Women's Menstrual Health

There has never been a "gold standard" that applies to everyone. To judge whether your menstrual period is healthy, you must always compare it with your own long-term baseline state, rather than with the "standard menstrual cycle, standard pain, and standard duration" circulated on the Internet.

I have worked as a science popularization volunteer in the gynecology department of a community hospital for half a year. I have seen too many girls frighten themselves with the "standard comparison chart" found online. Either they think they have "premature ovarian failure" because their cycle is two days shorter than others, or they are so painful that they break into cold sweats and still insist that "everyone is in pain, just bear with it and it will be over." In fact, they all fall into the misunderstanding of "unified standards."

Take the most controversial question "Can I drink ice during menstruation?" For example, if you ask doctors with different backgrounds, you may get completely different answers: There is currently no clear evidence-based medical evidence from Western medicine to prove that low-temperature food can directly induce or aggravate dysmenorrhea. Many European and American women still drink iced coffee and ice cream during menstruation without any discomfort. If your stomach is usually tight, you will not feel stomach pain or bloating after drinking ice. There is no need to hold back.； However, the view of traditional Chinese medicine is that the pelvic cavity is in a state of congestion during menstruation. The low-temperature stimulation of ice drinks will cause uterine smooth muscle and blood vessels to contract, which may aggravate qi and blood stasis. Girls who have problems with dysmenorrhea, cold hands and feet, and frequent menstrual blood clots, it is better to avoid it as much as possible. Both statements have their own clinical basis. No one is right or wrong. The core still depends on your own body's reaction.

A little girl born after 2000 came to consult before and said that she had only eaten boiled vegetables and ran five kilometers for three consecutive months in order to take the art exam. As a result, her aunt postponed it for half a month. The amount was so small that she only had spotting bleeding. Her mother forced her to do a bunch of tests. There were no organic problems. The doctor asked her to go back to eating normally and eat more red meat and animal liver. The cycle returned to normal in the second month. Don't tell me, this kind of temporary menstrual disorder caused by excessive dieting, staying up late, and high stress is really much more common than organic diseases. In many cases, if you adjust your living conditions, it will be much more effective than eating a bunch of "aunt's health care products" that cost hundreds of dollars.

Many people also ask "Can brown sugar water really relieve menstrual cramps?" In fact, to put it bluntly, it just adds some sugar and gives you some psychological comfort. If you feel relaxed and less painful after eating something sweet, then drinking it is absolutely fine, but Don’t expect it to “activate blood circulation, remove blood stasis” and “replenish blood”. If iron deficiency anemia is caused by excessive blood loss during menstruation, you will have to rely on red meat, animal blood or regular iron supplements. The iron content of brown sugar water is not enough to meet the daily needs. Oh, and there is also the rumor that has been circulating for several years that "you can eat hot pot milk tea for three days during menstruation". I have seen several girls eat hot pot milk tea for three days in a row, and after the end of the period, the scale has gained three kilograms. They come to me crying and ask why. In fact, it is that after the edema before menstruation disappears, they will lose 1-2 kilograms, which gives you the illusion of "you are not fat after eating". If you really consume more calories, they will not be polite to you at all.

Of course, this does not mean that all menstrual abnormalities can be solved by adjusting your living conditions. Some signs should not be ignored: for example, you have never had menstrual cramps before, and suddenly it hurts for two or three months in a row to the point where you don’t even need to take ibuprofen.； Or my menstrual period has been stable at 3-7 days before, but suddenly it becomes clear after two days, or it lasts for more than ten days and I still get wet. ； The amount of bleeding is so heavy that you have to change to a nighttime sanitary napkin every hour, and you also experience dizziness and unsteadiness. Don’t search on Baidu. After searching, you will directly suspect that you have a terminal illness. Go directly to a regular hospital to see a gynecologist, do an ultrasound and draw blood, and all the problems will be clear.

I used to have chest bloating, a bad temper, and hair loss at the slightest trivial matter a week before visiting my aunt. Later, I tried to replace the daily iced latte with hot milk a week in advance, avoid milk tea and functional drinks, and eat a small handful of plain nuts every day, which actually relieved a lot. I shared this method with a girl in the same department, and she tried it and said it didn’t help at all. In the end, I relied on taking a small dose of vitamin B6 as prescribed by the doctor. You see, everyone’s physique is different, and what works for others may not work for you, so there’s no need to be rigid.

In fact, menstruation is a "status reminder" sent by your body. During this period, don't stay up late and work hard. Take a break when you need to, and pay more attention to your own feelings. It is more reliable than any Internet celebrity health prescription. After all, only you know your body best, right?