Nere Maitea
Jun-15-2009, 09:21 PM
Hi Reader.
I am Ally, an (almost) 18 year old (female) student residing in Australia. As a content writer, I find it a struggle to pick a topic of interest or help to share with GovTeen as there are limitless choices but my enthusiasm to them are less then desirable. So whilst gossiping with a girlfriend of mine, I thought how about I write a continuous article on the workings of a female mind from the perspective of a (not so) lonely Aussie girl. This will be a serious of continuous article stretching over months and months. I do wish to request any topic ideas from anyone who may read this. If there is something you just don’t get about a female or male for that matter, shoot me a PM and I will write a dedicated article to you.
For my first topic (much to the dismay of any light-hearted males out there) I thought I would talk about that question that many guys have asked me at one stage or another;
Periods.
That awkward topic guys hate to think about and (some) girls openly discuss in friendship groups. From the start (google) defines ‘period’ or ‘menstruation’ as; “Periodical cycle in women wherein once a month an egg is released from the ovary, and the uterine wall is thickened to prepare for the fertilized egg to settle in it. If fertilization does not occur, then for 3-6 days the uterine lining sheds with discharge of blood.” Some times you may hear it refereed to as “that time of the month” as it occurs once a month for a female between puberty up until menopause.
Now that we know what an actual period is. What happens before? Well a few days before a girl gets her period she may experience PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome. There are more than 150 recognised PMS symptoms, and PMS differs from one woman to the next. Common symptoms include irritability, moodiness, fluid retention, breast tenderness and food cravings.
For the ladies who might want to overcome symptoms or lessen the effects of some PMS attributes changes in lifestyle and diets can help reduce it.
Lifestyle changes
Recommended lifestyle changes include:
Exercise regularly, at least three times a week – try to exercise daily in the premenstrual period.
Don’t smoke.
Cut back on caffeine and alcohol in the two weeks before menstruation.
Ensure that you get enough sleep.
Manage your stress in whatever way works for you – for example counselling, tai chi or meditation, walking or gardening.
Dietary changes
An Australian study found that women experiencing PMS symptoms crave high fat and high sugar foods like chocolate, biscuits and icecream. They also were found to increase their food intake by about 20 per cent. You can manage your weight and help reduce your PMS symptoms by making a few dietary changes, including:
Eat smaller meals more often – for example, have six ‘mini-meals’ instead of three main meals.
Reduce your intake of salty foods.
Include more fresh fruits and vegetables and wholegrain foods in your daily diet.
Boost your dairy food intake, but switch to reduced fat or non-fat versions.
Don’t keep high fat and high sugar foods in the house.
Make sure you always have tasty and healthy snack alternatives on hand.
Record your food choices in your PMS diary – charting your food intake may help you become more aware of high fat and high sugar snacking.
Supplements
Check with your doctor before taking any type of supplement. Herbal supplements can be as powerful as pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated with the same respect.
Supplements that have been shown to help reduce PMS symptoms include:
Calcium – about 1,200mg per day of calcium carbonate can reduce PMS symptoms by half. You need to take these supplements for at least three cycles before you may notice an improvement.
Magnesium – about 200mg per day of magnesium can reduce PMS-related bloating, fluid retention and breast tenderness by 40 per cent. You need to take these supplements for at least two cycles before you may notice any improvement.
Chaste tree – a study showed that the herbal supplement chaste tree (also known as chaste berry, or vitex agnus castus) reduces PMS symptoms by half. About 20mg per day may reduce symptoms of irritability, mood swings, anger, headache and breast fullness.
Vitamin E – about 400 units of vitamin E per day may reduce breast tenderness.
Evening primrose oil – this supplement may reduce breast tenderness.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – evidence is mixed about the effectiveness of vitamin B6 supplements. High doses of vitamin B6 are toxic to the nervous system. Use with caution and avoid long-term use.
Other supplements – manganese, ginger, black cohosh, red raspberry leaf and dandelion are anecdotally thought to reduce PMS symptoms. However, their effects have not been established. There are some concerns that black cohosh may harm the liver in some individuals. Always consult your doctor before taking any supplement, including herbal supplements.
St John’s Wort – is a mood stabiliser and has been shown to improve mood. This supplement may interact with other medications so always check with your doctor before taking St John’s Wort.
There are other ways to counteract the pain of not only PMS but also a girl’s period and that may be through hormone medication such as the Pill or medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs.
