Is it possible to change the menstrual cycle? Failure of the menstrual cycle: possible causes and treatment

Menstruation is a physiological process that normally occurs monthly in women. The duration of the menstrual cycle and the nature of menstruation are individual for each woman, this is due to the structural features of the body, the presence of any diseases of the female reproductive system, genetic characteristics and many other factors.

A healthy woman of childbearing age should have regular periods. The duration of the menstrual cycle (from the beginning of the previous menstruation to the first day of the next menstruation) should be approximately 28 - 35 days.

Why does menstruation occur? Every month, an egg matures in the body of a healthy woman. If fertilization does not occur, the egg is released.

A regular menstrual cycle is the main indicator of the normal functioning of the reproductive function of the body. In other words, a woman whose menstrual cycle is constant is able to conceive and carry a child.

Menstruation is a necessary process for the normal functioning of the female body. However, there are many reasons that can disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle and cause changes in the nature of her periods. Let's take a closer look at why such violations can occur.

Reasons that can cause disruption in the menstrual cycle and the main clinical forms of disorders

Menstrual irregularities, as a rule, are a consequence of some pathology or arise as a result of the influence of unfavorable factors on reproductive function.

There are three main types of reasons that provoke disruption of the menstrual cycle:

• pathological (cycle disruption due to the presence of diseases);
• physiological (stress, diet, climate change, etc.);
• medicinal (cycle disruption is caused by taking or stopping any medications).

Pathologies that can cause menstrual irregularities:

1. One of the main and most common causes of menstrual cycle disorders in women is ovarian pathology.
2. Disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary system.
3. Pathologies in the functioning of the adrenal glands.
4. Endometrial polyps.
5. Endometriosis.
6. Diseases of the uterus.
7. Oncological diseases.
8. Damage to the uterine cavity as a result of curettage or abortion.
9. Liver diseases.
10. Disturbances in the functioning of the hemocoagulant system.
11. Conditions after operations on the female reproductive system.
12. Genetic reasons.

As mentioned above, one of the types of reasons that can affect the regularity of menstruation is external factors. This includes work in hazardous industries, a change of place of residence, severe emotional shocks, drinking alcohol and smoking, an unbalanced diet, and sudden weight loss.

In addition, irregular periods are observed in women undergoing drug treatment with hormone therapy drugs, antidepressants, anticoagulants and others. That is why only a doctor should prescribe medications and monitor the patient’s condition during treatment.

The main clinical forms of menstrual cycle disorders are:

1. Cyclic changes in menstruation:

• hypermenorrhea - an increase in the volume of menstrual flow with a normal duration of menstruation;
• hypomenorrhea – scanty menstruation;
• polymenorrhea - normal in terms of volume of menstruation lasting more than a week;
• menorrhagia – a significant increase in the volume of menstrual flow, the duration of menstruation is more than 12 days;
• oligomenorrhea – short menstruation (1-2 days);
• opsomenorea – rare periods, the interval between which can reach 3 months;
• proyomenorrhea - a menstrual cycle of less than 21 days.

2. Amenorrhea – absence of menstruation for more than 3 months.

3. Metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding):

• occurring in the middle of the cycle (anovulatory);
• dysfunctional (independent of the ovulation process).

4. Painful menstruation (algomenorrhea).

Diagnosis

In order to regulate the menstrual cycle and restore it, you first need to understand what caused the disturbances. To do this, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination, based on the results of which a specialist will be able to select the necessary treatment.

Diagnostics includes several stages:

1. Taking an anamnesis - you need to tell the doctor about all diseases, the number of births and abortions, medications taken, external factors that could affect the consistency of menstruation.
2. Gynecological examination and smear test.
3. Blood tests, including determination of hormones.
4. Additional tests prescribed by your doctor.

What can cause menstrual irregularities?

Many women do not consider an irregular menstrual cycle to be a big problem. However, such disorders can lead to infertility. Intermenstrual bleeding, for example, can cause apathy, fatigue, and decreased immunity.

