25. Female cycle-average length, role of the hypothalamus, and uterine changes. Relate changes in hormones and their effects on structure/cycle.
Research
The average cycle length for women is around 28 days. Every 28 days the uterus sheds its lining if there isn’t a pregnancy. This will vary from woman to woman, some women have a condition known as PCOS which causes irregularity in their cycle. A Cycle with PCOS can average 45 days to 150 days or even a year without a cycle. This causes infertility, excessive hair growth, insulin resistance, as well as a host of other issues including difficulty in loosing weight around the mid section. Hormones for someone without PCOS will work as intended while with PCOS will either not work at all or work overtime which causes the symptoms of PCOS. I realize the topic is about the average cycle but PCOS is often overlooked, and not discussed enough and is more common than people realize. PCOS goes undiagnosed for many individuals until they attempt to have children with no success unless it’s caught early in life due to severe irregularity and heavy menstruation.
PCOS is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, there is no cure for PCOS, and it’s managed in several ways, including medication for diabetes, to help with insulin resistance, birth control to help with regularity, and continued follow ups with an OB/GYN. the ovaries are covered in cysts that can be painful and large causing excessive cramps and even needing surgical intervention where as someone without PCOS will get a cyst once per month alternating ovaries to release the egg in hopes of fertilization. PCOS releases lower quality eggs, and if they are fertilized often do not implant, or implant and aren’t viable and are miscarried.
So the average cycle of normal adult females is 28 days, the average cycle of someone with PCOS varies widely.
Critical Thinking
PCOS has a higher risk for Ovarian and cervical cancer, due to the irregularity of the menstrual cycle. Those without PCOS still have a risk of cancer but it’s not as high due to the regularity of their periods, and the lack of increased hormone or decreased hormone levels. Hormones play a huge roll in how our bodies react and function if something is off it will throw off the homeostasis of the body and cause different types of symptoms and negative side effects.
Discussion 2 No. 9: I’m stressed! How the body adapts to stress through its endocrine and sympathetic nervous systems.
RESEARCH
Stress a common feeling experienced by many. Do we know where this comes from? When going through stress our sympathetic nervous system is activated which then releases a hormone named epinephrine from our adrenal glands. When this occurs, our bodies undergo physical changes such as increased blood pressure and sugar levels, influx in heart rate, tension of the muscles, headaches, and a burst of energy that can be a form of paranoia. There are different levels to stress an individual can experience; either mild or chronic. Yet, the more stress dealt with the higher health risks are. Some long-term health issues related from stress are depression, anxiety, insomnia, weight imbalance, memory loss, heart disease, stroke and or heart attack. Its also shown the way stress is dealt with can be genetic, the way your parents and others around handle stressors or conflict can be passed down. Environment is also a great indicator on understanding how adaptable someone will be in those tough situations. Weve heard the saying Fight or Flight mode; this is the bodys reaction to stress, which takes a negative toll on the body.
CRITICAL THINKING
Stress is unfortunately something we many times cant control due to unforeseen events or encounters dealt with. Trying to figure out how to balance mental and physical health during stressful times is very hard but necessary. Stress may seem minuet but can become serious when dealing with it consistently. When it comes to dealing with stress, there are ways to do so. Maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, having healthy relationships, exercising, therapy and even finding a hobby. These things can help free your mind from current stressors. However, not all stress is harmful, with the bad there is also good in relation to stress. Encouraging, and stimulating stressors do exist. Currently, with my education, I am stressing. I want to finish getting my degree and start my career. This is something I stress about every day because its going to be a new beginning for the lifestyle I want to live.
REQUIRMENTS: Apply the material in an original way on 2 different topics (not your own) MUST INCLUDE REFERENCES
Use Critical thinking to make everyday connections.
- Consider starting out posts with, A research article I found said,” “Did you know,” or “Three things I found interesting were… .”
- Examples: Apply everyday phenomena in terms of the scientific concepts in your research section. Make observations and draw conclusions.
- Tips and Tricks for Remembering and Recalling. Is there a mnemonic device that might help you memorize this information or what helps you understand this?
- Connect the dots. Why is this an important topic for you, your community, society, or the world? How does it relate to other concepts in the text?
- Do not repeat others ideas and ensure that you are advancing the discussion with new information.
