Amenorrhea is a syndrome of the condition of a woman aged 16 to 45 years, in which there is a complete absence of menstruation for a period of six months or more. Most often this phenomenon indicates the presence in the body of certain physiological processes or pathologies.
Some women are confused when they hear the diagnosis of "amenorrhea."Few people know what this disease is. Doctors classify amenorrhea into two main types: true and false. The following types of this symptom are also distinguished:
- Pharmacological and false amenorrhea.
- Pathological and physiological amenorrhea.
- Primary or secondary amenorrhea.
False amenorrhea
With this type of syndrome, the normal production of female sex hormones occurs, but there is some kind of anatomical obstacle for the normal allocation of bloody formations from the genital tract. False amenorrhea, the symptoms of which begin with the absence of menstruation, can cause significant physical discomfort. This is caused by a defect in the structure of the vagina, cervix or hymen of the congenital form. With this form of amenorrhea, menstrual excrement, not finding an outlet, remain in the fallopian tubes, accumulating in large quantities. This leads to the formation of an inflammatory process in this area. The diagnosis of "false amenorrhea", the causes and treatment of this disease - all this in the competence of a medical specialist.
True amenorrhea
This type of amenorrhea is associated with a violation of the cyclic processes associated with the normal maturation of the egg in the woman's body. In this syndrome, menstrual flow is not formed at all. The egg cell either does not ripen, or does not enter the uterine tube, or the hormonal regulation of the process is disturbed. This amenorrhea, the symptoms of which are absolutely painless, is the cause of infertility.
True amenorrhea is divided into several types:
- Physiological variant.
- Pathological form.
Physiological true amenorrhea
Doctors do not classify it as pathological phenomena. As a rule, the physiological absence of menstruation is associated with pregnancy, lactation, menopause or childhood.
Lactational amenorrhea is caused by the process of breastfeeding and occurs after childbirth. The duration of this phenomenon is strictly individual and can range from several months to several years. The hormone prolactin, which is excreted in the body of a woman during breastfeeding, does not allow the formation of estrogen, which in turn controls ovulation. As a result, ovulation does not occur, and there is no menstruation.
Lactational amenorrhea is a kind of natural contraceptive. But it is worth considering that the effectiveness of this method reaches 98%, provided that the child has not reached the age of 6 months, he is exclusively breastfed, and the frequency of feeding is up to six times a day. If these conditions are not respected, then the probability of becoming pregnant with a woman is very high. To prevent this, you need to take care of contraception, after consulting with a gynecologist. This amenorrhea, whose causes are physiological, does not require treatment. If a woman is concerned about abdominal pain, abnormal discharge and itching, examination and treatment is necessary.
Pathological true amenorrhea
This phenomenon occurs if a girl over 16 years of age or a woman in fertile age does not have regular menstruation. If this occurs from the adolescent period, then the phenomenon is called primary amenorrhea. What is this type of disease, you can find out at a reception with a specialist.
If the absence of menstruation occurred after a woman had a regular cycle, then this phenomenon is called secondary amenorrhea. It can be a consequence of hormonal imbalance in the body or carrying out operations of the genital area. Secondary amenorrhea, the causes and treatment of which are described below, is quite amenable to correction.
Causes of true amenorrhea
Specialists identify several reasons for which true amenorrhea can arise:
- Congenital disorders of a hereditary nature. These are the so-called chromosomal abnormalities. If there are women with late( over 18 years) onset of menstruation in the genus, then there is a genetic predisposition to amenorrhea.
- Genital maldevelopment is an anatomical abnormality. Often accompanied by general physical exhaustion, inferior formation or lack of internal and external genital organs( dystrophy, "infantile womb" and others).
- Stresses also have a direct effect on the physiology of women. Increased psychological, emotional and physical exertion can cause both primary amenorrhea in adolescence and secondary.
Causes of secondary amenorrhea
As mentioned earlier, the absence of menstruation in women over 18 years is called "secondary amenorrhea."The reasons for it may be as follows:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome causes amenorrhea and infertility. Often accompanied by the following signs: acne, a high rate of male hormones in the blood, earworm hairiness.
- Anorexia is an induced weight loss down to the exhaustion of the body as a result of a strict diet and exorbitant physical exertion. In pursuit of ideal weight, some women severely limit themselves in eating or completely refuse it, take laxatives and diuretics, provoke vomiting after eating. All these manipulations lead to anorexia and the development of secondary infertility.
- Hyper-prolactemia is one of the most common causes of secondary amenorrhea. In a state of stress, prolactin is released, blocking ovulation and the onset of menstruation. This is the so-called hormonal amenorrhea. But mainly hyperprolactenia is a consequence of endocrine disruption in the body of a woman or the development of changes in the pituitary gland.
Diagnosis of amenorrhea
Before giving the medication, the doctor needs to know the causes of the illness. Before the doctor there is a question: "The patient has amenorrhea." What happened in the woman's body? "To do this, the following diagnostic measures are assigned:
- Interrogation of the patient with clarification of her physiological condition and hereditary factors.
- Physical examination of the external organs of the reproductive system of a woman.
- Carrying out ultrasound to identify developmental anomalies, abnormal location or complete absence of internal organs of the reproductive system. Also, ultrasound can determine the size of the uterus, the condition of the follicular apparatus and the endometrium.