How to deal with menstrual irregularities

After diagnosis, the doctor decides on the need for one or another method of therapy, this can be either conservative drug treatment or eliminating the causes of cycle disruption through surgical intervention. Often these two methods are combined during the treatment process.

To normalize the menstrual cycle, it is necessary to eliminate exactly the cause that led to the cycle failure, so anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal contraceptives, and hemostatic drugs can be prescribed.

Restoring the menstrual cycle after childbirth

Separately, I would like to talk about restoring the menstrual cycle in women during the postpartum period. It is worth considering that menstruation has resumed only after the onset of the first menstruation. But even here you should not hope that the cycle will immediately become regular.

The changes that have occurred in the female body in connection with pregnancy and childbirth, including hormonal ones, can affect the stability, character, and pain of menstruation. Irregular periods are acceptable during the first 2-3 months from the moment they begin to recur.

Women whose periods do not come 2 months after giving birth should be concerned, provided that the child is bottle-fed. If your baby is on a mixed diet, then menstruation may be absent for up to six months. Young mothers who breastfeed their baby may not wait for menstruation during the entire first year.

It takes time to restore the menstrual cycle. Often, disruptions in the menstrual cycle occur precisely because of the influence of external factors: try to avoid conflicts, stress, emotional experiences, eat right and get proper rest in the postpartum period.

If your periods after childbirth become more abundant or scanty, long-lasting or short-term, or more painful, you should immediately consult a gynecologist.

Those women who gave birth by caesarean section should be especially careful about the process of restoring menstruation. To avoid complications or identify them at the very beginning, it is necessary to constantly visit a gynecologist.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that identifying pathologies that cause menstrual irregularities in the early stages significantly increases the chance of getting rid of them. You should not self-medicate - this can only worsen the situation. Prescription of medications should be carried out only by a doctor, taking into account the diagnosis and medical history of the patient.

Replies

It just so happens that a person wants to intervene and change what is inherent in nature itself. This also applies to medicine, in particular, the female menstrual cycle.

Surely, there have been situations in your life when the arrival of your period is very undesirable: a long-awaited vacation, an important meeting, a business trip. We pray to our body to bring it closer, or, conversely, to delay the beginning of the cycle, thinking about our own convenience.

Every doctor will tell you with confidence that interfering with well-functioning natural mechanisms is fraught with serious problems. You can harm your health by experimenting with one way or another to speed up your periods and extend the time of ovulation.

Methods, including folk ones, for changing the menstrual cycle do exist, but no researchers or scientists have ever conducted experiments to identify side effects after their use.

Therefore, before experimenting, think about whether your desire to speed up your periods is so ardent, or can you still endure these few days?

How to speed up your period?

Many girls know a sure way to reduce the number of “red” days - a decoction of nettle leaves. With its help, you can contract the muscles of the uterus, thereby speeding up the process of blood release.

Medications that have a hemostatic effect may also help you get your menstrual cycle started more quickly.

Such a mysterious thing as calcium chloride is used by girls at their own peril and risk, so that the body quickly moves to the beginning of the cycle.

Vitamin C and products containing it affect the course of the menstrual cycle. If you want to influence it in any way, take vitamin tablets and eat lemons.

The most common way to speed up your periods is with emergency contraceptives. They hit the body with a huge dose of hormones, which leads to disruptions in the established menstrual cycle. This method is the most dangerous for your body, since the consequences of uncontrolled use of hormonal drugs can be different.

If you are determined to act against the established menstrual cycle, remember that this can lead to unwanted consequences and health problems. Try to at least use one method or another no more than once every six or eight months.

It just so happens that the reproductive function is activated in the girl’s body at the moment when she does not care about this function at all. Having just put the dolls aside, the girl is faced with a whole series of little-understood processes occurring in her body, which immediately begin to be heatedly discussed among her peers, with consultations from those who are older. And mothers in this situation do not always rise to the occasion, since they themselves are poorly versed in this topic.

So, let’s figure out once and for all what happens to you every month, dear women, what is considered normal, what should alert you.