The menstrual cycle:
http://drraysudeshna.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/image_menstrual_cycle.9634534.jpg
It’s quite hard to explain what actually is happening to the female’s body during the time of her period. With the release of hormones, the ovary releases an egg down into the fallopian tube where it would be fertilised if sperm was present. The egg then embeds itself into the lining of the cervix where it waits to be fertilised. After a period of 7-10 days, the body releases another hormone that breaks down the lining where the egg sits and is expelled through the vagina in the form of blood.
That is a female’s period put simply – although it is much more complex when you bring in medical terms. If you are still interested – see this site (http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Menstrual_cycle?OpenDocument) for more information.
Controlling a girl’s period can be through the use of a sanitary napkin (pad) or a tampon.
A pad is worn externally and normal sticks to a girl’s underwear. There are many different types from liners which are small and are used near the start or end of a girl’s period where the flow of blood may be low to ‘Dry night’ pads which are thick and long to stop any blood getting on the sheets during sleep.
http://www.le-west.co.uk/photos/M0184-1-F.JPG
A tampon is inserted into the vagina with an applicator or a finger. Many girls prefer these as they are discreet and compact to carry. There are complications that could occur with a tampon being in the vagina too long. This is a condition called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) where the blood infects the vagina and it could be critical for a girl. The upside to a tampon from a pad is that you can swim with a tampon but not a pad and it is inside so it is not visible when wearing tight clothing.
http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/user_files/4540/Image/tampon.jpg
Advice to males:
During a female’s period, she may be very irritated at slight things. It is only once a month and during this time (I suggest) you just try and be nice and sympathetic. For some girls it can be very painful some months with cramps in her stomach or headaches. I must say – it isn’t one of the most comfortable things to have to go through – but it is part of being a female and keeping the population of mankind alive. If you have a girlfriend who may be in the time of her period, do something nice for her. If she is sore in the stomach area, maybe a hot water bottle would work a wonder or a cup of tea. I am not saying go out of your way to do everything for her, but something that might make her more comfortable
I do hope that this has helped in some way – and if you do have any more questions, feel free to PM me. Or if you have a topic idea for me, I will address it.
:) Thanks for now.
I am Ally, an (almost) 18 year old (female) student residing in Australia. As a content writer, I find it a struggle to pick a topic of interest or help to share with GovTeen as there are limitless choices but my enthusiasm to them are less then desirable. So whilst gossiping with a girlfriend of mine, I thought how about I write a continuous article on the workings of a female mind from the perspective of a (not so) lonely Aussie girl. This will be a serious of continuous article stretching over months and months. I do wish to request any topic ideas from anyone who may read this. If there is something you just don’t get about a female or male for that matter, shoot me a PM and I will write a dedicated article to you.
For my first topic (much to the dismay of any light-hearted males out there) I thought I would talk about that question that many guys have asked me at one stage or another;
Periods.
That awkward topic guys hate to think about and (some) girls openly discuss in friendship groups. From the start (google) defines ‘period’ or ‘menstruation’ as; “Periodical cycle in women wherein once a month an egg is released from the ovary, and the uterine wall is thickened to prepare for the fertilized egg to settle in it. If fertilization does not occur, then for 3-6 days the uterine lining sheds with discharge of blood.” Some times you may hear it refereed to as “that time of the month” as it occurs once a month for a female between puberty up until menopause.
Now that we know what an actual period is. What happens before? Well a few days before a girl gets her period she may experience PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome. There are more than 150 recognised PMS symptoms, and PMS differs from one woman to the next. Common symptoms include irritability, moodiness, fluid retention, breast tenderness and food cravings.
For the ladies who might want to overcome symptoms or lessen the effects of some PMS attributes changes in lifestyle and diets can help reduce it.
Lifestyle changes
Recommended lifestyle changes include:
Exercise regularly, at least three times a week – try to exercise daily in the premenstrual period.
Don’t smoke.
Cut back on caffeine and alcohol in the two weeks before menstruation.
Ensure that you get enough sleep.
Manage your stress in whatever way works for you – for example counselling, tai chi or meditation, walking or gardening.
Dietary changes
An Australian study found that women experiencing PMS symptoms crave high fat and high sugar foods like chocolate, biscuits and icecream. They also were found to increase their food intake by about 20 per cent. You can manage your weight and help reduce your PMS symptoms by making a few dietary changes, including:
Eat smaller meals more often – for example, have six ‘mini-meals’ instead of three main meals.
