Every woman should know the peculiarities of her menstrual cycle. This will allow not only to protect yourself from unwanted pregnancy, to calculate the optimal days for conception, but also to recognize incipient diseases in time. Even such a circumstance as an unpleasant smell during menstruation should be alarming, as it often indicates existing he alth problems.
What is your period?
Menstruation, or menstruation, is the bleeding that a woman has every month. The menstrual cycle lasts on average 21 - 36 days. Its regularity indicates the normal functioning of the female body.
The first periods appear in adolescence, during the period when puberty occurs. Not everyone has this period at the same time, various factors can affect this circumstance:
- hereditary predisposition;
- lifestyle;
- food features;
- presence of extra pounds;
- chronic diseases past or present;
- place of residence and climate.
Usually, menstruation begins between 11 and 15 years, but due to the existing acceleration, this period may come even earlier. Although, if menstruation began in a girl under 10 years old, then this may indicate anomalies in the development of the child. Abnormal is also considered the absence of menstruation until the age of 17 - 18.
Possible deviations
The following manifestations during menstruation speak of deviations from the norm:
- Irregularity of the menstrual cycle - observed with hormonal, endocrine or sexual disorders.
- Heavy periods.
- Scanty menstrual flow - this deviation occurs with a thin endometrium, the thickness of which should increase by the end of menstruation.
- Presence of thick blood and many clots. This indicates an increased coagulability of the blood plasma, which threatens to form blood clots.
- Unpleasant strong smell may indicate a sexually transmitted infection.
Mechanism of menstruation
Blood is observed in the first follicular phase of the cycle. Certain hormones influence this process. The adenohypophysis is stimulated by the hypothalamus, as a result, the latter synthesizes insignificant amounts of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormonal substances. They arecontribute to the maturation of follicles, one of which should become the main one, break and release the egg that has matured in it. However, in the follicular phase, the endometrial tissue, which was influenced by progesterone and estrogens, grew, thickened and led the preparation for fertilization and fixation of the fetal egg, becomes unnecessary and at the time of contractions of the uterine muscles is rejected and excreted in the form of menstruation.
The cycle repeats every month, hence the popular name for menstruation - menstruation. After the onset of pregnancy, they disappear, since there is no rejection of the endometrium. Often there is no menstruation during breastfeeding. The body at this time produces the hormone prolactin, which suppresses ovulation.
Normal menstrual flow contains the following components in addition to blood:
- the tissue that lines the uterus, the endometrium;
- secretory fluid secreted by the glands of the vagina and cervix.
Normally, the smell from the vagina during menstruation is neutral, the blood itself has a burgundy color. Due to the presence of specific substances in it, it does not coagulate.
The smell of menstruation in a he althy woman
In a normal state, menstrual blood smells like iron. Since it is found in the blood in large quantities. If it gets on the pad, the oxidation process begins, and in stale air conditions, it can be assumed that the smell during menstruation will change, and not for the better.
Also blooddischarge on critical days smells like raw meat, which is also normal. It is caused by the same presence of iron and hemoglobin in blood secretions.
Given that pieces of the endometrium come out during menstruation, and not just blood, the smell of discharge during menstruation is more intense.
If the smell is too strong, then the woman has problems, often due to poor hygiene or he alth problems. In particular, a rotten smell should be alert during menstruation.
Solve the problem with intimate hygiene
Unpleasant smell during menstruation is often caused by poor hygiene, such as rarely changing a tampon or pad. On average, they should be changed every 4 hours. Even if the discharge of blood is moderate, the change of the tampon or pads should be carried out in a timely manner. Lack of proper hygiene not only causes a woman to smell bad, but can contribute to the development of a disease such as vaginitis in her.
Deviations in the smell of menstrual blood should disturb a woman, as insufficient hygiene contributes to the active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. When they accumulate in the discharge, an unpleasant odor is felt.
You can easily overcome such a stench, just change pads and wash yourself regularly.
Presence of sour smell, norm and deviation
Why does my period smell sour? Such amber indicates the presence of pathology. However, you need to be able to distinguish between a sour natural smell and a sour,which indicates a problem in the body. It is worth understanding what the differences are. In the presence of milky, yellowish or dark discharge, which has a barely noticeable sour smell, there is no cause for concern. In this case, there should be no swelling and itching. This is the natural work of the female reproductive system, which produces an acidic environment to destroy unwanted harmful microorganisms. But if the aroma becomes harsh, then you should consult a doctor on this issue, as this symptom is often present in some diseases.
