Menstrual symptoms: The important indicators for overall women’s health
Updated: 1:36 PM EST Dec 14, 2024
DOCTOR. LIKE IT OR NOT, PERIODS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART ABOUT BEING A WOMAN. IT EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFIES OVARIAN HEALTH. WELL, DOCTOR KEVIN AUDLIN AT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER SAYS PERIODS CAN BE ANNOYING AND INCONVENIENT, BUT ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR HEALTH. AND HE’S JOINING US THIS MORNING WITH MORE INFORMATION. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. ALL RIGHT. SO WE ALL KNOW WE GET THEM. IT’S A MONTHLY THING RIGHT. BUT WHAT MAKES THEM SO IMPORTANT. WELL IT ACTUALLY DOES SHOW US HOW HEALTHY THE OVARIES ARE. YOU KNOW, REGULARITY IS IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, TIMING, REGULARITY, LENGTH OF PERIOD, REGULARITY, FLOW, REGULARITY. THOSE ARE SHOWING YOU HOW HOW THE ESTROGEN LEVELS ARE GOING, HOW THE PROGESTERONE LEVELS ARE GOING. AND THAT’S VERY COMMONLY FOUND DURING THE — RANGE OF TEENAGE YEARS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE LATE 40S, EARLY 50S. THAT’S SUCH A GOOD POINT, BECAUSE WHEN WE SKIP A MONTH OR SEVERAL MONTHS, THAT COULD BE AN INDICATION OF NOT ONLY PREGNANCY, BUT OTHER ISSUES. AND IF YOUR PERIODS ARE GOING TOO LONG, THAT TYPICALLY IDENTIFIES OR INDICATES THAT THERE’S AN ISSUE AS WELL. CORRECT? FIBROIDS, POLYPS. SOMETHING WITHIN THE CAVITY. IRREGULAR TISSUE. IT COULD END UP BEING CANCEROUS. THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT CAN BE PART OF HEAVIER OR LONGER PERIODS. STRESS CAN CAUSE PERIODS TO GO AWAY. WEIGHT LOSS, WEIGHT GAIN, SLEEP IRREGULARITIES. ALL THESE THINGS ARE JUST KIND OF TELLING YOU THAT THE BODY IS IN A STRESS SYNDROME. NOW, FOR US, WE MIGHT GO, YES, I DIDN’T GET MY PERIOD THIS MONTH, BUT THERE COULD BE A CONCERN THERE. YEAH, NINE MONTHS LATER YOU MIGHT HAVE A NAME TO GIVE TO SOMEBODY. YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GET TO A CERTAIN AGE, IT MAY NOT BE A BAD THING, BUT IS THAT THE ONLY CONCERN IF YOU’RE NOT GETTING A PERIOD? NO. I MEAN, WHEN WHEN YOU’RE HAVING YOUR CYCLES, THE BONES ARE HEALTHIER, THE HEART IS HEALTHIER, THE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS DOWN, WEIGHT IS EASIER TO KEEP OFF, HAIR STAYS. SO THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THAT LADIES ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. AND WHEN THEY DO BECOME MENOPAUSAL, THE GAME CHANGES. SO BECAUSE IT’S NOT EVEN UNCOMMON FOR WOMEN OF A VERY LOW WEIGHT TO NOT GET THEIR PERIOD. THE LOWER YOUR WEIGHT IS, YOUR CHANCES OF NOT HAVING PERIODS ARE HIGHER. LADIES THAT HAVE EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS OR RAPID WEIGHT LOSS OR OR, YOU KNOW, EATING DISORDERS, THEY TEND TO NOT HAVE PERIODS, WHICH CAUSES OSTEOPOROSIS. SOMETIMES. ARE WE STARTING TO SEE THAT GIRLS ARE GETTING THEIR PERIOD YOUNGER, OR DOES IT JUST FEEL THAT WAY? WELL, STATISTICALLY THEY ARE. AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON IS, IS THAT WE’RE DIFFERENT NOW. YOU KNOW, OUR BMIS ARE A LITTLE HIGHER WHERE THERE ARE HORMONES IN FOODS. SO WOMEN ARE BEING OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING EXPOSED TO HORMONES EARLIER. AND AND IT’S KICKING OFF THE OVARIES INTO ACTION. SO IS THERE STILL A TYPICAL AGE OF GETTING YOUR PERIOD? USUALLY 13 IS THE ROUGH AGE, BUT I THINK WE’RE KIND OF CREEPING DOWN INTO THE 12 SECONDS. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IF THERE’S ANYTHING THAT’S GOING ON WITH OUR PERIOD, I’M SURE YOU WOULD SAY GO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT. ABSOLUTELY. GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE A REFERRAL, CALL ONE 800 M.D. MERCY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINI
Menstrual symptoms: The important indicators for overall women’s health
Updated: 1:36 PM EST Dec 14, 2024
Dr. Kevin Audlin of Mercy Medical Center joins Jenyne Donaldson for a conversation about period symptoms and how irregularities could be a reason to speak to a doctor.
Dr. Kevin Audlin of Mercy Medical Center joins Jenyne Donaldson for a conversation about period symptoms and how irregularities could be a reason to speak to a doctor.