Most women answer a question about the length of their menstrual cycle with a similar phrase “about once a month, a couple of days earlier than the previous month”- this intricate phrase denotes the duration of the cycle of 28 days. This cycle length occurs in most healthy women, but does this mean that a shorter or longer cycle is a manifestation of pathology? No!

Recognized that a normal menstrual cycle can last from 21 to 35 days, that is, plus or minus a week from the average of 28 days. The duration of menstruation itself can normally range from 2 to 6 days, and the volume of blood lost should be no more than 80 ml. A longer cycle occurs among residents of the northern regions, a shorter cycle among those living in the southern regions, but this is not an absolute pattern.

Regularity is important in the menstrual cycle. That is, if a woman’s cycle is always 35-36 days, then this can be absolutely normal for her, but if it is either 26, then 35, then 21, this is not the norm. Thus, Irregularity can be considered a pathology(when menstruation comes at an uneven period of time), long cycle(more than 36 days) or short cycle(less than 21 days). In general, the menstrual cycle can vary greatly depending on the condition of the woman and the situation in which she finds herself.

However, the lability of the menstrual cycle varies among different women depending on external and internal factors. For some, a little stress can already lead to a delay in menstruation, while for others, severe depression is not a reason for menstrual irregularities. The menstrual cycle of one woman can adapt to the menstrual cycle of another if they live together for a long time. This is often seen on women's sports teams or when living together in a dorm. It is not entirely clear what explains this fact. All we can say is that menstrual cycle although there is a clear mechanism, but may vary significantly in a normal healthy woman and these changes are a reflection of the body’s reaction to external and internal factors.

The menstrual cycle is not always stable

The most irregular period is the first two years after the start of menstruation and three years before its end (menopause). Violations during these periods are due to completely physiological reasons, which we will discuss below.

Where do these numbers come from and why might they change?

The menstrual cycle is divided into three phases: menstruation, the first phase (follicular) and the second phase (luteal). Menstruation lasts on average 4 days. During this phase, the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is shed due to failure to become pregnant.

First phase lasts from the end of menstruation until ovulation, that is, on average until the 14th day of the cycle with a 28-day cycle (the days of the cycle are counted from the moment the menstruation begins).

This phase is characterized by the following events: several follicles begin to grow in the ovaries (from birth, the ovaries contain a lot of small vesicles (follicles) containing eggs). During their growth, these follicles secrete estrogens (female sexual hormones) into the blood, under the influence of which the mucous membrane (endometrium) grows in the uterus.

Shortly before the 14th day of the cycle, all follicles except one stop growing and regress, and one grows to an average of 20 mm and bursts under the influence of special stimuli. This process is called ovulation. An egg emerges from the ruptured follicle and enters the fallopian tube, where it awaits the sperm. The edges of the ruptured follicle gather (like a flower closing for the night) and this formation is now called the “corpus luteum.”

Starts immediately after ovulation second phase of the cycle. It lasts from the moment of ovulation until the start of menstruation, that is, about 12-14 days. During this phase, the woman's body waits for the pregnancy to begin. In the ovary, the “corpus luteum” begins to flourish - the corpus luteum formed from the burst follicle sprouts vessels and begins to secrete another female sexual hormone (progesterone) into the blood, which prepares the uterine mucosa for the attachment of a fertilized egg and the beginning of pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, then a signal is sent to the corpus luteum and it curtails its work.

When the corpus luteum stops secreting progesterone, a signal is sent to the uterus, and it begins to reject the no longer needed endometrium. Menstruation begins.

With different cycle lengths, the duration of the phases is reduced - this means that one woman needs 10 days for the follicle to mature, while another needs 15-16.

Having understood what the menstrual cycle consists of, it is easy to understand what determines its duration normally and in the presence of pathology.

Why is everything often unstable at the very beginning and then, after childbirth, it gets better?

The female reproductive system matures gradually, and being a complex mechanism, requires a setup period. The fact that a girl's first menstruation occurs does not mean that its system is mature and ready to fully operate(although for some, the menstrual cycle starts working correctly from the very beginning).

