Consequences of missing periods for several months. Reasons why there is no period other than pregnancy

A normal monthly cycle ranges from 27 to 32 days. A prolonged absence of menstruation is an alarming symptom that you need to pay attention to. This phenomenon often indicates a gynecological disease or a pathology dangerous to health.

The main function of the monthly cycle is reproduction. A healthy woman experiences bloody vaginal discharge every month, which cannot be absent without a reason.

During menopause, which occurs after 45 years, there are no periods. But if it is possible to reproduce between the ages of 12 and 45, their presence is mandatory. The absence of menstruation may be a sign of the development of a serious illness that can lead to infertility.

A prolonged absence of discharge often leads to development, which can be:

• primary - the woman has never had menstruation;
• secondary – no menstruation for several cycles.

A stable cycle is the main indicator of reproductive health. Any violations of it provoke difficulties associated with fertilization of the egg. The process of menstruation represents desquamation (rejection) of the uterine endometrium. At this time, the follicle ruptures, which entails discomfort. The mucous membrane of the uterus is disrupted. But after the end of menstruation, a new follicle matures in the ovary - the cycle resumes.

The absence of menstrual discharge during the menstrual cycle requires special attention.

Reasons for lack of menstruation

Any irregularities in the menstrual cycle are a serious problem. (amenorrhea) can be associated both with the physiological characteristics of the female body and with dangerous pathologies.

Factors that provoke amenorrhea:

1. Failure in the functioning of the endocrine system. When thyroid hormones are not produced in sufficient quantities, menstruation may be absent for a long time.
2. Pregnancy. It's no secret that there are no periods during pregnancy. This is the only reason explaining the presence of this phenomenon in a healthy woman. To confirm or refute the fact of conception, it is recommended to use a special test.
3. Climax. Menopause usually occurs after age 45. The reproduction function disappears, just like . In this case, the absence of menstruation is a physiological norm, which means there is no reason to worry.
4. Disorders of the pituitary gland. The presence of a tumor in one of the subcortical centers of the brain provokes a disruption of the menstrual cycle, as a result of which there is no discharge for a long time.
5. Ovarian dysfunction. Failure in the functioning of the ovaries may be associated with hormonal imbalances. Due to dysfunction of the uterus and ovaries, severe nagging pain in the lower abdomen will occur throughout the entire cycle.
6. Use of oral contraceptives. Taking some birth control pills provokes hormonal imbalance, as a result of which menstruation may not occur for a long period.
7. Bulimia and anorexia. The diseases are associated with a sharp change in weight category. They are often accompanied by a lack of discharge. In this case, this phenomenon is a protective reaction of the body, because any blood loss due to such pathologies, including menstrual bleeding, is life-threatening.
8. Venereal diseases. Some sexually transmitted diseases cause absence of menstruation.
9. Alcohol and drug abuse. A woman who regularly uses drugs and alcohol may not have periods for a long time. The fact is that bad habits have a destructive effect on the reproductive system.
10. Psycho-emotional tension, stress. Nervous shocks that are experienced regularly provoke disruptions in the functioning of internal organ systems, including the reproductive system. As a result of disruption of its functioning, there is a risk of lack of menstruation.

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

The absence of menstruation is not always a reason to panic. If this phenomenon was provoked by factors such as pregnancy or stress, it will not lead to unpleasant consequences. But if a prolonged absence of menstruation is the result of infection of the genital organs or the development of a disease, the woman needs treatment.

So, you should be concerned if amenorrhea, which occurs between monthly cycles, is accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Muscle weakness.
2. Skin rashes.
3. The appearance of stretch marks on the buttocks and abdomen.
4. Dry skin.
5. Increased blood pressure.
6. A sharp change in weight category.
7. Temperature increase.
8. Hair rash.
9. Fast fatiguability.
10. Frequent dizziness.
11. Insomnia.
12. Regular mood swings.
13. Cramping pain in the abdominal area.
14. Weakness and malaise.
15. Discomfort felt in different parts of the body.

The presence of these alarming signs is a reason for consultation in gynecology.

What to do if your period doesn't come

To prevent the consequences of amenorrhea, you need to regularly monitor your menstrual cycle. If there is a gynecological disease, it is necessary to carry out diagnostic measures. But if the reasons for the absence of menstruation are not related to pathological factors, a trip to the gynecologist is not necessary. It is enough to make adjustments to your lifestyle - and the monthly cycle will stabilize.

The absence of menstruation, which was caused by gynecological diseases or hormonal imbalance, requires diagnosis. Laboratory examination includes:

• – necessary to check the condition of the endometrium;
• general analysis of urine and blood;
• radiography of the sella turcica;
• karyotyping (genetic research);
• tomography;
• Ultrasound of the adrenal glands and pelvic organs;
• blood biochemistry.

