|
What Is Amenorrhea
?
A
woman who has amenorrhea has either never had a menstrual period
or has stopped having periods.
There are two categories of amenorrhea: Primary amenorrhea is not
having had a period by age 16. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence
of periods in a woman who previously had regular menstrual cycles.
To have a period, a woman must have a normal, healthy: uterus,
cervix or opening to the uterus, vagina, and ovaries pituitary
gland hypothalamus, a structure within the skull that controls
much of the body's hormone production.
An abnormality in any of these may keep a woman from having a
period. |
|
|
|
When menstruation goes away
When
a woman no longer has her period, she often starts to worry.
"Am I pregnant?" "Is something wrong?" Not
knowing why menstruation isn't happening can be stressful, and
waiting for it to recur can feel like a lifetime.
Amenorrhea can be cause for concern"The cessation of menses
[your period] can lead to anxiety for women, and there is often
urgency to define the cause."
The absence of menstruation in a woman who previously has had
regular periods is called secondary amenorrhea. The cause can be
as common as pregnancy or as rare as a pituitary tumor. Amenorrhea
may be a side effect of a normal condition or a symptom of an
underlying problem requiring medical treatment.
Normal ovulation
Each month several
follicles begin to develop in one of your ovaries. These follicles
are tiny sacs containing a single immature egg. One follicle
eventually grows larger than the others and contains a single
mature egg.
Meanwhile your ovaries secrete estrogen from the dominant
follicle. The estrogen thickens the lining of your uterus (endometrium).
This prepares your uterus for implantation if the egg is
fertilized. Soon after, the follicle ruptures and releases the egg
(ovulation).
The egg released at ovulation enters your fallopian tube on its
way to the uterus. During the egg's journey, a sperm may fertilize
it. If fertilization occurs, the egg implants itself in the lining
of your uterus and menstruation does not occur. If the egg is not
fertilized, menstrual flow begins.
Your menstrual cycle is regulated by hormones controlled by your
hypothalamus, an area at the base of your brain that acts as a
control center for your body. The hypothalamus sends chemicals to
your pituitary gland, a tiny gland also located at the base of
your brain. Your pituitary gland releases hormones that travel
through your bloodstream to your ovaries, where they cause ovarian
follicles to produce estrogen and progesterone. These hormones
prepare your uterus for pregnancy.
A complex group of hormones determines your monthly menstrual
cycle. If something goes wrong at any stage of the process,
menstruation can be interrupted.
Top
Why menstruation might stop
Your
periods may stop because of:
Pregnancy. In women of reproductive age, pregnancy is the most
common cause of amenorrhea. When a fertilized egg is implanted in
the lining of your uterus, the lining remains to nourish the fetus
and is not shed by menstruation.
Oral contraceptives. Some women who take birth control pills may
not have periods. When oral contraceptives are stopped, it may
take 3 to 6 months to resume regular ovulation and menstruation.
Breast-feeding. Mothers who breast-feed usually experience
amenorrhea. Although ovulation may occur, menstruation may not.
Pregnancy can result even though menstruation is absent.
Stress. Mental stress can temporarily alter the functioning of
your hypothalamus. Ovulation and menstruation may stop. Regular
menstrual periods usually resume when your stress is decreased.
Medication. Certain medications can cause menstrual periods to
stop. Contraceptives — oral, injected and implanted — oral
corticosteroids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, thyroid
medication and some chemotherapy drugs can cause amenorrhea.
Illness. Chronic illness may postpone menstrual periods. As you
recover, menstruation will resume.
Hormonal imbalance. A common form of hormonal imbalance in women
is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In this condition you have
relatively high and sustained levels of estrogen and androgen, a
male hormone, rather than the fluctuating condition seen in the
normal menstrual cycle. This results in a decrease in the
pituitary hormones that lead to ovulation and menstruation. PCOS
often is associated with obesity, amenorrhea or abnormal uterine
bleeding.
Malnutrition. Low body weight causes you to stop producing
estrogen, halting ovulation. Women who suffer from anorexia or
bulimia often experience estrogen shutdown and don't have periods.
Excessive exercise. Amenorrhea can develop in women who
participate in sports that require rigorous training, such as
ballet, long-distance running or gymnastics. The hormone leptin
alerts the brain to the percentage of body fat, which can affect
menstrual function.
Thyroid malfunction. Thyroid disorders can cause an increase or
decrease in your production of prolactin — a reproductive
hormone generated by your pituitary gland. An altered prolactin
level can affect your hypothalamus and disrupt your menstrual
cycle.
Pituitary tumor. A benign tumor in your pituitary gland (adenoma
or prolactinoma) can cause an overproduction of prolactin. Excess
prolactin can interfere with the regulation of menstruation. This
type of tumor is rare and can often be treated with medication.
Top
Avoiding
Amenorrhea
-
A
healthy lifestyle should be maintained to prevent amenorrhea.
-
Make
changes in your diet and exercise activity to achieve your
ideal body weight.
-
Practice
moderation in all activities. Try to balance work, recreation
and rest.
-
Assess
areas of stress and conflict in your life. If you can't
decrease stress on your own, ask for help from family, friends
and your doctor.
-
Be
aware of changes in your body and follow your doctor's
recommendations closely.
-
Avoid
excessive use of alcohol and drugs.
-
Don't
smoke.
Top
Amenorrhea
& Homeopathy
Normally
the patients are put on "Hormone Therapy". The
preparations in material doses are the combination of hormones. It
can control bleeding or produce a withdrawl bleeding. But these
are not helpful for longtime treatment. In such situation they
produce enormous side effects. There is no permanent cure with
hormonal preparations though it is very helpful only in
emergencies.The best way to treat it is the natural way by
eliminating the causative factors. They should be considered as an
single entity to achieve the goal. Homoeopathy treats the patient
as a whole and look deeper into the problems. Homoeopathy gives
the best treatment to your problems. You may have hormonal
imbalance or other pathological lesions which are amenable to our
treatment. Homoeopathy eliminates your complaints based on the
natural law of treatment without side effects.We do not administer
any hormone preparations. We treat you as a complete entity and
help regularising the hormonal inbalance to normal. Homoeopathy
medicines act on the proliferative cells to bring normalcy as I
had observed in many diseased conditions. I have come across many
cases such as Amenorrhoea, Menorrhagia, Dysmenorrhoea with
definite success. Homoeopathy finds permanent solution for the
irregular periods.
Top
|
