syndrome, reduced ovarian reserve, thyroid dysfunction, and endometrial polyps may all present such symptoms. At this time, do not randomly search Xiaohongshu to see a doctor for yourself. Go to a regular hospital to check for six hormones plus a gynecological B-ultrasound, which is more reliable than anything else.

In fact, after receiving consultations for so many years, my biggest feeling is that my aunt is really a very "sensitive" little girl. If you stay up for a few nights, get sulky, or lose a few pounds, she may have a tantrum for you. Don't panic if you have an occasional tantrum. Most of the time, she can get back to normal after adjusting her living conditions. But if she doesn't feel right for two or three months in a row, don't hold on and don't blindly follow the so-called "menstruation remedies." Seeking a professional doctor is better than anything else.