The functioning of the female reproductive system can best be compared to an orchestra, the coordinated play of all the instruments of which creates the unique sound of a piece of music - in our case regular menstrual cycle. Just as instruments in an orchestra require a period of tuning, all components of the reproductive system need to agree with each other to understand and work together harmoniously. Such a rehearsal usually takes about 6 months - for some it is longer, for others it is shorter, and for others it may take longer.

Why do there be delays or do my periods start earlier?

Everything is very simple - if during the first phase of the cycle it is not possible to grow a full-fledged follicle, which could burst in the middle of the cycle (ovulation), then the second phase of the cycle, accordingly, does not begin (no ovulation - there is nothing to form the corpus luteum from). The first phase lasts a long time, until the uterine mucosa (endometrium), which has grown under the influence of estrogen, begins to be rejected on its own (like a pyramid of cubes collapses when it is stood too high). The cycle in this situation can last up to several months.

In this case, in the next cycle, ovulation may occur and the cycle will have a normal length. When such alternation occurs, they speak of an irregular menstrual cycle.

Another reason for delayed menstruation may be too long existence of the corpus luteum. As I noted above, it lives for about 10 days and then begins to curtail its work, since pregnancy has not occurred. But sometimes it happens that despite the fact that pregnancy has not occurred, the corpus luteum continues its work and menstruation does not occur, and occurs only when the corpus luteum finally decides to leave.

More earlier onset of menstruation This is usually due to the fact that the notorious corpus luteum, on the contrary, stops its work too early. This leads to an earlier onset of menstruation.

Remember how the orchestra sounds when it tunes its instruments - the same cacophony from the menstrual cycle is often observed at the beginning. The components of the reproductive system negotiate so that they can grow a follicle in 14 days, start the ovulation process, and maintain the corpus luteum for at least 10 days. At the beginning, she does not succeed in all stages of this work and this is manifested by an irregular menstrual cycle.

But this adjustment can be seriously interfered with by the person himself. Nothing has such a negative impact on the development of the reproductive system as stress(intensive study, exams, unhappy love), intense sports training, extreme weight loss, frequent illness, smoking, alcohol and drugs. Against the backdrop of all of the above, quite often periods disappear and then you have to wait a long time for them. And the reason is very simple, I would say there is simple biological expediency in this - in extreme living conditions and when, for health reasons, a woman cannot bear healthy offspring - the reproductive function is switched off until better times. It’s not for nothing that during the war, most women stopped menstruating; this phenomenon was even given a special term “wartime amenorrhea.”

What to do about it?

Let me make a reservation right away that I am not taking into account various diseases, I am talking about some common problems with adjusting the menstrual cycle. Such cycle disorders are solved by taking hormonal contraception. Here we need to return again to the comparison with the orchestra. If the orchestra starts to go out of tune, you must stop playing completely, give the musicians a rest and start again. Hormonal contraception does just that. She turns off the reproductive system and “rests” the entire time she takes contraception. Then, after its cancellation, the system begins to work again and, as a rule, the cycle failures disappear.

Why does the cycle quite often become stable after childbirth, and sexuality flourishes?

The orchestra can rehearse as much as it wants, but it is finally played only when it performs its first concert from beginning to end. Pregnancy is the only purpose for which the reproductive system is designed in the body. Only after the first full pregnancy, which ends in childbirth and the period of breastfeeding, the reproductive system matures completely, since during this period all the functions provided by nature are realized. After pregnancy, a woman finally matures and all the not fully “unpacked” properties of the body finally begin to work in full force.

The reproductive system must be used for its intended purpose - this is important; menstruation is not a function of the reproductive system, but a monthly reminder that it exists at all and is still working.

Let's step beyond 30...

Time passes, the reproductive system, which on average is allotted to exist in working order for 38 years (from 13 to 51), instead of performing its function is limited only to regular menstruation.

