According to medical statistics, girls and women of reproductive age normally have a stable menstrual cycle. Gynecologists say that any deviations from the norm should make a woman think, because the changes that have occurred may indicate the development of a pathological process in the pelvic organs. The symptoms include not only the unequal duration of the phases of the cycle, but also the amount of discharge during menstruation and their total duration. Treatment of scanty periods should be supervised by a doctor. Therapy is selected based on the causes of hypomenorrhea.
Why do periods go poorly
The most common cause for concern for girls and the reason for contacting a gynecologist is hypomenorrhea. This is the name of one of the deviations from the norm, which manifests itself in the form of meager periods, when there is little blood released during menstruation and the volume of blood loss barely reaches 50 ml, and the duration is reduced to 2 or 3 days. The norm is considered to be from 50 to 150 ml of blood for 5-7 days. It is worth noting thatgoing to the doctor is inevitable. In most cases, it is impossible to get rid of the pathology without medication.
Causes of hypomenorrhea: normal or not?
To confidently state the causes of hypomenorrhea in a particular case, the female body must be carefully examined. Every gynecologist knows that there is a list of non-dangerous situations that should not inspire fear in girls and women. These include the following points:
- Adolescence. When a girl is at the age of puberty from 12 to 16 years, there is little blood in the first menstruation, the discharge is unstable and meager. The reason is that the hormonal background of a teenage girl has not yet had time to fully stabilize. A year or a half after the start of active work of the ovaries, a cycle will form. Monthly girls will return to normal, and the amount of discharge will increase.
- The birth of a child. The absence of menstruation during pregnancy and little blood during menstruation during lactation for one and a half or two years should not worry a woman. A breastfeeding mother almost always has an irregular cycle. The reason is prolactin, produced by a woman's body during breastfeeding. Prolactin prevents eggs from maturing. Therefore, in the first days of menstruation there is little blood and a shortened duration. With the introduction of complementary foods in the baby's diet, transferring the child to another diet, the final weaning, the woman's cycle will quickly return to normal.
- Menopause. Over time during the periodthe onset of menopause at the age of 45-55 years, the reproductive system of a woman fades away and its functions lose their strength. As a result, estrogen production slowly but surely slows down. Eggs stop maturing, there is less blood during menstruation.
- Heredity. The most harmless cause of scanty periods, because hypomenorrhea is inherent in the genetic code and, therefore, is not a pathology.
- Exceptional situations when an absolutely he althy girl observes only once or twice a little blood during menstruation. A possible reason is the acclimatization period. In subsequent cycles, the rate of excreted blood should stabilize.
Excluding all the situations described above and not finding similar moments, you need to visit a gynecologist.
Diseases of the reproductive organs that contribute to the development of hypomenorrhea
Another reason why there is little blood during menstruation is a progressive pathological process in the small pelvis. Some of them:
- Endometriosis is a condition in which the inner layer of the uterus grows inside or outside it.
- Endometrial hyperplasia is a type of endometriosis where mucosal overgrowth occurs in the deep muscle layers of the uterus.
- Endometritis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the uterine lining.
- Ovarian dysfunction is a malfunction of the ovaries as a result of hormonal failure. Unstable hormone production and irregular menstruation.
- Polycystic ovaries - a condition characterized by cysticmore than one ovarian mass.
- Polyps in the uterus are benign growths on the endometrium as a result of hormonal pathologies.
- Infectious diseases of the reproductive organs (STIs) are sexually transmitted infections. For example, viruses, fungal pathogens or bacteria.
Varieties of hypomenorrhea
There are two varieties of hypomenorrhea - primary and secondary. If from the very beginning of the formation of the cycle, the girl has little blood during menstruation, the cause may be underdeveloped genital organs - this is primary hypomenorrhea. Girls and women with such a diagnosis are prescribed medication and constant medical supervision. Secondary hypomenorrhea is different in that earlier the blood secreted during menstruation was normal, and then the discharge decreased for certain reasons.
Causes of hypomenorrhea
There are several reasons why there is little blood during menstruation with secondary hypomenorrhea:
- Rapid weight loss due to strict diets or starvation, anorexia. In the latter case, the risk of complete disappearance of menstruation increases.
- Overweight. In the adipose tissue of a woman, the production of estrogens also takes place and there is an excess of hormones in the body. That's why there is little blood during menstruation.
- Impaired metabolism.
- Hormonal changes in the body, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or menopause.
- Injuries to the genitals. Provoking circumstances are curettage or abortion. Curettage (cleansing) procedures are done to cleanse the uterine cavity from accumulated secretions.
- Stressful situations. Constant overwork of the body leads to exhaustion.
- Bad and malnutrition without vegetables and fruits.
- Exhausting physical activity. There is a link between muscle mass and menstruation. The larger and stronger the muscle corset in women, the less blood during menstruation.
- Endocrine disorders in the body.
- Infectious diseases.
- Partial removal of the genitals.
- Tough recovery period after surgery.
- Violation in the development of the genital organs.
- Iron deficiency anemia, which inevitably affects the functioning of the reproductive organs and the whole organism.
