Irregular menstruation is one of the most common reasons women of all ages seek medical attention. According to statistics, about 35% of patients suffer from this.
70% of women will develop certain symptoms during their lifetime, usually characteristic of this disease. What is this violation, what are its causes, how does it manifest itself, how to treat it? This and many other things will be discussed now.
Characteristic of the disease
So, in simple terms, a violation of the menstrual cycle is a distortion of the nature and rhythm of menstruation. Can it be eliminated? Yes, but only after finding out the reason. Violation in most cases indicates that a woman has some kind of disease. For example, if her appendages or uterus are inflamed, then treatment will have to be started to eliminate the infection.
Onnot everyone pays attention to the violation, believing that everything will normalize by itself. It is absolutely not recommended to do so. Because the menstrual cycle is a set of anatomical and physiological processes that are hormonally dependent on each other. Failure almost always indicates pathology or disease.
It is considered normal if menstruation occurs once every 28 days and lasts from 3 days to a week. But everything is individual. In any case, the minimum cycle should not be less than 21 days, and the maximum - more than 35.
Reason 1: Stress
Yes, most often the violation of the menstrual cycle occurs precisely because of it. After all, the cerebral cortex, the endocrine glands located in it, and the ovaries are involved in the regulation of the cycle. And this system is prone to failure.
Stress is the reason why the mechanisms of influence of the cerebral cortex on the components of the sexual sphere are violated. As a result, the hormones that stimulate the ovaries cease to be released. There is a delay. And she, as you know, refers to violations of the menstrual function.
It should be noted that stress can even cause a cycle to fail. In some cases, periods disappear even for several years. But it all depends on the strength of the stress. Shocks are usually divided into two categories:
- Short but significant stress.
- A long series of unpleasant events.
Whether Stress Causes Irregularity Depends on Individual Sensitivitywomen to certain emotional loads.
Reason 2: Acclimatization
Irregularities in the menstrual cycle often occur due to changes in the external environment. We all know how the human body reacts to its environment. And for women, things are a little more complicated.
Acclimatization is the process of getting used to the changing parameters of the surrounding world. The reproductive system is the most sensitive, so changes are reflected in the cycle. Moreover, a change in conditions provokes an exacerbation of diseases, because of which it can also be violated.
Acclimatization is stress that inhibits the functioning of the organs that produce hormones. It usually goes away within a week. But if menstruation did not come, and you still can’t get rid of poor he alth, then there is a high probability of exacerbation of chronic diseases or a decrease in immunity. And this is an additional blow to the hormonal background.
By the way, menstrual disorders in women can manifest themselves not only in the absence of a monthly phenomenon, but also in a change in their appearance. As a rule, the selection becomes scarce, and ends faster than usual.
Reason 3: Power failures
Because of this, most often there is a violation of the menstrual cycle in adolescents. Many young girls do not like their body. And they are ready to rush to extremes, just to achieve the desired weight. Both excessive weight loss and intense weight gain can lead to a violation. But the most commonfirst case.
If a girl goes beyond the line of losing 15% of her weight, then menstruation may stop altogether. Other side effects include a decrease in the size of the uterus and ovaries. If the violence against the body is not stopped, then infertility may develop.
Therefore, it is necessary to avoid sudden weight loss, lose weight correctly and gradually, avoid heavy physical exertion with a disturbed diet.
Hypomenorrhea
This is the name of a fairly common type of menstrual irregularity. It is characterized by a sharp decrease in blood loss. Patients who have experienced hypomenorrhea say that the discharge becomes scanty, spotting. And because the blood leaves the uterus slowly, it has time to clot, as a result of which it acquires a dark or brown hue.
Hypomenorrhea can occur for various reasons, but all of them are associated either with pathological processes in the appendages and uterus, or with a defect in hormonal regulation.
And isolated cases did occur in the life of almost every woman. Some are due to climate change. For others, after severe stress or under the influence of physical exertion. For some, hypomenorrhea occurs due to hypothermia, and for some it appears with the first menstruation. Also, this phenomenon may indicate the extinction of the hormonal function of the ovaries. But this is in women over 45.
But there are more serious reasons, and they should be considered separately.
Causes of hypomenorrhea
Arise givenan ailment can occur if a woman has one of the following:
- Mechanical damage to the mucous membrane of the uterine cavity. May occur due to hysteroscopy, biopsy, diagnostic curettage, or abortion. Other instrumental intrauterine manipulations can also cause.
- Infectious and inflammatory processes. These include endometritis (affects the inner lining of the body of the uterus) and salpingo-oophoritis (affects the fallopian tubes and ovaries).
- Uterine fibroids. This is the name of a benign tumor that occurs in the myometrium - the muscle layer.
- Uterine polyps. These are outgrowths that are benign, but can turn into a malignant tumor.
