In many people's minds, menstruation is undoubtedly a way to "detoxify".
If I can't smoothly welcome and send off my period every month, I always feel like toxins are accumulating in my body, and I feel uncomfortable all over. Even many obstetricians and gynecologists strongly agree with this.
But is that really the case?
What are you thinking! If people really relied on this to detox, wouldn't I, a "real man," have already died from poisoning?
What toxins can be found in menstrual blood?
As we all know, menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon for women.
As the ovaries secrete sex hormones in a cyclical manner, the uterine lining also changes and undergoes cyclical shedding. This process of endometrial shedding is called "menstruation".
In terms of specific components, menstruation is a mixture of "bleeding from ruptured blood vessels after the endometrium sheds + endometrial fragments + cervical mucus + vaginal epithelial cells".
These blood components are the same as the normal blood flowing in our blood vessels, and there is no such thing as "toxins".
Could there be toxins on the uterine lining that hasn't shed?
This is the "warm bed" for a developing fetus; the fertilized egg "sets up camp" on the endometrium. If it were truly toxic, we would all be immune to all poisons by now...
As for the mucus, epithelial cells, and the like, they are just a little bit of "sand" carried away during menstrual flow and are not worth mentioning.
Therefore, there are absolutely no toxins in menstrual blood! None!!
Some people might say, "If menstruation isn't a detoxification process, why do I get so many pimples before my period, but they clear up once my period starts?"
Actually, this is just caused by cyclical changes in the body's endocrine levels, not by toxins.
How do you determine if menstrual flow is normal?
Many women feel "relieved" when they have heavy periods, but "feeling stifled" when they have light periods.
Misled by the idea that "menstruation can detoxify," people don't seek medical attention even if they have excessive menstrual bleeding or anemia, but they panic and seek medical help everywhere if their menstrual flow is slightly less, fearing that the "toxins" are not being properly eliminated.
Here, I'd also like to take this opportunity to explain what "normal menstrual flow" means.
Most women experience a menstrual flow of 20-60ml throughout their menstrual cycle. A flow exceeding 80ml is considered excessive menstruation, while a flow less than 5ml is considered insufficient menstruation.
So here's the question: what do 5ml and 80ml mean?
Dr. Gu, who is always rigorous in his studies, calculated that when the blood stains the area covering 2/3 of the entire sanitary napkin, it is approximately 5ml.
In other words, if you don't soak through more than half a sanitary napkin during your entire period, it's considered a light period. If you use more than 16 sanitary napkins during your entire period, it's considered a heavy period.
Of course, this is just a rough estimate. If the menstrual flow is slightly heavy but doesn't affect your life or cause anemia, you don't need to worry about it.
For excessive menstrual bleeding, especially if it leads to anemia, it is recommended to seek treatment.
Otherwise, it will not only affect your studies, work and normal social activities, but long-term anemia may also lead to anemic heart disease. As a result, the "toxins" will not be eliminated at all, but your body will collapse first.
Is dark menstrual blood not a sign of toxins?
"What about dark menstrual blood? That's definitely a sign of 'toxin buildup'!"
No, that's not true! Darker or even blackish color is often a symptom of scanty menstruation, caused by blood accumulating in the uterine cavity for a longer period before being discharged.
However, no matter how dark the color, it is still non-toxic!
Regardless of the amount (which is related to the thickness and area of the endometrium, coagulation function, bleeding time, etc.), whether it is bright red or dark red (which is related to the different contents of arterial/venous blood and whether it is discharged in time), or whether there are blood clots (blood clots will form when the bleeding speed is too fast), it is just blood.
Of course, while scanty menstruation may not necessarily indicate "toxin accumulation," it should not be taken lightly. It could be a sign of conditions such as decreased ovarian function, endometrial damage, or reproductive tract malformations, requiring prompt medical attention from an experienced doctor to determine the cause.
But there's another situation called "normal" scanty menstruation. Isn't that amazing?
This is actually a case of reduced menstrual flow caused by medication. The most common causes are long-term use of short-acting oral contraceptives (the kind that are taken once a day, not emergency contraception) and the insertion of a Mirena IUD (a type of IUD that slowly releases progesterone). Both of these can easily lead to a significant reduction in menstrual flow or even amenorrhea.
In my outpatient clinic, I frequently encounter patients seeking help (or seeking treatment) for reduced menstrual flow caused by medication. Some ask to stop or change their medication, some complain that the medication prevents their bodies from eliminating toxins, and others question whether the doctor has prescribed the wrong medication...
I could only explain the "persuasion to return" to them one by one, telling them that these were all normal phenomena, would not harm their bodies, and that there was no need to worry.
The reason for spending so much time clarifying the facts about menstruation is to encourage people to view it scientifically.
A healthy lifestyle is the best way to "detoxify".
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