Why You Should Track Your Period
Periods are unpredictable. Sometimes our periods come early, late or they skip a whole cycle. Oftentimes, when we notice something strange with our menstrual cycles — we resort to panic. This is why tracking our periods is important with helping us understand the changes in our body and addressing any health concerns.
Personally, I’ve been using an app to track my period for years. The app is unique with allowing users to log their daily symptoms whether they’re on their period or not. Some examples of categories are: mood, vaginal discharge and symptoms (cramps, tender breasts, headaches, acne). After you put in your data, a “Health Assistant” will pop up with detailed information explaining your symptoms and providing tips such as how to feel better during menstruation.
I remember I once forgot to log my period, and I was extremely lost the next month when I thought my period was supposed to come later. Luckily, I noticed my period as soon as I woke up. I know it would’ve been a disaster if it came in the middle of the day while I was in public!
Tracking your period is great with providing clear warning to users a week or a few days before, especially when you’re planning on travelling or going swimming. On a side note, you can go swimming on your period, and you can read our blog post with tips on hitting the pool during your period.
I also find these apps useful when I notice my body feels strange or my mood changes. I always turn to the app immediately, and then I always breathe a sigh of relief that I’m feeling different because my period is coming up.
On a more serious side, tracking your period can be important for health reasons such as helping you determine if you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor about your irregular menstrual cycles.
If you notice irregularities are becoming a common occurrence mixed with odd symptoms then make sure to speak up to your parents or your doctor. For example, when a regular menstrual cycle becomes irregular, it may point to a hormone and/or thyroid issue, liver function problems, irritable bowel syndrome or diabetes.
We know these sound scary, but don’t fret if your period is occasionally early or late since new exercise routines, stress and gaining or losing weight can affect your period. Like I said — periods are unpredictable and the best way to keep them in control is to track your period and be active with observations.
We understand puberty can often be overwhelming and confusing, but we’re all learning and questioning something new each day. If you have any “embarrassing” questions that are living rent-free in your mind, be sure to message us or just say hi on IG! Please remember that no questions are ever embarrassing or too awkward.
About the Author:
Melody was a Master’s student in Journalism and Communication at Western and hopes to pursue a career in entertainment or investigative journalism. She also loves Letterboxd, country music and is excited to be a part of the Apricotton Team! Connect with her here.
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