🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Female menstrual cycles are mostly regular, with monthly menstruation being a normal physiological phenomenon. This process relies on the regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis. Any disruption in this system can lead to disorders and affect women's health. Therefore, women should pay special attention during their period and not overlook self-care simply because it is "the friend visiting."
Three Major Physical Changes During Menstruation
1. Hormonal fluctuations during menstruation reduce cerebral cortex excitability and weaken immunity, making infections and disease triggers more likely.
2. Pelvic congestion occurs during menstruation, and the shedding of the endometrium creates minor wounds inside the uterus. The cervical opening normally remains closed but slightly opens during menstruation, increasing susceptibility to bacterial invasion.
3. The vaginal pH changes due to menstrual blood washing, reducing defense function. Additionally, menstrual blood promotes bacterial growth, making reproductive organs more prone to infection and inflammation than usual.
Ten Common Mistakes During Menstruation
1. Emotional agitation
Menstruation requires maintaining a cheerful mood as usual, avoiding emotional fluctuations. Do not become overly excited or upset; stable emotions are crucial. Frequent emotional agitation, depression, or anger may cause qi stagnation, leading to delayed menstruation, dysmenorrhea, or amenorrhea.
2. Excessive fatigue
During menstruation, proper rest and work scheduling are essential. Avoid strenuous exercise and heavy labor, ensuring a balance between work and rest. Overexertion during menstruation may prolong periods or cause excessive bleeding; conversely, excessive idleness may lead to blood stagnation and result in dysmenorrhea.
3. Drinking strong tea
It is advisable to drink plenty of plain water during menstruation and avoid strong tea. Strong tea contains high levels of caffeine, which stimulates nerves and cardiovascular systems, potentially causing dysmenorrhea, prolonged periods, or excessive bleeding. Additionally, tannic acid in tea binds with iron in food in the intestines, forming precipitates that impair iron absorption and may lead to anemia. Furthermore, alcohol, smoking, and spicy foods should be avoided during menstruation.
贴心提示：Many women crave red wine or warm wine during their period, likely due to a slight drop in body temperature (0.3–0.4°C), subconsciously seeking warmth. In this case, drinking 1–2 glasses of red wine is appropriate—no more.
4. Nutritional deficiency
Since blood loss occurs monthly during menstruation, increased nutrition intake is necessary, including proteins, vitamins, iron, and calcium. Women should consume more eggs, lean meat, fish, soy products, fresh vegetables, and fruits. Avoid binge eating or dietary preferences. Consuming too many spicy, yang-promoting foods may cause early menstruation or excessive bleeding; overeating cold, raw foods may lead to dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, or leukorrhea.
5. Continuing sexual activity
Sexual activity should be prohibited during menstruation. At this time, the uterine lining sheds, leaving fresh wounds in the uterine cavity. Sexual intercourse may introduce bacteria, causing reproductive organ inflammation, and may also increase menstrual flow or prolong periods.
6. Exposure to cold
Stay warm during menstruation, avoid getting chilled, and refrain from going out in the rain, wading through water, swimming, sitting on damp or cool surfaces, or placing oneself directly under air conditioning or fans. Avoid bathing or washing feet with cold water to prevent menstrual irregularities.
7. Sitting baths
Some people enjoy sitting baths regularly, but during menstruation, the cervix is slightly open, making it easy for contaminated water to enter the uterine cavity, potentially causing reproductive organ inflammation.
8. Wearing tight pants
If tight-fitting pants with small crotch and waistbands are worn during menstruation, local capillaries may be compressed, affecting circulation and increasing perineal friction, easily causing perineal congestion, swelling, and even urinary and reproductive system infections.
9. Singing loudly
During menstruation, respiratory mucosa becomes congested, and vocal cords may also swell. Loud singing or speaking can easily fatigue the vocal muscles.
10. Undergoing X-ray examinations
Reproductive-age women are typically in the ovulation phase before menstruation. X-ray exposure at this stage may damage ova or fertilized eggs, leading to poor embryonic development, resulting in congenital abnormalities, malformations, intellectual disability, limb defects, etc., in offspring.