Download What isAmenorrhoea

What is Amenorrhoea?
Amenorrhoea means the absence of the menstrual period and one of the most common causes
of amenorrhoea is hormonal disturbance. Female hormonal cycles can be out of sync for a
number of reasons, emotional or physical stress (athletes over training and addicted to gym
workouts), disease involving the reproductive system, extreme weight loss and poor diet
(malnutrition), to name a few. Other factors to consider are of course pregnancy,
breastfeeding, and menopause and when the woman has stopped taking the contraceptive pill,
often the cycle is completely disrupted and can take a while to re-establish a spontaneous
normal regular cycle.
Amenorrhoea is divided into two categories:
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Primary amenorrhoea - menstruation hasn't begun by 14 years of age and the young
woman shows no secondary sexual characteristics (such as developing breasts and
pubic hair), or menstruation hasn't begun by 16 years of age, even though the young
woman has secondary sexual characteristics.
Secondary amenorrhoea - established menstruation has ceased for six months or for
a length of time equivalent to a total of at least three of the previous cycle intervals.
The menstrual cycle
The hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain interact with each other to control the
menstrual cycle. The pituitary gland produces chemicals that stimulate the ovaries to
produce the two female sex hormones - oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones
thicken the lining of the womb (uterus) to prepare for a possible pregnancy. When pregnancy
doesn't occur, hormone levels drop and the lining of the womb falls away. This is called a
period/menstruation. The cycle then repeats.
Disorders of the hypothalamus
Disorders of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland or ovaries can disrupt menstruation and bring
about amenorrhoea. A variety of factors can cause the hypothalamus to malfunction and
trigger amenorrhoea, including:
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Emotional stress such as important life events as losing a partner (death or
divorce/separation), loss of occupation, financial loss etc.
Weight loss – especially slimming diets, food fads.
Excessive physical exercise
Some antipsychotic medications (major tranquillisers)
Disorders of the endocrine system, such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid
gland).
Travel i.e. overseas – especially long haul travel crossing the dateline can be disruptive
for some women, usually the duration of cessation is not lengthy, long haul travel can
interfere with thyroid function, some people gain weight others loose it, usually this is
only temporary, but can create an added physiological stress.
Other disorders
Other disorders that can cause amenorrhoea include:
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Polycystic ovary syndrome - the ovaries develop clusters of blister-like cysts.
Associated symptoms include irregular periods and hirsutism (excessive hairiness in
particular facial hair).
Hyperandrogenaemia - the reproductive system is influenced by high levels of male
sex hormones. This can be caused by ovarian or adrenal tumours, or certain congenital
disorders.
Hyperprolactinemia - an increase of the hormone prolactin caused by overactivity of,
or a tumour on, the pituitary gland.
Abnormalities of the vagina - such as a sealed hymen, which prevents the menstrual
blood from leaving the vagina. This is a rare condition and symptoms include abdominal
distension and delayed start to periods and cyclical abdominal pain.
In some cases a small percentage of women can develop ovarian failure before the age of 40
with symptoms similar to menopause. This is often referred to as “resistant ovary” or
“premature menopause”. In most cases however these women resume their normal ovarian
function and commence menstruating again, so the term “premature menopause” is not a
correct diagnosis. Some of the underlying factors mentioned above would also need to be
considered.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing the cause of amenorrhoea depends on a number of tests, including:
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Pregnancy tests - either urine or blood tests.
Physical examination - to determine overall health and the presence of secondary
sexual characteristics.
Medical history - including gynaecological history and contraceptive methods.
Hormone tests - to check the functioning of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and
ovaries.
Other scans - including CT scans and ultrasounds of the reproductive system.
Dietary, Lifestyle and Emotional Assessments
How is Amenorrhoea treated Naturally?
From a naturopathic standpoint treatment for amenorrhoea depends on the cause. If
extreme weight loss and excessive exercise are to blame, then treatment will focus on
encouraging the woman to maintain a healthier body weight and encourage eating a healthy
whole diet that will provide a good mineral and vitamin profile. Zinc is a very important
mineral for the reproductive system and in all cases a zinc screening would be conducted to
ascertain any likely deficiencies. Many women I have seen with reproductive problems appear
to be deficient in zinc. This is often due to fad diets and not fully understanding how to
combine various food groups to maintain healthy diet, especially those practicing
vegetarianism. Some young women have no knowledge of how to prepare a healthy meal and
resort to eating the same takeaways most days or eating breakfast cereal and biscuits for
dinner! This would certainly create a state of malnutrition where their regular cycles would
be affected, not to mention other health disorders manifesting!
Herbal and homeopathic remedies would be administered to encourage healthy cycles. The
herbal remedies are not “hormonal” herbs, some herbs have the ability to mimic the action of
our body’s own hormonal activity and thereby can encourage the body to work in a balanced
healthy way again.
An amazing case I had with a client who had, had no cycle in over 12 months received herbs
and minerals from me, dietary assessment and a Bowen Treatment, she was scheduled for her
2nd Bowen Treatment the next week and rang me the day before excited saying she had her
first period in a year! She certainly responded very quickly and very well to the overall
treatment and remedies! Continuation of treatment and remedies even when positive results
are shown so quickly is important to establish healthy hormonal levels and free up (in the case
of Bowen Therapy), stagnation of Chi energy that can and does impede the function of our
body’s systems.
Some young women I have come across consider it a “blessing” when they cease having their
periods and may not investigate what the cause is – often leaving the situation for many
months as this young lady did. However, realisation that improved health is paramount and of
course important to establish healthy rhythmic cycles in case conception is a future
consideration.
In some cases (as with this lady), bowel problems can be present. Since both body systems
are anatomically so close we sometimes see bowel changes in conjunction with hormonal
swings and changes. If any bacteria or parasites are present in the bowel through
constipation and poor bowel habits then if left for many months without the right treatment
can sometimes spread infection to organs elsewhere and impede with the function.
Remedies are often taken for a few months, depending on each case – for everyone is unique
in their presentation, certainly a minimum of 3 months, but duration should not be the
foremost concern, what is important is re-establishing healthy cycles that are pain free and
regular. Natural remedies such as herbs and homeopathics are excellent for assisting in
resolving Amenorrhoea.
Some women have cycles every 26 days, whilst others may extend to 33 days; this range
appears more normal and acceptable with the more common range being 28/29 days.
However, if cycles are shorter or much longer it is recommended that you have an
assessment to establish a cyclic range as mentioned here, especially if you wish to conceive.
It is always recommended that you do not self-administer since you could compound the
problem and you maybe disappointed in the results. Always see a qualified practitioner and
be aware that consistency is the Key, in taking all remedies and dietary changes, this is
important and you will then give your body full opportunity to commence working harmoniously
for you!
Lyn Craven © 2008