
Pre-menstrual syndrome refers to a group of symptoms women experience between ovulation and menstruation, including one or more of mood swings, irritability, depression, food cravings, fatigue, headache, back ache, tender breasts, water retention &...
Bright red blood signifies freshly released blood. Dark, clotted blood is older.
Dark menstrual blood could indicate blood stagnation, and cold congestion in the uterus.
Clotting during menstruation is a general sign of blood stasis and/or excess blood that congests the uterus. Various causes include: Poor circulation & blood stasis / Pelvic congestion syndrome. Thick Kapha blood -...
Women naturally tend towards an excess of blood. This excess can cause heat, irritability, water retention and malaise. Menstruation releases this blood, helping a women feel refreshed and grounded. A light period can come from a hormonal...
Symptoms A heavy period is a period that includes heavy bleeding, or an excessively long duration of bleeding. This conditional is differentiated from uterine bleeding that happens outside the normal menstrual cycle. A heavy...
A short menstrual cycle is characteristic of progesterone deficiency. Normally, the corpus luteum sustains the uterine lining by producing progesterone. When progesterone is deficient, the menstrual cycle may end early. A short menstrual cycle may also...
A long menstrual cycle is when the total number of days in the cycle is greater than 28 days. It does not refer to the number of days of bleeding, When not due to perimenopause, a long cycle is typical of Kapha individuals. We speculate it is due...
Vaginal bleeding (metrorrhagia) may be a sign of Uterine fibroids or polyps - Associated with estrogen dominance / progesterone deficiency. Estrogen breakthrough bleeding - Unopposed estrogen causes excess...
Women naturally tend towards an excess of blood. This excess can cause heat, irritability, water retention and malaise. Menstruation releases this blood, helping a women feel refreshed and grounded. A light period can come from a hormonal...
Hot flashes are generally a sign of Vata pushing Pitta in Ayurveda, or deficient yin heat in Chinese Medicine. This means that over-exertion or other factors have dried up fluids or nutrients. The circulation becomes stimulated to overcompensate for...
Perimenopause may start in the mid-30's with a drop on estrogen or progesterone. Fluctuations of estrogen during perimenopausal years can cause hot flashes. Many of the same herbs that are helpful after menopause are helpful during menopause.
It may take several years for hormones to stabilize during menopause. A more relaxed lifestyle and stress reduction techniques help make the transition smoother.
Menstruation is a time of cleansing and rejuvenation in a women's reproductive cycle. However, for many women, menstruation comes with fatigue, cramping, and irritability. Type of Menstrual Cramps Menstrual cramps before your...
Abdominal swelling during menstruation may be due to swelling of the uterus with water or uterine congestion of menstrual blood. Bloating due to gas is a digestive issue.
Endometriosis comes the from the word endometrium, the tissue lining of the uterus. It refers to the abnormal growth of uterine tissue outside of the uterus, often in the abdominal cavity. These growths may be adhered to various abdominal organs....
Uterine fibroids are benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. Prevalence 20 to 80% of women develop fibroids by the age of 50. As hormone levels flutuate during perimenopause, uterine fibroids may grow rapidly. After...
A polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue projecting from a mucous membrane. Polyps may form in the nasal passages, colon, uterus, ear and bladder. Polyps may obstruct the passage, and are easily irritated and/or inflamed. In some cases they are...
There are several types of ovarian cysts. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a Kapha condition that may lead to depression, weight gain, and facial hair.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone disorder of high testosterone and luteinizing Hormone (LH). Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio may be low. This causes multiple cysts on the ovaries, and is one of the most common causes of...
Estrogen sensitive tissues include tissues we would expect: breasts, endometrium, and ovaries. Additionally, estrogen receptors are found in the bone, brain, liver, colon, skin, and salivary gland. Estrogen domination is also called unopposed...
DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics. By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’