7 Random Things You May Experience with Your Menstrual Cycle

So you are a woman and you are embracing womanhood with your monthly period?  Here, we share a bit more about what to expect when you’re expecting… your cycle.

1. While women with asthma have asthma flare ups with different seasons or exercise, it can also flare up during your menstrual cycle.  Your immune system becomes suppressed during your cycle. An increased sensitivity to allergens paired with lower-than-normal lung capacity causes between 19% and 40% of women with asthma to experience PMA ( premenstrual asthma) according toMultidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine.  Something to be on the lookout for so that you can maybe measure and manage it easier during this timeframe.

2.  A night light can affect the duration of your period. Light exposure can affect the secretion of the sleep in the hormone in melatonin. Melatonin can help control the release of the female reproductive hormone that determines when your menstrual cycle starts and when it ends. A study in the early 90’s showed women with extra long cycles or irregular cycles, when sleeping next to a 100 watt light bulb for a few days, noticed their cycles shortened dramatically.

3. You see a box of tampons and they come in a box of 18. How did they come up with 18? Marketers combined with OB/GYN came up with the average amount of tampons used with each cycle. So on average, women go through 18 tampons per cycle.

4. Though women may feel like they are bleeding more than what they think, in reality they are only bleeding about 60 ml or 2.7 ounces with each cycle according to Pubmed Health. That is equivalent to 2 shot glasses or about 16 tsp.

5. So you are thinking about swimming? It's hot outside, you are on your period and you want to cool down. According to one OB/GYN, when fully submerged into water, the pressure from the water counteracts the gravity of blood from exiting the vagina which in turn acts like a cork. It doesn't stop the bleeding. It just applies more pressure to the vagina to stop from bleeding out. So yes...jump into that pool if you need to. Just remember to be mindful of gravity when you exit the water.

6. Studies have shown women tend to spend more money impulsively when they are on their period. A sudden bout of hormone fluctuations may be to blame for this. 

7. For women who take the pill, the period you have when you are taking the placebo pill or the sugar pill is not a real period. The pill stops ovulation and when you are taking the placebo it leaves you in a state of hormonal depletion. It is what is called “withdrawal bleeding.” The uterine lining doesn't build up as much when you are on the placebo, in fact, it weakens and sheds to which the bleeding is from the thinning.

So, there’s your daily dose of random facts that accompany your cycle at times! Whether you find yourself shopping more, or snagging an inhaler, some of these behaviors are unique to your cycle. Always see medical professional advice for the discussion and possible treatment of any of these areas that bother you.