If no menstrual period occurs for three months without pregnancy, the woman is susceptible of suffering of amenorrhoea. Read this article to more details about amenorrhoea.
Amenorrhoea is a condition implying the fact that a woman at reproductive age is not having menstrual period. A woman is considered to be at reproductive age at any age between her first period and the occurrence of menopause. During this while the only moments when lack of period is normal are during pregnancy and when breastfeeding. In any other circumstances, if no menstrual period occurs for three months, the woman is susceptible of suffering of amenorrhoea. This condition can have a multitude of causes and in certain cases it might imply the incapacity of a woman to conceive babies. Amenorrhoea, depending on what caused it in the first place can be permanent or temporary.
The primary way of classifying amenorrhoea, though, is by the time when it occurs. We can be talking about primary or secondary amenorrhoea. The first type means that menstrual period is lacking in young women under the age of 16. It can either be the fact that they have never had their first period and they don't have sexual characteristic either, or it can only be the lack of period, with all the other characteristics of their sex developed normally. Secondary amenorrhoea occurs in women who have had normal periods up until then. It can have a variety of causes, from uterine scars to administration of certain medication.
Secondary amenorrhoea can also be caused by hormonal imbalance due to a malfunctioning of the pituitary or thyroid gland. If a doctor establishes that the condition is permanent, various treatments are available, unless amenorrhoea doesn’t pose any dangers for the health and the woman doesn't want to conceive babies anymore. In such a case, treatment is not compulsory. In determining the appropriate treatment, the physician needs to first determine what caused amenorrhoea. Sometimes balancing the hormones is required, while in other cases it can be solved by surgery.
There are external factors that can lead to secondary amenorrhoea and, if those are removed, the woman will get back to normal without specific treatment. Certain prescribed pills like contraceptive ones can cause amenorrhoea and the menstrual period will normalize a while after the woman stops taking them. A condition known as athletic amenorrhoea is also common and it occurs in women exercising a lot or practicing certain sports. Diet also plays a part and amenorrhoea has been reported to occur in women that are constantly dieting in order to lose weight or to stay in shape and don’t consume enough calories to sustain their activity.