There is often a need for additional research methods. These include:
- Hysterosalpingoscopy - a method for determining the patency of uterine tubes.
- Hysteroscopy - examination of the uterine cavity.
- MRI of the brain to identify the pituitary gland.
- Laparoscopic diagnostic examination of the ovaries.
The assignment of laboratory tests is mandatory:
- UAC - a general blood test.
- OAM is a general urinalysis.
- Test with gestogens to determine estrogen deficiency.
- Hormonal colpositology study.
After the doctor has a full set of conclusions on the research carried out, he will be able to adequately identify the cause of the disease and its type. At the consultation, the specialist will tell in detail about the diagnosis of "amenorrhea", what is happening in the body, what caused this disease, how to proceed further. Then the specialist will appoint the appropriate treatment with a follow-up examination.
Methods for the treatment of amenorrhea
As a rule, after a thorough comprehensive examination and diagnosis, the doctor will advise the patient how to treat amenorrhea. In most cases, treatment is effective. Menstrual cycle of a woman is restored, her fertility is improving, physiology comes back to normal. There are conservative methods of correction of this syndrome. The treatment of amenorrhea with folk remedies is also common. However, one should remember that one should resort to alternative medicine only after consulting a specialist. The initiative in this matter can be not only inefficient, but also dangerous.
Treatment of primary amenorrhea
Conservative treatment of this type of amenorrhea is reduced to eliminating or correcting the causes provoking the syndrome. If the phenomenon is caused by hereditary factors, then hormone replacement therapy is prescribed in the form of preparations containing estrogens, progestogens.
Adolescents with a delay in the formation of the female sexual sphere, as a rule, are prescribed correction of nutrition and exercise. A balanced diet and sports activities contribute to muscle building, normalization of the general condition and are able to correct the situation. If the amenorrhea is not eliminated after this, the doctor can prescribe hormonal medication.
Secondary amenorrhea treatment
Secondary amenorrhea, whose syndrome is caused by an anorexic condition, is eliminated by correcting the nutrition and the level of physical exertion. Quite often in this situation, the doctor recommends taking oral sparing contraceptives, which stabilize the hormonal background.
In the syndrome of polycystic ovaries resort to laparoscopic surgery to remove the pathological part of the ovaries in conjunction with the intake of hormonal drugs that normalize the reproductive function of the female body.
With hyperprolactemia, administration of drugs containing dopamine agonists is prescribed, which block the increased secretion of prolactin.
After the above methods, any secondary amenorrhea is eliminated. Reviews of patients who underwent complex examination and treatment, speak about the effectiveness of professional procedures.
Traditional methods of treatment of amenorrhea
In non-traditional medicine, there are many recipes that help women for centuries to cope with such a disease as amenorrhea. Folk treatment, however, should be taken with caution. Obligatory examination and consultation with a doctor is mandatory. First, you should make sure that amenorrhea is not a consequence of pregnancy. Also very important is the presence of an allergic reaction to plant components, which is also a contraindication to many recipes of traditional medicine. If your doctor is not against and there is no allergy, then you can use one of the following recipes:
- Roots of rhodiola rose in the amount of 50 g to crush and pour 500 ml of vodka( 40%).Insist in a dark place in a sealed state for 15 days. Take tincture you need 10-20 drops per spoonful of water three times a day before meals for three months.
- Crush a glass of fruit of viburnum in half a liter of olive oil and infuse for 10 days. After this, strain and drink on an empty stomach and before going to bed, two tablespoons for three months.
- Lower 100 g of chopped parsley in 1.5 l of water, boil for 20 minutes and infuse for 2 hours. The resulting broth should be drunk for the whole day, and so for two months. After that, the volume of the taken solution can be reduced to half a liter and continue to drink for another six months.
- Almond - 20 pieces, geranium leaves - 20 pieces, lemons with zest - 2 pieces, hawthorn flowers - 2 tablespoons, camphor powder - 1 g, valerian infusion - 1 tablespoon, peppermint oil - 20 drops. All ingredients must be mixed and taken three times daily before meals.
- Prepare a mixture of herbs: Amur velvet, nettle, shepherd's purse, licorice root, taken in 1 part, and four parts of the mountaineer bird. All ingredients should be in a crushed and dried form. Two tablespoons of the mixture pour a liter of boiling water and boil over low heat until boiling for a third. Then you need to remove from the heat and insist under the lid for about an hour. Next, you need to strain and drink on a tablespoon for two weeks three times a day.
- Prepare a decoction of 500 g pine needles in two liters of water. Boil for half an hour and insist 2 hours. Then 100 g of ground ginger root boil in 1 liter of water for half an hour and insist 40 minutes. Prepare a bath with a temperature of 38 ° C, pour two broths into it, adding 1 teaspoon of thuja oil. To take such a bath is necessary daily for half an hour in a period of 10 days.
Prevention of amenorrhea
A woman should always remember to maintain her health in a normal state. It is necessary to avoid excessive physical, psychological and emotional loads, which, of course, have a destructive effect on the body. It is important to keep your weight at the level of the physiological norm, not allowing depletion or obesity. Pregnancy should be planned, if necessary, take contraceptives. When stress is recommended, soft herbal soothing preparations, baths, tinctures. Classes in the gym agree with a professional trainer and avoid overloading. In time, undergo a medical examination at a medical facility for the timely detection and treatment of diseases.