Treatment of amenorrhea will begin only after the gynecologist has made the correct diagnosis. In some cases, it is also necessary to consult an endocrinologist or geneticist.

To prevent this problem from occurring, it is recommended to undergo regular gynecological examinations.

The causes of which are unknown, do not become a reason for an immediate visit to a gynecologist. Women who are sexually active believe that the reason for the absence of regular menstrual bleeding is a possible pregnancy, and older women think that this is caused by natural age-related changes in the body, and they certainly do not need to consult a doctor.

However, in all cases, you need to look for the reasons for the absence of menstruation. Then the obstetrician-gynecologist will be able to monitor the development of a possible pregnancy from its very first days or identify the patient’s disease in time and prescribe treatment. Symptoms such as a sudden cessation of menstruation in combination with sudden changes in body weight - an increase or decrease, with the appearance of pain in the pelvic organs should be especially alarming. In this case, you should consult a doctor immediately, without waiting for the condition to worsen. With the development of malignant neoplasms of the genital area or an atypical location of the ovum (ectopic pregnancy), every day and even an hour of delay in starting treatment can be fatal.

Lack of menstruation - the most likely causes

Of course, the reasons for which can be very diverse, can be explained by completely natural factors - monthly bleeding stops in almost all pregnant women. At the same time, the appearance of a small amount of blood immediately into the wall of the uterus is considered a normal situation. In the future, any, even in small quantities, require consultation with a doctor. But when answering the question “No menstruation - what to do?”, especially in the absence of presumable signs of pregnancy, there can only be one piece of advice: the patient should immediately seek advice from a qualified doctor.

If the absence of menstruation, the causes of which cannot be explained by physiological circumstances, occurs, the doctor will first of all rule out the presence of pregnancy. Only after this can an active diagnostic search be carried out to detect diseases of the endocrine organs, inflammation of the uterus and its appendages, serious diseases that deplete the body, including oncological pathologies of any location.

It must be remembered that the absence of menstruation, the causes of which cannot be established even after a thorough examination, may be hidden in the patient’s desire to follow some newfangled diets. If there is a lack of certain substances in the body (vitamins, fats, microelements), menstruation stops precisely because the synthesis of sex hormones, hemoglobin and other metabolically active substances is disrupted.

The examination program is the path to finding the causes

In patients over the age of 40, menstrual bleeding also never ends suddenly - the decline of reproductive function normally occurs gradually, and in modern conditions, for most women, the age of cessation of menstruation shifts to 50 years. Therefore, self-soothing is very dangerous - you can miss the first symptoms of a possible disease, in which timely provision of medical care will save a woman’s life.

That is why the examination program necessarily includes both gynecological examinations and tests showing the state of reproductive function, as well as general clinical examinations and consultations with specialists in related fields of medicine - therapists, hematologists, endocrinologists, surgeons.

Over the past decade, the number of women experiencing various types of gynecological diseases has increased significantly. If we analyze the statistics of visits by representatives of the fairer sex to a gynecologist, then in most cases they are directly related to menstrual irregularities in its various manifestations. One of the varieties of this can be called the absence of menstruation (amenorrhea). There can be many reasons for the development of this disorder. Let's take a closer look at the most common of them.

What is "amenorrhea"?

Before considering the reasons for the absence of menstruation and talking about the consequences of this phenomenon, it is necessary to say what is meant by the definition of “amenorrhea” in gynecology.

So, according to medical terminology, amenorrhea is the absence of monthly bleeding for at least 6 menstrual cycles, i.e. for six months. This kind of violation is primarily due to a malfunction of the hormonal system of the female body.

What can cause missing periods?

All possible reasons why menstruation may be absent are conventionally divided into pathological and physiological. Physiological ones do not require medical intervention and are caused by changes in hormonal levels due to childbirth. As a rule, the absence of menstruation after childbirth is observed for 3-4 months. If a woman is breastfeeding, the duration of this period can increase by six months.

Also, the absence of menstruation can often be observed in teenage girls during puberty. It is known that normalization of the cycle usually takes at least 1.5-2 years. It is during this period that failures may occur. However, the absence of menstruation at the age of 16 should alert the girl, who is obliged to consult a gynecologist if such a disorder occurs.

If we talk about the reasons for the absence of menstruation at the age of 40, then, as a rule, these are the periods that are caused by the decline of reproductive function at a given time.

Pathological causes of amenorrhea include diseases. It is worth noting that in most cases failures are observed, i.e. my period comes, but very late.

Separately, it is necessary to say about the absence of menstruation when taking birth control pills. This is observed infrequently and, mainly, only with independent, uncontrolled use of oral contraceptives. If you follow the doctor's instructions and follow the instructions for taking such medications, the cycle will not be disrupted. However, it is worth noting that a normal phenomenon may be the absence of menstruation only at the beginning of using such products, i.e. over 1-2 cycles. If there is no menstruation for 3 months, you need to consult a doctor and possibly change the method or means of contraception.