It is important to note that the presence of one of the listed diseases is indicated not only by the absence or change in menstruation. There are usually several more symptoms. Most often it is fever, pelvic pain, weakness, a sharp deterioration in well-being.
If it is possible to identify the pathological nature of the menstrual cycle, treatment will be prescribed immediately. The doctor will direct him to eliminate the underlying disease, and at the end of therapy, all symptoms will go away. The cycle will also get better, of course.
All reasons
Above, it was briefly described why girls most often experience failures. But there are, of course, many more reasons for menstrual irregularities. And here is their list:
- Inflammation of the ovaries.
- Lack of progesterone (sex hormone, endogenous steroid).
- Untimelyreleased follicle.
- Too much estrogen (a steroid hormone).
- Hypoplasia and polycystic ovaries.
- Bad sleep (hormones that regulate the cycle are actively produced at night).
- Lack of sleep.
- Pituitary adenoma.
- Nephroinfection of viral genesis.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Thyroid diseases.
- Hypertension.
- Problems with the adrenal glands.
You may also experience menstrual irregularities after taking certain medications. This is a side effect. That is why it is so important not to self-medicate and go to the doctor for a prescription. Especially when it comes to hormonal drugs (such as birth control).
Adolescent disorders
It is necessary to tell about them separately. Irregular menstruation in girls is usually normal. When menstruation is just beginning, they can be irregular, with failures. Normalization takes about 12 months. But there are other reasons as well.
The fact is that adolescents have a very unstable hormonal background. This is due to the imperfection of many systems in the body. In addition, provoking factors often also influence:
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Eating problems.
- Lack of proper rest.
- Anorexia or obesity.
- Bad environment.
- Stress, mental overload.
Also, the complete absence ofmonthly. If the girl is already 15 years old, and she still didn’t have them, then you need to see a doctor. The same should be done with severe pain, too long a process (more than 7 days), too abundant discharge and long intervals between periods (from three months).
Oligomenorrhea
This is the name of a violation in which the interval between periods exceeds 40 days. An unstable duration of this process is also observed. There are girls who only have them for a few hours to two days.
As a rule, this indicates a malfunction of the ovaries. The female body simply does not produce the necessary amount of hormones for the functioning of the system. Oligomenorrhea is usually hereditary. However, severe childhood illnesses can contribute to its development.
Usually, girls with oligomenorrhea also face disorders of fat metabolism (overweight), male-pattern hair growth and acne (acne).
Amenorrhoea
This disease is characterized by the absence of menstruation for several cycles. Amenorrhea almost always indicates the presence of a physiological, biochemical, mental, genetic, or anatomical disorder.
Anorexia, polycystic ovarian disease, early menopause, hyperprolactinemia can be the cause. If amenorrhea is detected, you should immediately consult a doctor.
The consequence may be autonomic dysfunction, obesity, disruption of work inthyroid and adrenal glands, altered hormonal levels and infertility.
Diagnosis
In accordance with the ICD, menstrual disorders are assigned the code N92. This phenomenon is documented as a disease, so there is a certain diagnosis.
First, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints and finds out the anamnesis. After a series of questions, the following diagnostic measures are assigned:
- Complete blood count.
- Coagulogram. Coagulation indicators, the volume of red blood cells, fibrinogen, etc. are clarified.
- Ultrasound of the uterus.
- hcg. Determines the presence / absence of pregnancy.
- Analysis of testosterone, follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones.
This is the traditional diagnosis of menstrual irregularities. But in certain cases, additional measures may be prescribed. Send for a consultation with a hematologist, for example, or examine smears for yeast fungus, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea.
Treatment
Once again, you need to make a reservation that only a doctor can prescribe it. Starting to drink drugs on your own, you can only harm your body.
Treatment of menstrual disorders is prescribed taking into account the etiology, age factor, the presence or absence of complications.
First, the doctor excludes organic genesis, and then studies the woman's hormonal status. This is necessary in order to determine the level of damage. Symptomatic therapy is also carried out. Usually prescribed:
- Hemostatic agent "Etamzilat". Twice a day for 3-5 days.
- Increasing blood clotting menadione sodium bisulfite. Three times a day for 3-5 days, 0.0015 mg.
- Peptide hormone oxytocin. 2-3 times a day for 3-5 days. Norm - 5 units / m.
- Stimulant of peripheral and central dopamine receptors "Bromocriptine".
- Synthetic glucocorticosteroid "Dexamethasone" aimed at relieving inflammation and increasing immunity.
- Synthetic progestogen "Dydrogesterone" acting on the uterine mucosa.
In the process of undergoing therapy, it is also important to attend the diagnosis of NMC at the time prescribed by the doctor. This will help to make sure that the treatment is effective or correct it.
