What causes menstrual irregularities?

Women's menstruation is always irregular. Sometimes it is very long, sometimes it is very short, sometimes it comes very late, and sometimes the interval between periods is very short. This is irregular menstruation, or menstrual disorder. In addition to the timing, menstrual irregularities may also be related to the amount of bleeding, which is sometimes large and sometimes small. So the question is, what causes menstrual irregularities?

Causes

1. Abnormal emotions cause menstrual disorders

Emotional abnormalities, such as long-term mental depression, mental tension, or severe mental stimulation and psychological trauma, can lead to menstrual disorders or dysmenorrhea or amenorrhea. This is because menstruation is caused by the hormones secreted by the ovaries acting on the endometrium. The hormones secreted by the ovaries are controlled by the hormones released by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Therefore, any abnormality in the function of the ovaries, pituitary gland, or hypothalamus will affect menstruation.

2. Cold stimulation causes oligomenorrhea or even amenorrhea

When women are exposed to cold during menstruation, the blood vessels in the pelvis will contract excessively, which can cause oligomenorrhea or even amenorrhea. Therefore, women should pay attention to preventing cold and avoiding dampness during menstruation in their daily life.

3. Dieting causes irregular menstruation

A girl’s body fat must account for at least 17% of her body weight before she can have her first menstruation, and her body fat must reach at least 22% of her body weight to maintain a normal menstrual cycle. Excessive dieting will cause a large amount of fat and protein in the body to be consumed due to insufficient energy intake, resulting in estrogen synthesis disorders and obvious estrogen deficiency, affecting menstruation, or even causing scanty menstruation or amenorrhea. Therefore, women who pursue a slim figure must not diet blindly.

4. Smoking and drinking cause menstrual disorders

Certain ingredients and alcohol in cigarettes can interfere with physiological processes related to menstruation and cause menstrual disorders. Among women who smoke and drink excessively, 25% to 32% go to the hospital for treatment due to menstrual disorders. Among women who smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day or drink more than 100 ml of strong liquor, the incidence of menstrual disorders is three times that of women who do not smoke or drink. Therefore, women should not smoke and drink less alcohol.

Clinical manifestations

There are several situations in which the disorder of menstrual cycle or bleeding volume is manifested:

1. Irregular uterine bleeding

This is a clinical symptom, including: heavy menstrual bleeding or prolonged menstrual bleeding. It is common in diseases such as uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, endometriosis or dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

2. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding

It refers to abnormal uterine bleeding caused by endocrine regulation system disorders without obvious organic lesions in the internal and external genitalia. It is the most common type of menstrual disorder and is common in adolescence and menopause. It is divided into two categories: ovulatory and anovulatory. About 85% of cases are anovulatory functional uterine bleeding.

3. Amenorrhea

It is a common symptom in gynecological diseases and can be caused by a variety of different reasons. Amenorrhea is usually divided into primary and secondary types. Those who have not had menstruation by the age of 18 are called primary amenorrhea; those who have no menstruation for more than 6 months at any time after menarche and before normal menopause (except pregnancy or lactation) are called secondary amenorrhea.

4. Menopause

Menopause means the cessation of menstruation, which refers to the cessation of menstruation for more than 12 months. However, there are often changes in menstrual cycle and menstrual volume during perimenopause. It manifests as a shortened menstrual cycle, mainly a shortened follicular phase, anovulation and increased menstrual flow.