In what other cases may menstruation not be observed?

Lack of menstruation is often observed after an abortion. This is explained by the fact that with the onset of pregnancy, a change in the functioning of the hormonal system occurs in the female body. In particular, progesterone begins to be synthesized in a larger volume, which ultimately leads to the fact that menstruation does not occur. After a miscarriage or abortion, the body needs time to return the hormonal system to its previous state. This is why menstruation may be absent for 1-2 menstrual cycles.

What does the absence of menstruation threaten the female body with?

The most common question asked by women with menstrual irregularities is concerns whether it is possible to get pregnant without menstruation. Doctors give a positive answer to it. After all, the absence of menstruation does not mean that ovulation does not occur in the body. To find out the reason for the absence of menstruation, you need to consult a doctor to schedule an examination.

The absence of menstruation, as a rule, does not cause any harm to the body. However, in most cases, amenorrhea is only a symptom of gynecological pathologies and may indicate disorders such as inflammatory processes of the reproductive organs, tumors of the uterus and appendages, fibroids, etc. Therefore, immediately if a delay occurs, it is better to make an appointment with a gynecologist.

Menstruation begins at 11-14 and continues until about 40-50 years old, until menopause occurs - a condition in which a woman can no longer have children. Your period can come every 3-5 weeks and last from 3 days to 1 week. It doesn’t matter how long the cycle is, what is important is its stability and frequency.

If your period does not come on time, there is a high probability that something is going wrong in your body. Often a delay indicates the onset of pregnancy - a hCG test or analysis will help confirm it. Negative results in the absence of pregnancy should alert you: they may indicate the presence of pathologies.

Causes

Each woman has her own cycle length. It can change over time, with age, with changes in lifestyle. However, a healthy woman should still have her periods regularly. The maximum permissible deviation is 3 days.

Some experts say that approximately twice a year a delay of up to 5-7 days is also normal, then the cycle is restored and menstruation comes regularly.

The absence of menstruation for more than a week with a negative test is not a normal condition, which may require correction with medical help, but not always.

Adolescence

In girls, menstruation begins at the age of 12-13 and in the next two years, while normal hormonal levels are established, menstruation may occur irregularly, usually with a delay. Their 2-3 month absence at this time can be considered the norm.

If the girl develops normally (breast glands form, her figure changes, pubic and armpit hair appears), her period should come by the age of 14. If they are not there, it is important to consult a doctor. The same should be done for girls with somewhat delayed development if menstruation has not begun by the age of 16.

After 40 years

On average, a woman reaches menopause at the age of 45-55 - this is a complete stop of menstruation, after which having children is no longer possible. A couple of years before this, and sometimes 5-7, the body gradually prepares for menopause: the ratio of hormones changes, hormonal surges occur.
Against this background, menstruation begins to come irregularly: it can be delayed for weeks or even months, then recover for several months and disappear again.

No period with a negative pregnancy test

There are many reasons why menstruation may not come on time. If you rule out pregnancy, then a delay can occur without any abnormalities in the reproductive system.

• Sudden weight loss or weight gain. Adipose tissue is involved in maintaining stable hormonal levels, so sudden changes in its amount due to diets can lead to disruptions in the cycle. Menstruation usually returns as soon as weight problems are resolved or rapid weight changes stop;
• Stress, nervous or physical fatigue. Hormone production is regulated by the cerebral cortex. During a critical situation, the body may “decide” that a woman should not give birth to children yet. This can happen with severe nervous shock, overwork, regular lack of sleep and malnutrition, a sudden change in time zone or climate, as well as severe physical exertion. Athletes often stop menstruating during preparation for serious competitions, which, in principle, is a variant of the norm. The main thing is not to start the problem and eliminate the cause as early as possible;
• Taking medications, intoxication, serious health problems. Hormonal therapy, taking certain specific potent medications, addiction to drugs or alcohol, working in hazardous industries - all this can cause deviations in the functioning of the reproductive systems, including a complete stop in its functioning. The same can be observed during exacerbation of serious diseases and their treatment, endocrine disorders, as well as brain pathologies.

Answer from obstetrician-gynecologist Zhukova O.Yu. about the reasons for the absence of menstruation:

What other reasons could there be?

Menstruation may not come on time due to purely gynecological circumstances, the presence of the following pathologies:

• inflammatory diseases of the uterus and appendages - endometritis, oophoritis, salpingitis, salpingoophoritis, as well as cervicitis (endocervicitis, exocervicitis);
• polycystic ovary syndrome;
• corpus luteum cyst;
• uterine fibroids and other tumor processes;
• genital injuries;
• obstruction of the birth canal - fusion of the hymen, adhesions in the cervix;
• consequences of abortion, miscarriage, diagnostic curettage and others.

