Amenorrhoea is the absence of menstrual periods. The most common cause is hormone disruption, which can be due to emotional stress, extreme weight loss, excessive exercise or certain reproductive disorders.
Primary amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation in someone who has not had a period by age 15. The most common causes of primary amenorrhea relate to hormone levels, although anatomical problems also can cause amenorrhea.
All women are irregular at the beginning and the end of reproductive life. At the beginning, about 11 to 13, it takes about six months to get the system going, and irregular is the norm. If a woman hasn't achieved some kind of regularity in three years, there may be a problem.
The good news is that it's actually very common to miss a period once or twice. And in most cases, it's nothing serious. There are several things that can cause you to miss your period.
While ovulation and periods naturally go together, it is possible to ovulate without having a period. This often occurs for women with irregular periods. Conversely, it is possible to experience monthly bleeding with no ovulation. However, that bleeding is not a normal period and results from an anovulatory cycle.
Can I get pregnant if I've never had my period? Yes, a girl can get pregnant before she gets her first period. Getting pregnant is related to ovulation. Because a girl can ovulate before having her first period, it is possible to become pregnant if she has sex.
Common causes of irregular periods include: puberty, when you start your periods. the start of menopause (usually between the ages of 45 and 55) pregnancy – a missed period is often an early sign of pregnancy.
Amenorrhea has many causes, including hormone problems, eating habits and exercise, or a birth defect. Your teen may need blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound. Treatment may be done with hormones or other medicines, changes in diet or exercise, and calcium supplements.
Menopause is when your periods stop permanently and you can no longer get pregnant. You have reached menopause only after it has been a full year since your last period. This means you have not had any bleeding, including spotting, for 12 months in a row.
Secondary amenorrhea is common when ovulation has not occurred. Pregnancy is not possible at such time, while a missed period should not be considered as infertility. It is important to consult your family doctor or gynaecologist to clinically diagnose and then treat any disorder.
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of your amenorrhea. In some cases, birth control pills or other hormone therapies can restart your menstrual cycles. Amenorrhea caused by thyroid or pituitary disorders may be treated with medications.
Who is at risk of amenorrhea? Risk factors for amenorrhea include excessive exercise, obesity, eating disorders, a family history of amenorrhea or early menopause, and genetic changes.
You contracted pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Normally, it starts out as another sexually transmitted infection, like chlamydia or gonorrhea, that presents external symptoms. As the infection spreads to the cells of the uterus, it can lead to problems with menstruation.
ESTROGEN DEFICIENCY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
One of the top causes of secondary amenorrhea is functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) which results in severe hypoestrogenemia and cessation of the menstrual cycle.
You may need to have more calcium and vitamin D if your amenorrhea is caused by low estrogen levels. Low estrogen can affect bone strength. Calcium and vitamin D work together to help build bone.
In this study, it has been found that women with oligomenorrhoea and amenorrhoea are characterized by significantly lower vitamin D concentration than women with regular cycles.
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. If you or your female partner are over the age of 35, you should see a fertility specialist after six months. After age 40, we recommend seeking help right away because we know fertility declines as age increases.
CONCLUSIONS: Women with hypothalamic amenorrhea undergoing IVF have as favorable a prognosis at pregnancy as do women with tubal factor, despite a significantly higher requirement of total gonadotropin dose.
Women without children have also been found to have an increased risk of breast cancer, and increased mortality from uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer when compared to women with children. Moreover, the fertility declines with the advanced age at first childbearing.
Amenorrhea, or skipping multiple periods, may seem like a benign — or perhaps even convenient — problem, and it can be. However, in some cases, amenorrhea can lead to more significant health issues over time in terms of fertility, bone health and cancer risk. For those reasons alone, you shouldn't ignore amenorrhea.
Blood Tests
Laboratory examination of a blood sample is useful in the diagnosis of amenorrhea, as it can help to understand any hormonal imbalances that may be associated with the condition.
Primary amenorrhea applies to individuals who have reached 16 years of age without beginning menses. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of periods for three months or more in women who have previously menstruated. If those periods were sometimes irregular, then the interval of absence is six months.
Some hormones, such as prolactin or thyroid hormones, can cause a woman to miss her period. If a hormonal imbalance is responsible for a missed or late period, it can easily be detected with a blood test. The cause of these hormonal imbalances needs to be investigated by a doctor.