Reduce your intake of salty foods.
Include more fresh fruits and vegetables and wholegrain foods in your daily diet.
Boost your dairy food intake, but switch to reduced fat or non-fat versions.
Don’t keep high fat and high sugar foods in the house.
Make sure you always have tasty and healthy snack alternatives on hand.
Record your food choices in your PMS diary – charting your food intake may help you become more aware of high fat and high sugar snacking.
Supplements
Check with your doctor before taking any type of supplement. Herbal supplements can be as powerful as pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated with the same respect.
Supplements that have been shown to help reduce PMS symptoms include:
Calcium – about 1,200mg per day of calcium carbonate can reduce PMS symptoms by half. You need to take these supplements for at least three cycles before you may notice an improvement.
Magnesium – about 200mg per day of magnesium can reduce PMS-related bloating, fluid retention and breast tenderness by 40 per cent. You need to take these supplements for at least two cycles before you may notice any improvement.
Chaste tree – a study showed that the herbal supplement chaste tree (also known as chaste berry, or vitex agnus castus) reduces PMS symptoms by half. About 20mg per day may reduce symptoms of irritability, mood swings, anger, headache and breast fullness.
Vitamin E – about 400 units of vitamin E per day may reduce breast tenderness.
Evening primrose oil – this supplement may reduce breast tenderness.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – evidence is mixed about the effectiveness of vitamin B6 supplements. High doses of vitamin B6 are toxic to the nervous system. Use with caution and avoid long-term use.
Other supplements – manganese, ginger, black cohosh, red raspberry leaf and dandelion are anecdotally thought to reduce PMS symptoms. However, their effects have not been established. There are some concerns that black cohosh may harm the liver in some individuals. Always consult your doctor before taking any supplement, including herbal supplements.
St John’s Wort – is a mood stabiliser and has been shown to improve mood. This supplement may interact with other medications so always check with your doctor before taking St John’s Wort.
There are other ways to counteract the pain of not only PMS but also a girl’s period and that may be through hormone medication such as the Pill or medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs.
The menstrual cycle:
http://drraysudeshna.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/image_menstrual_cycle.9634534.jpg
It’s quite hard to explain what actually is happening to the female’s body during the time of her period. With the release of hormones, the ovary releases an egg down into the fallopian tube where it would be fertilised if sperm was present. The egg then embeds itself into the lining of the cervix where it waits to be fertilised. After a period of 7-10 days, the body releases another hormone that breaks down the lining where the egg sits and is expelled through the vagina in the form of blood.
That is a female’s period put simply – although it is much more complex when you bring in medical terms. If you are still interested – see this site (http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Menstrual_cycle?OpenDocument) for more information.
Controlling a girl’s period can be through the use of a sanitary napkin (pad) or a tampon.
A pad is worn externally and normal sticks to a girl’s underwear. There are many different types from liners which are small and are used near the start or end of a girl’s period where the flow of blood may be low to ‘Dry night’ pads which are thick and long to stop any blood getting on the sheets during sleep.
http://www.le-west.co.uk/photos/M0184-1-F.JPG
A tampon is inserted into the vagina with an applicator or a finger. Many girls prefer these as they are discreet and compact to carry. There are complications that could occur with a tampon being in the vagina too long. This is a condition called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) where the blood infects the vagina and it could be critical for a girl. The upside to a tampon from a pad is that you can swim with a tampon but not a pad and it is inside so it is not visible when wearing tight clothing.
http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/user_files/4540/Image/tampon.jpg
Advice to males:
During a female’s period, she may be very irritated at slight things. It is only once a month and during this time (I suggest) you just try and be nice and sympathetic. For some girls it can be very painful some months with cramps in her stomach or headaches. I must say – it isn’t one of the most comfortable things to have to go through – but it is part of being a female and keeping the population of mankind alive. If you have a girlfriend who may be in the time of her period, do something nice for her. If she is sore in the stomach area, maybe a hot water bottle would work a wonder or a cup of tea. I am not saying go out of your way to do everything for her, but something that might make her more comfortable
I do hope that this has helped in some way – and if you do have any more questions, feel free to PM me. Or if you have a topic idea for me, I will address it.
:) Thanks for now.