Menstrual Problems

Women suffer from a number of problems connected with their period, such as delayed menstruation, absence of menstruation, cramps, pain and premenstrual syndrome.

 

Menstrual cycle begins in the pre-puberty period and ends in menopause.

Menstrual period

 

Menstruation, also known as menorrhea, menses, and monthly period, is the period of vaginal bleeding which women experience from puberty to menopause, on average every four weeks. It normally lasts three to five days. If it lasts only two days or more than eight days, this is probably caused by a disorder or abnormality. During the menstrual period the uterus discharges mucosa thickened due to the reaction to progesterone, meaning that the uterus is prepared for accepting a fertilized egg. If fertilization doesn’t take place, eggs disintegrate. As the thickened mucosa is no longer needed, it peels off the uterine wall. Bleeding stops when the uterine wall is covered with new mucosa.

The first menstrual period occurs between the ages of 10 and 13, and sometimes even later, i.e. up to the age of 17. It depends on the general development of a girl, her nutrition, health, her lifestyle and other factors. At the beginning, the menstrual period is irregular because the young body is still adapting to the new function. However, if this irregularity goes on at a later age as well, we should talk about it with our physician.

What are the common problems with period?

 

Amenorrhoea refers to the absence of menstruation that can also be caused by emotional shocks.

Amenorrhea

 

Amenorrhea refers to the absence of the period, which is usually experienced by girls before they reach puberty, pregnant women and women before menopause. If the problem is experienced by other women, it involves diseases of the ovaries, uterus and endocrine glands. It can also involve psychogenic disorders which are often a result of various emotional shocks. In other words, psychogenic disorders are triggered by a certain emotional state which causes reactions in the human body. These emotional shocks which trigger tension can have an effect on the physical well-being and cause menstrual problems to women. If a woman hasn’t experienced menstruation, this indicates primary amenorrhea. If menstruation is late, this indicates secondary amenorrhea.

Amenorrhea can also be caused by abnormalities in the functioning of the brain, hypophysis, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries or other parts of genitalia. Girls aged 13 who don’t show any signs of puberty, or girls aged 16 who don’t have menstruation, or girls who don’t experience menstruation five years after reaching puberty have to undergo an examination to determine whether there is a case of a potential disease.

 

It’s best to leave women suffering from the so-called PMS alone because they are quickly irritated. (jlp)

Dysmenorrhoea

 

Dysmenorrhoea is the pain in the abdomen caused by the cramps in the uterus during the period. In the case of primary dysmenorrhoea, the cause of cramps is unknown, while in the case of secondary dysmenorrhoea the cramps are caused by a gynaecological disease. Primary dysmenorrhoea affects up to 50 per cent of women. The pain usually occurs in youth and is sometimes as strong as to affect women’s everyday activities. It can ease with age or after childbirth.

Menstrual pain normally appears as a result of the contractions of the uterus caused by the reduced blood flow to the uterine mucosa. Secondary dysmenorrhoea affects fewer women, i.e. up to 25 per cent. The most common causes are endometriosis (cell growth outside the uterine mucosa) and myomas (benign tumours in the uterine wall). The main sign of dysmenorrhoea is the pain in the lower abdomen in the form of cramps. The pain can also be dull or chronic. Other signs are headaches, constipation or diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and frequent urinating. Sometimes the uterus also discharges blood clots or pieces of the uterine mucosa. The pains caused by dysmenorrhoea can be alleviated effectively by non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They can also be alleviated by rest, sleep and regular physical activity. If the pain affects your everyday activities, you can prevent ovulation by using contraceptives with low doses of hormones. Treatment for secondary dysmenorrhoea depends on its causes.

 

During menstruation, bleeding can be either too heavy or too weak.

PMS

 

There are numerous signs of PMS (premenstrual syndrome), such as nervousness, irritability, agitation, depression, headaches, tender breasts and the thickening of tissue. The signs appear 7 to 14 days before the beginning of menstruation. They are influenced by the changes to hormones and digestion in the body.

Hormonal contraceptives reduce the fluctuation of hormone levels and alleviate the pain. Less salt or a mild diuretic reduce the thickening of tissue. It is also advisable to reduce the quantities of sugar, alcohol and caffeine, and use food additives with calcium and magnesium. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help ease headaches and the pain caused by contractions of the uterus.

 

Abnormal vaginal bleeding

 

Hypermenorrhoea refers to too heavy menstrual bleeding caused by an ovarian disorder (similarly, hypomenorrhoea, meaning that a menstrual period is too weak). If a woman suffers from hypermenorrhoea, and if she also feels severe pain in her lower abdomen, paracetamol is a much more recommended drug than aspirin because the latter increases blood flow, which can consequently cause heavier bleeding.

Uterine bleeding can be too heavy, too weak, too frequent and irregular. In about 25 per cent of women the cause is an organic disorder of genitalia, and in about 75 per cent of women the cause is hormonal imbalance. Any sort of abnormal bleeding is the reason for visiting your doctor or a specialist. In addition to bleeding being too heavy or too weak, another cause of menstrual problems is polymenorrhoea, which refers to a shorter menstrual cycle where bleeding occurs every three weeks. There is another disorder called oligomenorrhoea, which refers to a longer cycle where menstruation occurs every six weeks. 

 

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