If there is no menstruation for several days once, and after it the cycle is restored, this is not a cause for concern. If the absence of menstruation bothers you for a long time (more than a month) for no apparent reason or due to illness, be sure to see a gynecologist. Perhaps this is a false alarm - the body sometimes needs such “breathes”. Or maybe the reason for the delay lies in a serious pathology.

It is impossible to determine and eliminate the cause of the absence of menstruation on your own - this is the work of a gynecologist.

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Every woman treats menstruation as an unpleasant phenomenon that cannot be avoided, and which, against her will, she has to face every month. However, when menstruation disappears without any reason, no one is in a hurry to rejoice. After all, most often such a symptom signals the development of some rather serious pathological conditions. So, if menstruation does not appear for no apparent reason within six months, doctors talk about the development of amenorrhea. Let's try to understand the factors that can cause amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), list the reasons, consider the treatment, and the consequences of the condition.

We can talk about amenorrhea only if the woman is not pregnant and she is of childbearing age - from sixteen to forty years. After all, before the onset of puberty and after the onset of menopause, menstruation simply cannot happen. Also, cycle disruptions are completely normal at the beginning of puberty and at the initial stage of menopause.

Why does amenorrhea occur? Causes

Amenorrhea can be primary or secondary. So in the first case, such a nuisance appears due to certain genetic anomalies. In addition, such a pathology can be provoked by disturbances in the activity of the brain, pituitary gland or hypothalamus, since all of these organs regulate the functioning of the ovaries and are responsible for the optimal course of the menstrual cycle. Primary amenorrhea can be explained by congenital anatomical disorders - the absence of the uterus or ovaries, as well as fusion of the vagina or lack of an opening in the hymen.

The secondary type of amenorrhea can be triggered by excessive exercise, unbalanced diet, fasting, severe weight loss and anorexia.
Menstruation can stop due to various ailments, including pathologies of the thyroid gland, ovarian diseases (endocrine disorders, cysts, syndromes of resistant or exhausted ovaries, tumors, etc.), as well as due to inflammation of the vagina or cervical canal. In certain cases, the menstrual cycle may suffer due to some psychological problems. Thus, amenorrhea can be provoked by severe stress, too strong a desire to get pregnant and various types of mental disorders, for example, schizophrenia.

This pathological condition sometimes develops due to uncontrolled consumption of contraceptives in significant dosages and after injections of hormonal drugs.

Another possible reason for the absence of menstruation is diposogenital dystrophy, which is also called Babinski-Fröhlich syndrome. This pathology may also be the result of Morgan-Stewart-Morel syndrome. Amenorrhea can also be a consequence of diseases of the adrenal glands, a congenital or acquired disease of the adrenal glands, since these organs are responsible for the production of certain hormones.

How is amenorrhea corrected? Treatment of the condition

Treatment for amenorrhea directly depends on the causes of its occurrence. Regardless of the factor that caused the problem, the patient should normalize his daily routine, eat healthy and balanced, eliminate stress and nervous tension, and also treat somatic or infectious ailments.

In certain cases, only these measures are sufficient to optimize the menstrual cycle.

If amenorrhea is the result of decreased activity of the ovaries or pituitary gland, the doctor selects hormonal treatment. The basis of this therapy is stimulation of the functions of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, after the use of combined estrogen-gestagen drugs. If the course of treatment was ineffective, it can be repeated.

The primary type of disease is corrected with the use of estrogens. This treatment continues for several months, and its effectiveness must be monitored. Such medications help stimulate normal growth and development of the genital organs, as well as secondary sexual characteristics.

If amenorrhea is of hypothalamic-pituitary origin, it is necessary to use medications to stimulate ovulation. To increase the effectiveness of treatment, it is important to carry out not only hormonal treatment, but also to attend physiotherapeutic procedures. Patients should also take vitamin-mineral complexes and sedatives, which perfectly normalize their emotional state.

If the cause of amenorrhea lies in anatomical defects or anomalies in the development of the reproductive system and tumor formations, surgical treatment is required.

What are the dangers of amenorrhea? Consequences of the condition

If amenorrhea has started before the third stage, the menstrual cycle is irrevocably disrupted. A woman develops complete infertility and is completely unable to become pregnant naturally. In this case, conception can only occur through IVF or surrogate pregnancy.

If there are problems with impaired secretion of gonadotopins, amenorrhea can be complicated by osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, and vegetative-vascular diseases. If a patient ignores treatment for secondary amenorrhea, her likelihood of cancer cells appearing in the endometrium significantly increases.

Thus, for timely detection of amenorrhea prevention, it is worth systematically visiting a gynecologist. So, all women of childbearing age need to come in for an appointment with him at least once every six months.