When you first experience ‘menarche’, you might be a little panic, but this is nothing abnormal or to be ashamed of. ‘Menarche’ refers to the onset of menstruation（月經）. On average, the menarche age for girls is between 11 and 15. In some places in the world, even a grand celebration is given to mark a girl’s “transition to womanhood” when her menarche takes place.
Menstruation (Miss M. as below) is often called the “period”, which refers to a woman’s monthly bleeding（出血）. It is a complex process during which the uterus（子宫）sheds the lining（黏膜）of its inner wall. During this time, bleeding will occur. It usually lasts for three to eight days. Each woman’s cycle length differs. The cycle itself often changes when a woman gets older, which lasts between 24 and 38 days. Throughout a monthly menstrual cycle, your body makes different amounts of hormones, and such changing hormone levels can cause menstrual symptoms such as mood changes and headaches
Miss M. is never a problem, yet the poor menstrual hygiene is. Many cases show that poor menstrual hygiene could cause the biggest threats to the health of women, such as depression（抑鬱）, anxiety disorders, asthma（氣喘）, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management at a global level, the Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated annually on May 28 since 2014.
Here are some tips for you to prevent premenstrual syndromes (PMS)（經前症候群）or other related problems before they happen.
First, you should change your pads or tampons（衛生棉栓）every few hours. They should not be worn for more than 8 hours to avoid the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), which is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into your body and releasing harmful toxins（毒素）.
Secondly, you should always keep track of the menstrual cycle, noting if it’s not regular（定期的；有規律的）or if you suffer from period pain or any PMS such as cramping, headaches or breast pain. Having a regular period indicates your body is healthy – so it’s important to notify your mum or doctor if your periods are not occurring regularly or at all. Keeping a menstrual diary can help your doctor find proper treatments that work for you. To help track menses, you can download such apps (sometimes for free) easily if necessary.
Moreover, during the period, a healthy diet is recommended to nourish the blood. Green vegetables such as the jujube (棗), red bean and spinach would help. Besides, quality assured supplements including natural minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and multi-vitaminsare also beneficial. Yet, you should always consult your doctor or nutritionist with any questions you may have regarding your health condition.
Above all, an open conversation with your mum or elder sister, or someone you trust is always helpful. It’s always good to learn from others’ experience, right? Menstrual cycles are often irregular （不定期的；没有規律的）during adolescence, particularly the interval from the first cycle to the second cycle. Who knows the second time Miss M. come that might be 3 to 4 monthsaway? All we need to do is just get well prepared, and enjoy the daily life just as usual.
* Reference: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jsr.13434
