AGE OF MENARCHE( START OF PERIODS) IN GIRLS The average age for a girl to get her first period is 12, but the range of age is about 8 to 15 years old. Women usually have periods until about ages 45 to 55. HOW LONG DOES A PERIOD LAST The menstrual cycle is the hormonal driven cycle. Day 1 is the first day of your period (bleeding) while day 14 is the approximate day you ovulate and if an egg is not fertilized, hormone levels eventually drop and at about day 25. The egg then begins to dissolve and the cycle begins again with the period at about day 30. Most periods vary somewhat, the flow may be light, moderate or heavy and can vary in length from about 2 to 7 days; with age, the cycle usually shortens and becomes more regular. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTONS OF MENSTRUATION Beside the bleeding, other signs and symptoms of menstruation may include headache, bloating, acne, pain in lower abdomen, mood changes, breast pain and sometimes diarrhoea.   FLOW If the egg your ovary releases every month isn't fertilized, the lining of your uterus sheds through your vagina. This is your period. The amount of blood that comes out of your body is called your menstrual flow. The average woman loses about two to three tablespoons of blood during her period. Your periods may be lighter or heavier than the average amount. What is normal for you may not be the same for someone else. Also, the flow may be lighter or heavier from month to month HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR PAD, TAMPOON, MENSTRUAL CUP. Follow the instructions that came with your period product. Try to change or rinse your feminine hygiene product before it becomes soaked through or full. Most women change their pads every few hours. A tampon should not be worn for more than 8 hours because of risk of TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME(TSS) MENSTRUAL CUPS  may only need to be rinsed once or twice a day. Use a product appropriate in size and absorbency for your menstrual bleeding. The amount of menstrual blood usually changes during a period. Some women use different products on different days of their period, depending on how heavy or light the bleeding is.   to be continued------dr nandini shete