The first menstrual period in girls is called "menarche". It occurs on average between the ages of 10 and 14, but it can go beyond this norm. Sometimes the first menstruation comes suddenly, without preliminary symptoms, sometimes accompanied by unusual sensations. But in any case, menarche is preceded by both internal and external changes in the girl's body.
First menstruation
On average, most adolescent girls begin their first periods at 12-14 years of age, but these periods can vary greatly depending on the individual characteristics of the organism, environmental conditions, genetic predisposition, health status and other factors. Even food and climate affect the timing of your first menstrual period. If menarche occurred between 10 and 17 years of age, then this is considered the norm.
By the time the first menstruation appeared, other signs of puberty had already appeared: the growth of the body accelerated, the figure began to acquire more rounded shapes, pubic hair appeared, the external and internal genital organs increased, the mammary glands became larger, and the nipples were darker. After all these changes, menstruation occurs, but it does not yet speak of the end of puberty: the cycle must be established, the figure must take its final shape, and the body must complete the period of endocrine maturation.
The first menstruation is most often not abundant, they have a special smell, since during this period the vaginal glands are actively working. The microflora of the genital organs changes, so it is very important to follow the rules of intimate hygiene. Menstruation may be accompanied by headaches or pain in the lower abdomen, weakness, nausea, and dizziness.
Signs of first menstruation
If the girl monitors her condition and is attentive to the changes in her body, then the first menstruation will not be a shock, since there are many symptoms by which you can determine their approach. Two years, a year or several months before menarche, girls have characteristic vaginal discharge - leucorrhoea, which at first has a liquid consistency and is released in small quantities. In three to four months, they become more abundant and thicker: by this criterion, you can determine the approximate time of the onset of the first menstruation. If the leucorrhoea has a pronounced pungent odor and color and is accompanied by itching, you should visit a gynecologist.
Some girls have pains in the lower abdomen a few months before menarche, they can be weak or quite severe. They are often accompanied by other signs of a premenstrual symptom: headache, mood swings, aggression, tearfulness. But PMS often begins not a few days, but several weeks or months before the first menstruation, although the timing may vary for different girls.
By the time of the first menstruation, changes in appearance also occur, associated with the activation of the sebaceous sweat glands: pimples appear, sometimes severe acne is observed, hair becomes dirty faster, and dandruff may occur.