- Decrease in the protective properties of the body, weak immunity.
- Bad environment.
- Pregnancy, the presence of which a woman does not even know. Little blood during menstruation for up to 4 weeks is the norm, but from 5-6 weeks this condition signals placental abruption and spontaneous abortion. A pregnancy test will clear things up.
- Incorrectly selected hormonal birth control pills. An independent choice of this type of contraception threatens not only with meager periods, but also with hormonal disorders and other diseases of the reproductive system. It is better to entrust this to the attending physician.
In most cases, diagnosing hypomenorrhea is enough to restore menstruationexamination and eliminate the provoking factor.
Symptoms of hypomenorrhea
Both primary and secondary hypomenorrhea are manifested by distinctive symptoms, namely:
- Little blood during menstruation. The nature of the discharge is smearing. However, the length of your period may remain the same.
- In exceptional cases, very little blood was recorded with a monthly volume of a few drops.
- Menstruation is reduced by the number of days. This pathology is called "oligomenorrhea". Episodes are known when periods were reduced to 3 days or less.
- Change the color of the highlights. The color of spotting with hypomenorrhea is light, closer to a brown tint.
- Nosebleeds during period.
- Systematic delay in the onset of menstruation and little blood in the first days of menstruation.
- Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation, as a small amount of discharge is accompanied by strong contractions of the muscles of the uterus.
- Common headaches.
- Aching pain in the lumbar region and chest.
- Gastrointestinal disorder: nausea, constipation or diarrhea.
- General weakness.
- Decreased sex drive due to falling estrogen levels.
Even if these symptoms do not accompany menstruation, the mere fact of meager periods instead of regular periods is cause for concern.
Scanty periods: what should be examined?
Any deviation from the norm in the body is subject tocompulsory examination and treatment. In the case of such a phenomenon as very little blood during menstruation, a woman should seek help from a gynecologist. The doctor will conduct an examination, taking into account all the symptoms and complaints. If necessary, send for additional examination and laboratory tests. What exactly is carried out for an accurate diagnosis:
- Careful examination of the patient on the gynecological chair.
- Examination of the genital organs for the degree of purity and flora by taking a swab from the vagina.
- Diagnosis of the cervix and vaginal walls by colposcopy. A special colposcope device will allow you to see polyps, cysts or endometrial growth.
- Blood test for the concentration of sex hormones. To do this, you will need to take venous blood on certain days of the menstrual cycle.
- Ultrasound examination of the state of the pelvic organs - ovaries and uterus.
- It is necessary to exclude or confirm the presence of genitourinary infections by taking PCR smears and blood.
Treatment of hypomenorrhea without drugs
If no pathologies were found in a woman after the examination, and meager periods continue, then gynecologists recommend:
- Improve lifestyle: move more, eliminate bad habits, spend more time outdoors, prefer active rest and get enough sleep.
- Put in order nutrition to fully saturate the body with essential nutrients. High protein content is present in meat andfish, and legumes. Grains are rich in complex carbohydrates. Without fat, the female body will not be able to function properly, which is why vegetable oils should be included in the diet. Eat more fiber in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits. Reduce fatty, fried and sugary foods. Establish a diet.
- Remove diets and fasting from your life.
- It is mandatory to take courses of a vitamin-mineral complex to maintain a woman's he alth.
- To restore psycho-emotional balance, drink a course of sedatives. Stress in the 21st century is one of the most striking examples of hypomenorrhea. Not every woman is able to cope with anxiety and worries on her own. As a result, sedatives are prescribed.
- Recommended massage to improve blood circulation and relieve tension.
How to treat hypomenorrhea with medications
Diagnosed hormonal disorders in the female body are subject to medical restoration. The balance is achieved by treatment with hormone-containing drugs. The choice of medication, of course, is based on the content of hormones in the woman's blood. The course of treatment, as a rule, is no more than six months. Such therapy is focused on stabilizing the work of the ovaries and restoring the menstrual cycle. After some time, the volume of discharge during menstruation normalizes. There are clinical pictures when the menstrual cycle is restored andthe hormonal background can be done with the help of birth control pills, which the gynecologist will also select.
When an infection is found in the genitals, it is necessary to concentrate the treatment on the provoking factor. A woman is prescribed modern antibiotics, antifungal agents or anti-inflammatory drugs. When girls complain of pain during menstruation, gynecologists recommend taking antispasmodics. Often, drugs such as Sapzmalgon, No-shpa, Baralgin or Papaverine are prescribed.
Important! The early stages of cancer are very similar to the symptoms of ovarian dysfunction, which are manifested by scanty periods. Therefore, delaying the examination is life-threatening.
Folk recipes for dealing with meager periods
Folk recipes will easily help to cope with the disease. Well proven onion broth. Suitable recipe for people who do not have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Cooking method: take one medium-sized onion, boil it in two glasses of water, take the decoction before breakfast on an empty stomach. Infusions on tansy and calendula also work effectively. Recipe: Add 2 teaspoons of herbs to 1 liter of water. Insist, take on an empty stomach.
