What is Amenorrhea?
It is the medical term that means an absence of the menstrual period (1 or more) of a woman during the reproductive age. At the time a lady is pregnant, naturally, her period discontinues. Breastfeeding (lactation) also tend to cause amenorrhea. Three missed menstrual period (consistently) means the woman has amenorrhea and so do a girl whose menstruation cycle has not begun by the age of fifteen.
What are the Symptoms of Amenorrhea?
The prominent sign is of course, missing the menstrual periods. Besides, you can notice:
• Headache.
• Hair loss.
• Acne.
• Pelvic pain.
• Excess facial hair.
• Milky discharge from the nipple.
• Vision changes.
When is the high time to consult a doctor?
In a row, if you have missed 3 menstrual periods at least or you are fifteen or older and have never had it, than it’s high time you consult your doctor.
What are the Causes of Amenorrhea?
It can occur due to numerous reasons. Few are quite normal during a woman’s life course, whereas others can be the signal of some medical problem or a medication side effect.
• Natural amenorrhea: while the usual course of life, one can experience the condition due to natural reasons for example:
1. Pregnancy.
2. While a mother breast-feed and
3. Menopause.
• Contraceptives: taking birth control pills can also cause missed periods.
• Medications: few medications may also cause stopped menstrual periods, including few kinds of:
1) Allergy medications.
2) Drugs use for blood pressure.
3) Antidepressants.
4) Cancer chemotherapy.
5) Antipsychotic.
• Hormonal imbalance: Certain medical concerns can lead hormonal imbalance such as:
1) Premature menopause.
2) Thyroid malfunction.
3) Polycystic ovary syndrome.
4) Pituitary tumor.
• Lifestyle factors: lifestyle factors also tend to cause amenorrhea sometimes, such as:
1) Stress.
2) Excessive exercise.
3) Low body weight.
• Structural problems: interestingly, problems related to your sexual organs also can cause the condition themselves such as:
1) Reproductive organs lacking.
2) Structural abnormality (vagina).
3) Uterine scarring.
What are the risk factors?
Few factors that tend to increase amenorrhea risk are:
• Eating disorders.
• Family history.
• Athletic training.
What are the possible complications?
Possible complications are:
• Osteoporosis (muscle weakening).
• Infertility.
How is Amenorrhea Diagnosed?
Pelvic exam can be performed by your doctor to check the possibility of problems with the reproductive organs. In case you never had menstrual period, the doctor can examine your genitals and breasts to check the normal puberty changes if you are actually experiencing.
Certain tests and procedures that can help diagnose amenorrhea are:
• Lab tests – thyroid function test, pregnancy test, male hormone test, prolactin test and ovary function test.
• Imaging tests- Ultrasound, CT scan and MRI.
• Hormone challenge test.
• Scope tests.
How is Amenorrhea Treated?
The treatment solely depends upon the basic cause of the patient’s amenorrhea. In addition to this, in certain cases, hormone therapies or contraceptive pills can restart the menstrual cycles. Moreover, amenorrhea that is caused due to pituitary or thyroid disorders can be treated through medications. In case a structural blockage or tumor is causing such problem, then surgery is advised.
By : Natural Health News