For reference: on average, a woman experiences about 400 menstruation during her life (with 2 births) and loses about 32 liters of blood, while during reproductive behavior (pregnancy, childbirth, 3 years of breastfeeding, and only then 1-2 menstruation and pregnancy again ) there are about 40 menstruation periods.

In addition, as a woman ages, her history of various gynecological and general diseases, and all this begins to affect the state of the reproductive system and, therefore, is reflected in menstrual irregularities. Inflammation, abortion, gynecological operations, overweight or underweight, and common chronic diseases can cause problems.

Menstrual irregularities in the form of delays or earlier onset of menstruation a couple of times a year can occur even in the absence of any pathology.

As a rule, this is due to climate change or other stresses on the body (illness, hard work, personal problems, etc.). All nervous professions can lead to either delays in menstruation, their earlier onset or complete cessation.

Every woman is different, so everyone's cycle will change differently depending on the type of stress response and the phase of the cycle in which it occurs. For the majority of women, nerve work does not affect their menstrual cycle at all. Cycle disorders, especially if it was stable before, often make a woman think that something is wrong with her. Not in all cases you need to panic.

If you can clearly remember any negative events in the recent past that greatly shocked you, then most likely this is a one-time cycle disruption and there is nothing wrong with it. If there is no menstruation for a very long time (and the pregnancy test is negative), then you need to consult a doctor. If menstruation came earlier and does not end, this is also a reason to rush to see a gynecologist.

Sometimes Cyclic disorders can manifest as very frequent menstruation(several times a month). And there is no need to delay it - see a doctor immediately.
But if the regularity of the cycle disappears completely– this is also a reason to see a doctor.

Regularity– the main indicator of the normal functioning of the reproductive system. Sometimes it happens that a cycle had one duration and suddenly becomes shorter while maintaining its regularity. As a rule, this is due to the fact that the second phase of the cycle becomes shorter, as the corpus luteum begins to work less. Such changes are more often observed closer to 40 years. This is not a reason to panic, but simply a reflection that your reproductive system will change as you age, just like you.

Early menopause

This is one of the very common fears of women. In fact, this fear is exaggerated, since early menopause is quite rare. It is mainly caused by rare congenital diseases, rare systemic diseases, consequences of treatment (chemotherapy, radiation therapy for cancer) and other rare conditions. There are situations when, as a result of surgery, a woman’s ovary or part of it is removed. Then menopause may occur earlier due to the fact that there is little tissue left in the ovaries that could support the normal functioning of the reproductive system.

Early menopause As a rule, it is manifested by the cessation of menstruation and the appearance of symptoms of insufficiency of female sex hormones (hot flashes, irritability, tearfulness, insomnia, etc.). There is no prevention of this disease.

Painful periods and PMS

For some reason it is generally accepted that Feeling unwell during menstruation is normal. Presence of pain, nausea, migraines during menstruation is not normal. This condition of painful menstruation is called dysmenorrhea and requires treatment. Even if these phenomena are expressed insignificantly, they can and should be corrected.

Dysmenorrhea it happens like primary(most often at a young age), when it is most likely due to simply the immaturity of the reproductive system and secondary– when it is a reflection of a number of serious gynecological diseases.

The same applies to premenstrual syndrome. In general, the widespread popularization of this syndrome allows women to attribute their sometimes not entirely adequate actions and behavior to manifestations of this syndrome. However, PMS is not a woman’s personality trait., which everyone has to put up with. PMS is a disease, which has incompletely studied causes, a whole list of symptoms and specific treatment measures. Manifestations of PMS can and should be corrected. Take monthly illness for granted in modern conditions wrong. If you have such problems, consult a doctor.

How it all ends

Decline of the reproductive system usually occurs in the same way as its formation. Menstruation becomes irregular and there is a tendency to be delayed. This is due to the same reasons as in the beginning.

The ovaries respond less well to stimuli from the brain. It is not possible to grow follicles that could reach ovulation - accordingly, the cycle is delayed. If ovulation occurs periodically, the resulting corpus luteum does not work well. Because of this, periods either start earlier or, on the contrary, are delayed for a long time. Eventually your periods will stop, and if you haven't had them for more than 6 months, you should see a doctor. Based on hormonal tests and ultrasound, the onset of menopause can be assumed.

