A healthy and regular menstrual cycle is considered a vital sign of good health for premenopausal women. A normal menstrual cycle should occur every 25-35 days, (give or take a few days on either end), with the average cycle length falling at about 28 days. The length of the period can range from 3-7 days and the flow can be light, moderate, or heavy within a single menstrual cycle. A woman’s experience of her menstrual cycle may be unique to her, and what constitutes normal can have a broad range. Most importantly, each woman should be familiar enough with her own cycle to know if something has changed and when it is appropriate to seek help. One such situation would be the complete loss of a menstrual cycle for 3 months or more. Amenorrhea is defined as a complete absence of menses in a woman of reproductive age.…

Tags: Menstruation, Stress, Athletes, Fertility, Menopause


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Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: A Tale of Stress, Starvation, and Excessive Exercise

ZRT is a company made up mostly of women. It’s not that we don’t have men working here, but 80% of our employees happen to be women. A combination of a company mostly of women, working in the health field, and having gone to medical school which tends to take away that filter that says “perhaps certain topics are off limits,” can lead to hilarious conversations like our one today on the favorite…

Tags: Menstrual Cycle Mapping, Estrogen, Progesterone, Saliva Testing, Blood Spot Testing, Menstruation


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Periods: The Miracle of Bleeding for 7 Days Without Dying

When I turned 12, all of a sudden all of my friends were getting their periods, and I just couldn’t wait to get mine! I was so ready to join the ranks of glamorous women who had the privilege of being initiated into the menstruating club. I wanted to belong with them - everything about periods was synonymous with femininity for me at the time. I had to endure witnessing so many of my classmates…

Tags: PMS and PMDD, Estrogen, Progesterone, Menstruation, Menstrual Cycle Mapping


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Your Guide to PMDD: Causes and Treatment

In 2008 ZRT Laboratory introduced the Fertility Profile to assist women in identifying possible hormonal causes of infertility. More recently ZRT launched the Menstrual Cycle Mapping (MCM) test that allows women to map time points throughout their menstrual cycle, measuring levels of estrogen, progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH). Since the MCM test was introduced there has been some confusion…

Tags: Menstruation, Fertility


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When to Choose Menstrual Cycle Mapping vs Fertility Testing

ZRT has launched a month-long hormone assessment in dried urine called the Menstrual Cycle Mapping test. This is what some call the 28-day hormone test. In our profile, we test estrogen, progesterone, and LH levels throughout a month. This article tackles some frequent questions providers might have regarding the purpose of the testing and who the ideal patient is.…

Tags: Menstruation, Fertility, PMS and PMDD


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Menstrual Cycle Mapping – Your Questions Answered

The menstrual cycle is a symphony of hormones coordinated to yield an egg and to prepare the uterus and breast tissue for pregnancy. For most women, pregnancy will only take place in a very small percentage of cycles. However, the monthly surge and fall of hormones starting in menarche and ending in menopause influences the brain, breast and uterus of women and may result in numerous symptoms…

Tags: Menstruation, Fertility, PMS and PMDD


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Hormones, the Menstrual Cycle & Cycle Maps

Historically a taboo subject, menstruation has long been stigmatized as unclean and negative; provoking multiple complex cultural values. Since starting to talk publically about periods, we know so much more about the biochemical basics and physical aspects of menstruation. We are now also beginning to better understand the underlying interplay of sex-hormones with neurotransmitters that create…

Tags: Neurotransmitters, Mental Health, HPA Axis, PMS and PMDD, Menstruation


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Feel Awful at "That Time of The Month"? It's More than Just Your Hormones.

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