Other possible causes of odor during your period
Other reasons include:
- Vaginal candidiasis. People call it thrush, because the smell of secretions is similar to sour milk. The discharge itself during the absence of menstruation has a curdled texture with a characteristic sour smell and causes itching of the genitals. They are also released during menstruation, mixing with blood and increasing discomfort. The color of the discharge is uneven, sometimes pink, with a disgusting sour smell.
- Presence in excess of certain substances in the body. They are carried in the blood and penetrate various tissues. Here are just a few examples of such conditions. The smell of iodine may appear on the background of long-term use of drugs containing this substance or by inhalation of iodine-containing vapors, as well as in case of poisoning. If a woman's body has an excess of ketone (acetone bodies), then her discharge will smell like acetone or ammonia. This happens with various forms of diabetes,with the onset of dehydration, impaired metabolic processes, kidney and liver diseases, the predominance of protein products in the diet. The sour-metallic smell of blood appears when taking iron supplements.
- Inflammation. In addition to an unpleasant odor, in such cases, painful menstruation is observed, the color of the discharge may have a brownish tint, there is an abundance or scarcity of discharge, a long course of menstruation, the presence of clots or mucus in the discharge.
Infections
Sexual infections (STDs) can cause smell during your period. These diseases are sexually transmitted. There are extremely rare cases of infection through personal hygiene items. Such diseases are manifested by foamy greenish discharge in the periods between menstruation. Otherwise, the symptoms are similar to other gynecological diseases. During menstruation, the unpleasant odor increases. It usually resembles a putrid or fishy stench. Everything will depend on the pathogenic bacteria prevailing at this time. Often, before critical days, STD symptoms increase, manifesting as follows:
- increase in body temperature;
- general weakness;
- feeling sick;
- pain in the lumbar and lower abdomen.
After the cessation of menstruation, the discharge is still present for some time. Their color changes to yellow or green. At the same time, the smell of fish is constantly present, as during menstruation, or rot, which is most noticeable inmorning and evening hours. The development of inflammation is also evidenced by painful urination and frequent urges. If timely treatment is not carried out, then the disease becomes latent or chronic.
Poor-quality surgeries
Smell during menstruation may appear after a surgical intervention that was unsuccessful, or as a consequence of such events. An example is an incomplete abortion - medical or surgical, curettage, after which particles of the fetus remain in the uterus. In this case, tissue rotting begins, which is manifested by an unpleasant odor during menstruation, as well as discharge before or after them. In addition, a woman feels other unpleasant signs of the consequences of an unsuccessful curettage or abortion - this is fever, general malaise, headache, pain in the abdomen and back.
Failed pregnancy
As another reason for bad smell during menstruation, you can single out an unsuccessful pregnancy.
You can talk about an unsuccessful pregnancy when menstruation did not start on time, and later there was bloody discharge with a terrible smell. It resembles rot, which indicates the release of a fetal egg that has ceased to develop. A frozen pregnancy later causes a spontaneous miscarriage, but sometimes the embryonic tissues do not come out completely. In this case, curettage of the uterus is performed.
Sex life and periods
Can I have sex during my period? Experts oppose intimacy during this period. There are reasons for this:
- Both partners may experience a number of inconveniences at this time, which is not conducive to enjoyment.
- Even during your period, you can get pregnant if you ovulate at the wrong time.
- During this period, the woman's body is most susceptible to infection, as the cervix opens slightly and pathogenic microflora can penetrate through it.
If the partners still decide to have sexual intercourse, then it must proceed in compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, after it you should definitely take a shower. At the same time, a man must use a condom to prevent his partner from getting pregnant and protect her from infection.
Thus, normally there should be a smell of blood during menstruation.
If, subject to all hygiene rules, an unpleasant odor persists on critical days, then you should contact a gynecologist to find the cause of this condition. In addition, it is important to consult a doctor if other abnormalities are present, such as a cycle failure, a change in the amount of discharge, itching, severe pain and other discomfort.