Sometimes there are cases when menstruation stops for a long time, and according to tests and ultrasound, the onset of menopause is expected. This can be especially frightening for young women. However, this may only be a temporary period, and menstruation may resume on its own, for example, after proper rest.

Thus, the myth that 28 days is the norm and everything that differs from this figure is pathology has been debunked. The main thing in the menstrual cycle is its regularity, and the duration of the cycle can fluctuate over a wide range.

And yet, there is a simple rule: if you regularly undergo preventive examinations with a gynecologist (at least once a year), if any violations appear, do not put off an “unpleasant” trip to the gynecologist - then you will almost never have serious gynecological problems.

For many, a delay in menstruation is primarily associated with the onset of pregnancy. This is true, but there are many other factors that affect the menstrual cycle. A delay can be caused by endocrine diseases; this often happens after an infection. Severe stress and overwork, poor diet, climate change, and even a common cold can disrupt the menstrual cycle.

You should not consider the cycle that you are already accustomed to as the norm, even if it has been typical for you from the very beginning of your menstruation, and even if, despite its peculiarity or irregularity, you manage to get pregnant and give birth. Delayed menstruation can occur at different age periods of a woman’s life: during puberty, during puberty and premenopause. Cycle fluctuations of 5-7 days in both directions are within normal limits. If the fall provoked a cycle shift, then in a month or two everything will return to normal. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor and undergo a routine examination.

We list the most common causes of delays in women with an established menstrual cycle.

1. Stress - long-term or severe short-term - causes a malfunction of the central structures (cerebral cortex, hypothalamus) that regulate the functioning of the ovaries and uterus. An example of such disorders is the so-called wartime amenorrhea, when women stopped menstruating under conditions of stress.

2. Climate change. The optimal period for restoring a regular cycle, both during the period of acclimatization and after stopping breastfeeding, is considered to be 1-3 months, up to 6 months is acceptable.

3. Another reason for a significant delay in menstruation can be significant and rapid weight loss. With a strong desire to lose weight, having reached this critical menstrual weight (45-47 kg), a woman can get not only the desired result, but also a long delay in menstruation.

4. In addition, obesity leads to irregular menstruation. If this condition is taken to an extreme degree and persists for a long time, a complete cessation of menstruation may occur. If you are obese, weight loss is absolutely necessary.

5. The menstrual cycle may lengthen due to ovulatory abnormality. The reason for this may be: acute inflammation, severe emotional shock, lack of ovulation in this cycle, or late ovulation. The latter, as a rule, is a consequence of taking hormonal drugs (ovulation may be delayed by 10-15 days), taking postcoital contraceptives, or suddenly stopping taking contraceptives in the middle of the cycle.

6. The absence of menstruation for 6 months or more is called amenorrhea. There are true and false amenorrhea. True physiological amenorrhea is observed in childhood, during pregnancy and lactation, and during menopause. Pathological amenorrhea can be primary (no menstruation) or secondary (cessation of menstruation). Secondary amenorrhea is observed in general infectious and somatic diseases (tuberculosis, rheumatism, typhus, heart defects, liver diseases, etc.), severe intoxication (lead, mercury poisoning, alcoholism), nutritional disorders (malnutrition), neuropsychological disorders and hormonal disorders (damage to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, adrenal glands, thyroid gland). With false amenorrhea, there are cyclic changes, but menstrual blood is not released due to obstructions in the cervix, vagina, and hymen.

7. Menopausal ovarian dysfunction. At the age of over 40 years, ovarian function begins to decline, ovulation is often delayed or does not occur at all, so delayed menstruation at this age is quite common.

8. Cycle disruption can be caused by a functional ovarian cyst - a follicular cyst, an unovulated follicle or a corpus luteum cyst. A functional cyst is characterized by normal maturation of the dominant follicle throughout the entire cycle, but without its rupture. This happens in 5-10% of normal cycles. But if this syndrome is repeated frequently, it usually leads to the inability to get pregnant. The follicle does not disappear, but quickly increases in size. It can reach 4-5 cm in diameter.

9. Ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy poses a great danger to the life of a pregnant woman. A fertilized egg can implant on the ovaries, peritoneum, omentum and other abdominal organs, but most often in the tubes (99%). It is important to recognize an ectopic pregnancy in time and hospitalize the patient.

10. Abortion. Delayed menstruation can also occur after termination of pregnancy. The reason is a hormonal imbalance, as well as the fact that during instrumental curettage of the uterus, an excessive amount of tissue can be removed, including that part of the inner lining of the uterus, which normally grows during the menstrual cycle and is released in the form of menstrual blood. To restore this functional layer sometimes takes a little longer than during a normal cycle. That is, after an abortion, menstruation may occur not after 28-32 days, but after 40 days or more. This delay is not normal: the woman requires examination and treatment. In addition, abortion causes severe hormonal disruption, since the body prepares for the continuation of pregnancy, and abortion rudely interrupts these processes. Endometrial shedding is controlled by ovarian hormones. Therefore, after an abortion, cycle disturbances are possible.

11. The cause of delayed menstruation may be the use of oral contraceptives. While taking the drug or after its discontinuation, absence of menstruation may occur for several menstrual cycles: this is the so-called ovarian hyperinhibition syndrome.

12. Pregnancy is the most common and most physiological cause of delayed menstruation in women of reproductive age.

The discomfort that appears along with irregularity and cessation of menstruation is familiar to every woman. If the menstrual cycle fails, the reasons for this condition are different. It is worth talking about what processes may be hidden behind these body signals, why the cycle changes and how important it is to eliminate such a condition in a timely manner.

Causes of pathology

The normal cycle period is 3-4 weeks. They begin to count the cycle from the first day of menstruation until the next first day of menstruation. During this time, ovulation occurs - the egg matures and enters the peritoneal cavity, moving to the uterus. When a sperm enters an egg, pregnancy occurs. This reason, when violated, is the most common, but not the most common. Failure of the menstrual cycle can occur due to grueling psychological and physical activity, strict diets, hormonal problems, and other pathologies.

In addition, disruption of the menstrual cycle can occur due to:

1. A decrease or sharp increase in the intensity of menstruation or their complete disappearance. If you have not gained or lost several kilograms in a short period of time, then it is more advisable to undergo examination for the presence of typical types of infection of the body.
2. Hormonal background. This reason is quite common, especially in adolescence. In this case, a fairly serious examination of the condition of the thyroid and adrenal glands is prescribed. may occur due to dysfunction of the nervous system and emotional problems.
3. The presence of low-grade inflammation of the pelvic organs, especially with colds in adolescence.
4. High infection rate in childhood. This may include frequent colds and certain serious illnesses that were suffered in early childhood.
5. Light weight. This fact is not at all surprising, since a low body mass index affects metabolism and leads to disruption of the menstrual cycle.
6. Stress and overload of the body. Because of such factors, psychological training and psychotherapy are often used in treatment.
7. Transitional age period. Failure to have your period for more than two weeks can be considered a failure, but in young girls the menstrual cycle can fluctuate greatly, which is quite normal.
8. Self-medication and taking low-grade drugs for weight loss. Very often, girls do not know about the need for control when taking medications and dietary supplements, which causes disruption of the menstrual cycle.

Manifestations of menstrual irregularities

Various failures of menstruation during the month can be defined as a disturbance in the general functioning of the body. It happens that menstruation has changed in several ways, for example, the nature and time of bleeding has changed. There are several stages:

1. Amenorrhea - the normal menstrual cycle is absent for 6 months or more. It stands out when the failure began when menstruation occurred, as well as secondary - disturbances appeared some time after the normal course of menstruation.
2. Oligomenorrhea - menstruation comes once every 3-4 months.
3. Opsomenorea - menstruation is very scanty and short in duration, no more than a couple of days.
4. Hyperpolymenorrhea - periods are quite heavy while maintaining normal duration.
5. Menorrhagia - heavy menstruation and lasting more than 10 days.
6. Metrorrhagia - spotting appears irregularly and may appear in the middle of the cycle.
7. Proyomenorrhea - menstruation comes quite often, that is, the menstrual cycle lasts less than 21 days.
8. Algomenorrhea - menstruation brings severe pain, which can cause you to lose your ability to work for a while. It can also be primary and secondary.
9. Dysmenorrhea is any disturbed condition of menstruation, which is accompanied by pain during menstruation and vegetative disorder, which has symptoms of general intoxication of the body.

