Conditions that can cause amenorrhea include hormonal disorders, birth defects, genetic disorders, medications, and illicit drugs. The most common reason for amenorrhea in women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding is malfunction of any part of the hormonal system (hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovaries).
Several conditions can cause oligomenorrhea, the medical term that means you're having rare, irregular menstrual periods, or amenorrhea, the medical term for the absence of menstrual periods. Both can be a sign of a hormonal problem such as perimenopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or thyroid 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.
Primary amenorrhea, that is where the girl who reaches her 16th birthday has never had a period, requires a genetic, endocrinologic (hormonal) and anatomic workup. The pelvic organs are evaluated, usually with an ultrasound to make sure they are present and have developed normally.
If you've gone over 35 days without your period, that would be considered late. Some people go for a few months at a time without a period, and that would be more concerning.” Hormone imbalances and health conditions are the most common reasons periods are irregular or late, says Dr. Carlson.
The most common reasons are:
However, they may be caused by a hormone imbalance, excessive weight loss or exercise, pregnancy, medications, stress, and a myriad of other problems. This is why it's important for a teen girl to see a health care professional if she's stopped getting her periods or is late in starting them.
Causes of missed or late periods
All women get periods but the age you are when you get your first period (called menarche) and when the last one stops (called menopause) varies. Your first period can arrive at any time between the ages of nine and fifteen. Before your period starts you are likely to have had other signs of puberty.
Primary amenorrhea occurs when you haven't had a period by 15 years old. Common causes include: Chromosomal or genetic problems that affect your reproductive system, such as Turner syndrome. Hormonal issues stemming from problems with your brain or pituitary gland.
A phantom period is a phenomenon where you experience menstrual symptoms but never actually bleed. It happens when your body goes through hormonal shifts without shedding the uterine lining.
Having an earlier or later first period is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Some children may have their first period when they are just nine years old. Similarly, some people might not get their period until they are 15 or 16, especially if other female family members were “late bloomers.”
If amenorrhea lasts a long time, problems similar to those associated with menopause may develop. They include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased bone density (osteoporosis), and an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disorders.
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.
Your first menstrual period is called menarche.
A period is a release of blood from a girl's uterus, out through her vagina. It is a sign that she is getting close to the end of puberty. It also means that she can get pregnant if she has sex. There is a lot to learn about periods.
Most commonly, especially in girls, precocious puberty is due to the brain sending signals earlier than it should. There is no other underlying medical problem or trigger. This also can often run in families. Less often, precocious puberty stems from a more serious problem, such as a tumor or trauma.
Men (and anyone who was born with male reproductive organs) don't get periods. This is because you need to have a uterus and ovaries to have a period. A period happens when the uterus sheds its lining. About once every month, women experience hormonal changes that cause the lining of their uterus to thicken.
If you're dealing with stress after you ovulate, your hormone levels are thrown out of whack. You can experience spotting, a period that arrives early, or a period that differs from your norm in terms of consistency, length, color, and/or symptoms like cramping.
Dieting may interfere with gonadal steroid production, thus causing disturbances of the menstrual cycle. The effect described here may be responsible for the early onset of amenorrhea in patients with beginning anorexia nervosa.
Lifestyle factors, including rapid, weight gain or loss, excessive exercise, and emotional stress, can contribute to ovulating without a menstrual period. Drastic changes in weight, particularly low body weight, can disrupt hormone production and throw the menstrual cycle out of balance.
If no periods have occurred when a girl is older than 15, further testing may be needed. The need is more urgent if she has gone through other normal changes that occur during puberty. Being born with incompletely formed genital or pelvic organs can lead to a lack of menstrual periods.
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Pubic hair development (“pubarche”) usually happens 1 to 2 years before the first period. The average age for pubarche is 11.6 years old.