It's no secret that at the age of 40-45, a woman begins a gradual decline in reproductive function. This is the main reason for the failure of the monthly cycle after 40 years. This is due to the fact that the ovaries begin to produce fewer hormones. Pass menstrual cycles without ovulation. Why the chance of getting pregnant the first time is reduced to 5%.
Irregular menstrual cycle, frequent delays, poor discharge are the main signs of premenopause. But such a process, according to world statistics, begins at the age of 45. In a forty-year-old woman, the reproductive system in most cases works fully if she is he althy. What else could be the reasons for the failure of the cycle of menstruation after 40 years, we will find out in the article.
Main reasons
Normally, there are only two natural causes of failure or cessation of the menstrual cycle - pregnancy and menopause. Everything else is the impact on the body of negative factors or a consequence of pathological processes.
Why does the monthly cycle shorten after 40 years? Natural Cause - Organismenters a state of menopause. The production of female hormones by the ovaries decreases. This is reflected in the menstrual cycle, which by its nature is a hormone-dependent process. The monthly cycle can either decrease or increase, the allocations can change in volume.
But it's not always the case for such a natural cause. Many things can cause a cycle to fail:
- Endometriosis.
- Uterine fibroids.
- Polycystic ovaries
- Inflammatory processes in the body.
- Abortion or miscarriage.
- Use hormonal contraceptives.
- Period after childbirth.
- Serious exercise.
- Chronic stress conditions.
- Abnormal change in body weight.
- Unfavorable environmental conditions.
- Intoxication of the body.
- Using certain medications.
- Hereditary predisposition.
Let's take a closer look at these reasons.
Negative factors
Let's list what medical specialists most often face. Here are some common causes of menstruation failure after age 40:
- Psychogenic factor. In particular, stressful situations, which are by no means uncommon in the life of a modern woman. Unrest, experiences negatively affect the hormonal balance in the body. And menstruation is a hormone-dependent process. It is necessary to add to this chronic diseases, whose number only increases with age. However, general he althmay get worse. We also note that stressful situations at the age of 40 are experienced more difficult than at 20. Sometimes even a small mental negative impact can lead to a menstrual cycle failure.
- The emotional factor. The next reason for the failure of the cycle of menstruation after 40 years is a strong emotional shock experienced by a woman. Moreover, the impression can be both positive and negative. Shock situations especially affect a woman's he alth. It's not unusual for them to cause a delay on their own.
- Neurogenic factor. Such a reason may be associated with strong mental, mental stress over a long period. For example, the delivery of a responsible project at work, a difficult stage in one's own life or the fate of a family.
- Heavy exercise. Violation of the cycle of menstruation after 40 years can often provoke this. Many women, despite their age, continue to work hard physical work. Moreover, they do not spare themselves, arguing that they will no longer have a child. But the woman's body is still sensitive to heavy loads. Why can easily answer them with a failure of the menstrual cycle. Heavy bags from the store, rearranging furniture by yourself are reason enough.
Consequence of diseases
The next most common causes of irregular periods after age 40 are various diseases. And not only the reproductive system:
- Genital diseasesorgans. According to medical statistics, after the age of 40, a woman's susceptibility to various gynecological diseases is aggravated. A delay in menstruation here can be explained by a number of problems: uterine fibroids, ovarian cyst or cystoma, endometritis, endometriosis, chronic adnexitis.
- Surgical manipulations. If a woman underwent surgery that affected the organs of the reproductive system, this will also cause a delay, a failure of the cycle. In particular, abortion, removal of polyps, diagnostic scraping, etc.
- Chronic diseases of various organs and systems of the body. A short cycle of menstruation after 40 years can also be triggered by a pathology that at first glance is not related to the reproductive system. But any inflammation, infection disrupts the normal functioning of the body. What is reflected in a certain way on the menstrual cycle. Cirrhosis of the liver, urolithiasis, pathology of hematopoiesis, cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, celiac disease, infections are sufficient causes. Various surgical operations, severe burns can also provoke a failure.
- Severe colds, respiratory diseases. We are talking about the flu, SARS, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections.
- Endocrine problems. One of the common reasons for an increase in the cycle of menstruation after 40 years is diseases of the endocrine organs. For the most part, this is diabetes mellitus or thyroid pathology.
Lifestyle
What are the reasons for the failure or short cycle of menstruation after 40 years? They can also coverand lifestyle:
- Medication taking. Among the main reasons for the reduction of the cycle of menstruation after 40 years or its complete absence may be drug treatment. Especially affecting the hormonal background. However, almost any medication can provoke menstrual irregularities. According to doctors, the following drugs are most effective on him: opiates, endometriosis treatments, antipsychotics, Reserpine, Metoclopramide, Duphaston, Methyldop, Danazol.
- Sudden changes in life. It must be remembered that at the age of over 40, the adaptive functions of our body are already weakening, they do not work so quickly. Any significant change in life is painfully perceived by the body. That is why with age people often become conservatives. Moving, vacationing in a different climate zone, and even changing your usual diet can cause a short cycle of menstruation after 40 years, a delay in menstruation.
- Inadequate or improper nutrition. This reason for the delay is also not uncommon in forty-year-old women. If you like sweets, smoked delicacies, pickles and marinades, spicy dishes, the reason may be as in them. Painfully, the body of aging perceives any imbalance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. If at the age of 20 this is experienced with almost no consequences, then at 40 it can turn into a violation of the menstrual cycle.
- Lack of vitamins, essential nutrients, minerals. May adversely affect performanceovaries, which will lead to a cycle failure. The body becomes slower in terms of self-regulation, functioning in conditions of lack of vital elements.
