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Irregular Menstruation
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Are you worried about your irregular menstruation and wonder what causes it?
Are you sleepless over how it would affect your chances for conception?
The irregularity in your menstruation could range from the total absence of periods (amenorrhea) to infrequent scanty periods, which may or may not be painful.
Though the length of an average menstrual cycle lasts from about 28 to 35 days, variations do exist.
Having an irregular menstruation does not necessarily mean that you have some underlying health problems that will ruin your attempts at getting pregnant.
However, if your menstrual cycles have been regular and you suddenly experience an irregularity, it is wise to find out the cause of your irregular menstruation.
What causes irregular menstruation?
An irregular menstrual cycle could mean that you are not ready to ovulate.
It is normal for a young teenager who have just started menstruating not too long ago, to have an irregular menstruation pattern. As she grows, her hormonal pattern will be more fully developed, and her periods will be more frequent and stable.
However, if a teenager is still missing her period by the age of 16, she should have a full gynaecological assessment by a doctor for hypothalamic failure, hormonal disorders and abnormal genetic make-up.
The other cause for an irregular menstrual period is that you are almost done ovulating.
As you get nearer to your 50th birthday, your periods will become increasingly irregular. You are nearing menopause. The dwindling estrogen and progesterone in your body results in your ovaries' failure to produce an egg. When your hormones stop completely, your periods will stop altogether.
Don't lament over this as you can now say "Good-bye" to all your premenstrual symptoms. Life has opened a new and interesting chapter for you.
It is worthwhile to note that if you suddenly bleed again after menopause, it is not normal. If this does happen, it is crucial to have an investigation to exclude cancer of the womb.
What about the times in between, is a regular menstrual cycle the norm?
You wonder whether there is such a thing as an absolutely regular menstrual cycle during your reproductive years?
The answer is "No".
Your menstrual cycles can be upset easily. It is a known fact that your emotions can affect your cycles. So, there is no such thing as an absolutely regular menstrual cycle.
Causes of your irregular menstruation are listed below:
Stress – Emotional disturbances caused by stress, mental fatigue, illness and problems can alter the interval between your periods or stop your menstrual cycle altogether.
Lifestyle - Excessive amounts of strenuous exercise and physical exertion, such as marathon running, can alter your hormones enough to affect your fertility and cause irregular periods.
Diet – An unbalanced diet or malnutrition can result in irregular menstrual period or stop it completely. Women with very low body fat could cease to menstruate. In anorexia nervosa, the period stops altogether. Because of our monthly blood loss, we women have a higher dietary requirement for iron.
Contraceptive pill - Absent or scanty periods are common for several months after stopping the contraceptive pill. However, if you stop the pill, you will have a 99 percent chance of menstruating again within the first six months of its discontinuation.
Pregnancy - Ha! Congratulations! You've got it. Pregnant at last! That's why you have stopped menstruating, dear. Do take a pregnancy test to confirm this though.
Is there any treatment for an irregular menstruation?
As you can see from the reasons listed above, they are all factors that are within your control to change and regulate your cycles.
However, if you are unsure of your state of health, you can always consult a doctor.
If your physical examination proved normal and there is nothing inherently wrong with you, there is no necesssity to treat your irregular periods other than to provide the convenience of having a predictable cycle.
This can be easily achieved with the contraceptive pill. But then, this would defeat your purpose of getting pregnant, wouldn't it?
Other causes or reasons for an irregular menstruation:
It is important to distinguish between an irregular menstruation from an intermenstrual bleeding.
An intermenstrual bleeding means bleeding in between an otherwise normal menstrual cycle.
This could be caused by erosion on the cervix, cervical cancer, polyps in the womb or cancer of the womb. Sometimes, it could be due to a problem with your pituitary gland or polycystic ovaries.
These and other more serious underlying gynaecological problems that lead to abnormal periods would definitely require the immediate attention of a qualified medical practitioner.
You can still conceive. You only have to 'work' harder. ;)
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