AromatheraphyMost Common Menstration Problems [Menstruation Problems]
Women can have various kinds of Menstration Problems [Menstruation problems] with their periods. Some women have very little trouble with their menstrual cycles, but others face a monthly ordeal, including pain, heavy bleeding, and skipped periods. Some of the common menstration/menstruation problems are stated below. They include:
Amenorrhea
One of the major Menstration Problems [Menstruation Problems] is amenorrhea, which is the complete absence of menstrual periods. There are two types of amenorrhoea, which include primary and secondary amenorrhoea.
- Primary amenorrhoea is used to describe the absence of a period in young women who haven't started menstruating by age 16.
- Secondary amenorrhoea is when menstruation has stopped for six consecutive months in a woman who has previously had regular periods.
- The underlying cause is usually hormonal. Causes of amenorrhea include pregnancy, breastfeeding, and being very underweight caused by serious illness, eating disorders, excessive exercising, or stress.
Oligomenorrhoea
This is irregular or infrequent periods. Menstration [Menstruation] can occur anywhere between every six weeks and six months. Many of the causes are the same as those for amenorrhoea. A common cause is a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
There are a large number of very small cysts on the ovaries and these are in association with a hormone imbalance. The result of this is that women do not ovulate regularly and so their periods are usually infrequent. In addition to irregular periods, women with PCOS may also have excess body hair and be overweight.
Treatment of oligomenorrhoea depends on the underlying cause and what the woman wants. A woman with infrequent periods may still be fertile and should be advised of this.
Dysmenorrhoea
Dysmenorrhea means painful periods, including severe menstrual cramps. In younger women, there is often no known disease or condition associated with the pain. A certain amount of discomfort around the time of ovulation and menstruation is normal and it has been proposed that it is related to the movements of the womb and the hormones and chemicals that circulate around the body at that time of the month.
The pain typically occurs in the lower abdomen and/or pelvis and can radiate to the back and along the thighs, lasting somewhere between eight and 72 hours. It can occur before or during menstruation or both. Headaches, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting may accompany it.
A hormone called prostaglandin is responsible for the symptoms. Some pain medicines are available that can help with these symptoms. Sometimes a disease or condition, such as uterine fibroids or endometriosis, causes the pain. Fibroids are non-cancerous or benign growths in the uterus. Some cause no problems while others cause significant pain and heavy periods. Endometriosis is a condition where the cells that make up the lining of the womb are also found in places other than the womb. This can lead to inflammation and pain. Treatment depends on what is causing the problem and how severe it is.
Menorrhagia
Menorrhagia is recurrently heavy bleeding during menstruation. In most cases no cause can be found. However, there may be an underlying cause such as endometriosis or fibroids as in case of Dysmenorrhea.
Although heavy menstrual bleeding is a common concern among premenopausal women, only a few women experience blood loss severe enough to be defined as menorrhagia.
The treatment depends on the cause. If there is no underlying problem that needs treating, the bleeding can often be reduced with non-hormonal tablets, oral contraceptives or by fitting a contraceptive coil into the womb. She may also need to take iron or folic acid supplements if the blood loss has made her anemic.
PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) refers to uncomfortable physical and mental symptoms that occur before the onset of the woman's menstrual period.
There are more than 150 symptoms associated with PMS. They may include physical symptoms as headache, migraine, fluid retention, fatigue, constipation, painful joints, backache, abdominal cramping, breast tenderness, heart palpitations and weight gain. Emotional and behavioral changes may include anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks, tension, lack of co-ordination, decreased work or social performance and altered libido.
Typically PMS symptoms appear before in the days before period and cease once menstruation begins. It is not known what causes PMS but hormonal changes are thought to be involved. PMS severity often increases around hormonal surges, such as puberty and pregnancy.
Treatments are available to ease the symptoms. These include hormonal contraceptives and more potent hormonal drugs.
These were common menstration problems [menstruation problems] associated with women. Many menstrual problems are innocent, even though they may cause significant distress and discomfort.