- Body weight. After 40 years, more and more women are faced with the problem of excess weight. It can be the cause of an irregular menstrual cycle. But a shortening of the menstrual cycle after 40 years can also provoke the opposite phenomenon - excessive thinness.
How can I tell if my period is abnormal?
Normal duration
What cycle of menstruation is the norm after 40 years? There is no universal number. Normal will be a period of 21 to 35 days. Deviations in terms of shortening or lengthening this interval are normal, if they are not more than 5 days.
What cycle of menstruation after 40 is normal for you, only your gynecologist can tell. As it is right, this is a rather individual indicator in relation to each woman.
Be aware that the menstrual cycle goes astray due to stress, heavy physical exertion, climate change, illness and hormonal imbalances. Such a failure is not pathological. The cycle will return to normal as soon as you adapt to the new conditions, completely cure the underlying disease.
Start and finish
Normally menstruation occurs in a teenage girl at the age of 10-15. Menstrual bleeding should occur monthly (except during pregnancy) until a woman reaches 46-52 years of age. Of course, here arethe most average, not individual cases.
The decrease in the cycle of menstruation after 40 years in the case when a woman is he althy is associated with one factor - the onset of menopause. Menstruation goes on for a much shorter period, and the amount of discharge also decreases. This process ends with the complete cessation of menstruation.
Amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea
Amenorrhoea is the medical name for either delay or complete absence of menstruation. Condition is further divided into two categories:
- Primary. Such amenorrhea occurs in adolescents - when a girl, upon reaching the age of 16, has not begun menstruation. The cause may be congenital disorders of the functioning of the reproductive system, which appear before puberty.
- Secondary. A condition where normal menstruation has abruptly stopped and is absent for more than three months. It is secondary amenorrhea that is the most common cause of menstrual irregularities after the age of 40. There are many reasons for this disease: pregnancy, ovarian diseases, pituitary tumors, stressful situations, early menopause, a serious decrease or increase in body weight.
In addition to this, another condition stands out - oligomenorrhea. Here there is a significant increase in the duration of the menstrual cycle and a decrease in the period of menstruation itself. That is, oligomenorrhea is diagnosed in a woman if she had no more than 8 menstrual bleeding per year. Or in the case when the duration of menstruation does not consistently exceed two days.
Body weight
Scientists have found out that adipose tissue in our body is involved in many hormonal processes. Therefore, the reason for the irregular cycle of menstruation often lies in problems with weight - both in excess of the norm and in the absence of weight.
In case of overweight, the fat layer contributes to the accumulation of estrogen in the body. This has a negative effect on the regularity of the cycle. Underweight is a more difficult situation. Both prolonged fasting and weight loss below 45 kg on average will be perceived by the female body as an emergency.
The "survival mode" will be activated. This is especially dangerous during pregnancy, as in most cases it provokes a miscarriage. A non-pregnant, underweight woman can experience both menstrual irregularities and amenorrhea (absence of menstruation).
This problem goes away with the return to normal weight. In some cases - when gaining body weight, in some cases - when losing weight. Both that and other process should be careful, gradual. It is necessary to ensure that the diet of a woman remains balanced. It should contain fats, carbohydrates, proteins, as well as essential vitamins and minerals in the right amounts.
Diet should not be exhausting, a test for the body. Best combined with moderate exercise.
Diseases
At any age, the failure of the menstrual cycle can provoke diseases. In particular, inflammatory processesdeveloping in the uterus and ovaries. Accordingly, they lead to a violation of the production of hormones. And the latter are just the same responsible for the processes of maturation of the endometrium, follicles, eggs.
It is important to note that in case of pathology, a woman will notice not only a failure of the menstrual cycle, but also other symptoms: a different nature and volume of monthly discharge, pain in the lower abdomen, in the lower back, and so on. In addition to delaying menstruation, "women's diseases" are fraught with infertility, provoking a tumor of the organs of the reproductive system, mammary glands.
Inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system, for the most part, of an infectious nature. Bacteria, fungi and viruses can be introduced into the body with improper hygiene of the intimate area, unprotected intercourse, damage to the reproductive organs during childbirth, abortion.
Irregular menstruation is one of the main symptoms of uterine fibroids. The delay can range from a few days to several months. Myoma here is recognized as a benign tumor. But it is fraught with many negative consequences. In particular, those that can develop into a malignant formation.
Another disease in which there is almost always a violation of the monthly cycle - polycystic ovaries. Organs due to a pathological condition cannot produce hormones in the required quantities, which is why an unstable cycle is observed. There is a lack of ovulation, oppression of the endometrium. The eggs do not mature.
It is important to note such a disease as endometriosis - a benign proliferation of the mucous membrane lining the insideuterus. The tissue can grow in any location of the organ. And in other cases, go beyond it. A change in the hormonal background here can be both a cause and a consequence of the process.
Using birth control
And another common cause of irregular menstruation is oral contraceptives. In some cases, they can provoke its increase. Menstruation becomes shorter, the amount of discharge decreases. Perhaps the lack of menstruation is due to an unplanned pregnancy. OK not 100% guaranteed.
Violation of the monthly cycle can be an individual side effect. In many women, when prescribing such contraceptives, he goes astray. Sometimes it lasts a couple of months, sometimes six months. It is worth noting that when the drug is discontinued for some time, unstable menstruation may also persist.
As you can see, there are quite a few reasons for an increase or decrease in the monthly cycle in women after 40 years. Can be natural (menopause, pregnancy), and caused by adverse factors, diseases. Therefore, with an unstable menstrual cycle, the best solution is to visit a gynecologist.
