Have you missed a period? There could be several reasons why. According to the Mayo Clinic there are two types of Amenorrhea, Primary and Secondary. Primary Amenorrhea is for someone who has never had a period. If you think you should have started and haven’t, you may need further investigation. It can be normal for teens not to start until 15 or 16 years old. Every person is different, no two women are alike. Most girls start their periods close to when their mother started theirs, but this is not an absolute rule.
Secondary Amenorrhea starts after puberty. The most common reason for secondary amenorrhea is pregnancy. Other causes of secondary amenorrhea include breastfeeding and menopause.
Some women who take hormonal birth control may not have periods. It may take several months after stopping the HBC for regular periods to occur. Injected or intrauterine contraception may also stop regular periods.
There are several medications that may cause periods to be irregular or stop altogether, including but not limited to:
- Antipsychotics/Antidepressants
- Cancer therapy
- Blood pressure drugs
- Allergy Medications
Here is a list of other symptoms to discuss with your provider if you have missed a period longer than 3 months:
- Nipple discharge
- Hair loss
- Headache
- Excess facial hair
- Pelvic pain
- Acne
Diet and exercise may play a factor into the regularity of your periods. Over exercising and under eating will cause your periods to stop. If your body mass index is about 10% or more underweight, you may stop having periods. Woman who participates in severe training like ballet, triathlon, or etc., may experience irregular or amenorrhea. Stress may also cause your periods to stop. Once the stress is relieved, most women’s periods return.
Hormonal Imbalance:
There are several medical hormonal imbalances that may cause your periods to stop. The Mayo Clinic lists them below:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).PCOS causes relatively high and sustained levels of hormones, rather than the fluctuating levels seen in the normal menstrual cycle.
- Thyroid malfunction.An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can cause menstrual irregularities, including amenorrhea.
- Pituitary tumor.A noncancerous (benign) tumor in your pituitary gland can interfere with the hormonal regulation of menstruation.
- Premature menopause.Menopause usually begins around age 50. But, for some women, the ovarian supply of eggs diminishes before age 40 and menstruation stops.
Complications:
The problem with amenorrhea, it can be a symptom of something much more sinister. If you are not having periods, this could lead to infertility. Young woman comparing their bodies to others allows undue stress, which in turn may cause the amenorrhea to prolong. If the reason why you are not having periods is caused by low estrogen, this may lead to weakening of the bones and cardiovascular problems.
If you are experiencing amenorrhea, Oasis Medical is available to rule out the #1 cause of it. We will do lab quality pregnancy testing, if positive we will then schedule an ultrasound to date the pregnancy. Most of the time the ultrasounds may be performed the same day. Please call and schedule an appointment today, 731-588-0339.