Medical therapy

Treatment begins with getting rid of factors that affect the course of the menstrual cycle. So, for example, the craze for diets often becomes the main reason for the failure of menstruation. For such treatment, an individual diet is selected and it is recommended to avoid too much physical activity.

In case of disruptions in the normal course of the menstrual cycle, therapy is prescribed, but only after pathological blood clotting conditions have been excluded. Types of therapy aimed at eliminating symptoms:

1. Hemostatic drugs. The main representatives are Etamzilat, Tranexam and Vikasol. In stationary conditions they are administered by drip and intramuscular route. It is likely that oral administration will be prescribed to enhance the effect obtained.
2. Taking aminocaproic acid, which reduces the level of bleeding in 60% of cases.
3. In case of severe blood loss, an infusion of plasma, less often blood, is performed.
4. Surgical intervention. This treatment method is used extremely rarely, for example, in the case of heavy bleeding in women over 40 years of age in the presence of persistent anemia, when the exact cause cannot be determined. Surgery may include uterine curettage, endometrial ablation, and hysterectomy.
5. Taking hormonal drugs. Oral contraceptives are most often prescribed. It helps in improving hemostatic efficiency and acts as a primary treatment. Preferably drugs with a combined effect are prescribed, containing a high dosage of progesterone and estrogen. The most popular representatives of this group of products are Duphaston and Utrozhestan. It is worth noting that the choice of drug will depend on the doctor, since there are no real differences between them. The dosage is determined individually. In addition, hormonal treatment is represented by the following drugs: Norethisterone, Medroxyprogesterone acetate.

Representatives of the fair sex over 40 years of age, when, are predominantly prescribed drugs that completely or partially “disable” menstruation. These include:

1. Danazol helps reduce the amount of bleeding.
2. Gestrinone leads to endometrial atrophy.
3. GnRH agonists completely stop the menstrual cycle. Treatment is limited to six months to prevent the occurrence of osteochondrosis. They are used quite rarely due to their high cost.

Along with all of the above, we should not forget that the treatment of menstrual irregularities will initially consist of getting rid of the underlying pathology that caused this condition.

Until the main source of inflammation is eliminated, cure is hardly possible.

When should you visit a doctor?

The failure of menstruation may seem like a trifle, but it often leads to serious and persistent problems if it is not cured in time. For girls who are sexually active, it is recommended to undergo a gynecological consultation every 6 months, even in the absence of any complaints. There are quite a large number of types of infection that do not manifest themselves, do not cause complaints and do not affect the well-being of a woman, but at the same time have a fairly large number of consequences.

Thus, you should consult a doctor if:

1. A girl under 15 years of age has not started her menstrual cycle.
2. Menstruation irregularities appear systematically, that is, they are shortened or lengthened by 5-7 days.
3. Menstruation does not last long and is also very scanty.
4. At the age of 45-50 years, due to an increase in the interval between menstruation, heavy bleeding began to appear.
5. There is pain during ovulation.
6. Before and after menstruation, bleeding appears that does not go away for a long period of time.
7. The periods are too heavy. It is worth remembering that during one period of menstruation a girl can lose a maximum of 150 ml of blood.
8. A year later, a regular menstrual cycle could not be established.

To diagnose the problem, a hormonal examination, ultrasound of internal organs, a general blood test, a smear and oral collection of information are prescribed to establish the approximate causes of this condition. Depending on the diagnosis, various treatment methods are prescribed.