Women's Mood Fluctuations - Report Example

Women’s Mood Fluctuations Introduction Over the last two decade, progressive growth has beenobserved in the medical and psychological research of female health problems, as well as, their treatments. Retrospectively, human society has always misrepresented women in a continuing manner, which has resulted in negative effects on feminine health issues. In recent years, biological research has provided distinctions between men and women, which have allowed the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for different problems of women. (Walker, pp. 23-24) In brief, this paper will describe, discuss, and analyze different aspects that are associated with menstrual cycles of women, in order to scrutinize the factors that result in mood fluctuations during these cycles. In order to identify and investigate further on this issue, it is very important that the paper should briefly understand the biological process of menstrual cycle, in order to identify causes of mood swings. When the uterus or womb starts preparing itself for pregnancy, the beginning of that process is referred as a period or menstruation. In women, process of getting rid of endometrium, lining of the uterus from the female body starts with the beginning of such cycle. During this period, previous lining of the uterus is replaced by a new lining that grows after the previous one is shredded from the body. (Lips, pp. 19-21) The term ‘menstruation’ has been acquired from the 28-day cycle of the moon; as the cycle is usually referred as a monthly event. Studies have shown that oestrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone are the four significant hormones that play a vital role in the process of menstruation. In specific, the two former hormones are released from the ovaries, whereas, latter ones are released by the brain gland, pituitary gland. At the beginning of every cycle, oestrogen hormone starts to produce by activation of egg-containing follicles that occurs due to a rise in the level of follicle stimulating hormone in the brain. A thickened lining of the uterus is the result of climbing level of oestrogen hormone that develops a rich supply of blood, in order to respond in time with a fertilized egg or embryo. Besides sensitive tissues in female body, sugars are secreted by the vagina that allows the development of lactic acid for reduction of risk related to infection. A surge of follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones is released by the pituitary glands, as oestrogen levels peak during the second week of cycle. In the result, ovulation is activated and an egg is released in the ovary. At this time, progesterone is produced by the ovary that supports nourishment of a growing embryo by the preparation of endometrium. However, if the uterus is implanted with no embryo, production of oestrogen and progesterone hormones stop after third week of the cycle. Ultimately, 28th day results in the resetting of menstrual cycle. (Lewis, pp. 45-48) Menstrual Problems Studies have shown that women confront a number of problems during their menstrual cycles, such as bleeding, pain, misattributed arousal, laziness, bloating, skin changes, and mood fluctuations. Specifically, this paper will focus on the causes of mood fluctuations, as whether they are caused due to biological factors, or due to environmental or cultural factors in the light of available literature and findings that have studied on this feminine problem. In the past, a number of experts have popularized different terms that have related menstrual cycle with states of depression, anxiety, and other mood fluctuations. For instance, Katharina Dalton referred the term premenstrual syndrome that caused headache, abdominal discomfort that resulted in irritability, depression, anger, anxiety, etc. However, it was accepted by Katharina that men, children, and women out of the menstrual cycle also confront symptoms of this syndrome, and therefore, mood fluctuations during menstrual cycle were not caused due to biological factor only. Previously, a myth that women confront furious hormones was popular, however, such myth was discarded, as it has been proved scientifically that only arousal misattribution is participated by them, and physiological and environmental conditions affect moods from anger to depression. (Lewis, pp. 69-72) In terms of mood, studies have shown that a combination of arousal and cognitive label factors is required to acquire a full-fledged emotional state. In this regard, experts have indicated that women confront similar state of combination of factors through sweating, rapid pulses, bleeding, and the environmental and psychological conditions. In other words, the combination of biological and psychological factors results in fluctuations of mood during the menstrual cycles. In order to investigate psychologically, some women were observed during their menstrual cycles, and different environmental conditions were confronted by each woman. It was observed that women in obstinate and uncooperative environment ignored positive emotions and focused on negative emotions, as compared with women in cooperative and supportive environment. Phases of the biological cycle of these women were similar; however, the given situation affected significantly. In this regard, it can be said that factors of arousal may increase during the menstrual cycles; however, environmental factors play a vital role in fluctuating mood at different intervals. Moreover, culture plays a crucial role in increasing or reducing the negative effects during menstrual cycles on women. For instance, eastern culture is quite narrow-minded in terms of discussing women health issues publicly, and women are not allowed to discuss openly. (Shannon, pp. 62-63) In the result, male partners and family members are mostly unknown about the menstrual cycles, and treat the women as usual, which results in the increment of anxiety, anger, and discomfort, and thus, women confront frequent mood fluctuations during their periods. In this regard, it is the responsibility of society to accept and allow the women to discuss their health issues, and to provide a comfortable and supportive environment to treat and overcome the problems during such days. Until now, it seems that environmental factors dominate the biological factors; however, another study has focused on the activities of brain that result in mood fluctuations, which will now be discussed in the paper. According to a study, course of the menstrual cycle results in different hormonal changes, and as the human brain is an organ that responses hormonally, women experience fluctuations in their moods. Creativity, sexual interest, and flexibility increase at the time of ovulation during the cycle, and therefore, women tend to confront emotional, as well as, mental changes that allow them to initiate sexual advances, and thus, mood fluctuates. Such changes are very subtle, and can only be identified through scientific testing. Over the years, mood fluctuations related problems have been referred with different terms like premenstrual tension, premenstrual syndrome, late luteal phase dysphoric disorder, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Recently, experts have related a neurotransmitter with major responsibility of fluctuating moods of women during their menstrual cycles. (Shannon, pp. 30-31) Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that supports brain to communicate within the human body. In the human body, blood platelets and digestive tract have around ninety percent of serotonin supply, which is manufactured in the brain. A number of researchers believe that depression can be the result of an imbalance in levels of serotonin in the human body. Anxiety, panic, anger, depression, and other obsessive disorders have been related with its imbalance in the body. Although it is believed by masses that depression is confronted by deficiency of serotonin, serotonin levels in the human brain cannot be measured by present technology. (Hart, pp. 38-40) Therefore, development of mental illness or state of depression cannot be scientifically proved or related with levels of serotonin neurotransmitter in the brain. However, this hypothesis of relation between serotonin and depression has widely been accepted by experts and researchers around the globe. Additionally, studies have indicated that serotonin neurotransmitter interacts with female hormones during menstrual cycle, and the interaction becomes severe during the second week of menstrual cycle, which results in frequent mood fluctuations, and particularly, states of depression and anxiety in women. Convincingly, studies are still in their infant period; however, experts and researchers believe that frequent mood fluctuations during the menstrual cycles of women are caused due to a combination of biological, as well as, environmental and cultural factors. However, such fluctuations can be avoided through psychological and moral support to women during their menstrual cycles. Conclusively, the paper has discussed and compared different factors and causes of mood fluctuations in women during their menstrual cycles.. It is hoped that the paper will be beneficial for the students, teachers, experts, and nonprofessionals in better understanding of the topic. Works Cited Anne E. Walker. The Menstrual Cycle. Routledge, 1997. Carol Hart. Secrets of Serotonin. Saint Martin’s Press, 1996. Hilary M. Lips. Sex & Gender. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004. Linda L. Lewis. Menstrual Health in Women’s Lives. University of Illinois Press, 2000. Marilyn M. Shannon. Fertility, Cycles, and Nutrition. Couple to Couple League International, 2001. Word Count: 1385 Words Checked by Copyscape.com & Turnitin.com Read More