When To See A Doctor About Absent Menstruation
A teenage girl who hasnt started her periods by at least age 16 should see a doctor. A trip to the doctors office is also necessary if she is age 14 or older and hasnt experienced any signs of puberty yet. These changes would include the following in numbered order of appearance:
Menstruating women and teens should see their doctor if they have missed three or more periods in a row.
Can Amenorrhea Be Prevented Or Avoided
It is hard to prevent amenorrhea. Try to maintain a healthy diet and exercise plan. If you are underweight or overweight, talk to your doctor about how to find a balance. Once you begin to menstruate, keep track of your periods each month. This can help identify amenorrhea early on and aid in your diagnosis and treatment. It also is good practice if you try to become pregnant in the future.
Stress Effects On The Body
Stress affects all systems of the body including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems.
Stress effects on the body.
Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body.
Musculoskeletal system
When the body is stressed, muscles tense up. Muscle tension is almost a reflex reaction to stressthe bodys way of guarding against injury and pain.
With sudden onset stress, the muscles tense up all at once, and then release their tension when the stress passes. causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders.
For example, both tension-type headache and migraine headache are associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck and head. Musculoskeletal pain in the low back and upper extremities has also been linked to stress, especially job stress.
Relaxation techniques and other stress-relieving activities and therapies have been shown to effectively reduce muscle tension, decrease the incidence of certain stress-related disorders, such as headache, and increase a sense of well-being. For those who develop chronic pain conditions, stress-relieving activities have been shown to improve mood and daily function.
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Damage To Your Immune System
Long-term marijuana use has been proven to inhibit the ability of T-cells in the lungs to fight off viral illnesses. Considering the importance of T-cell count in the lungs, and throughout the body as a whole, this is a considerably negative consequence of smoking marijuana over a long period of time.
Take Initiative To Support Your Health And Well
To support your health while at work and beyond, consider the following tips and ideas to avoid sitting for long periods of time.
Get up every hour or two. This is the easiest and most obvious step you can take. Set your clock if you need to, and get up every hour or two and do something that requires standing. Take short walks around the block, up and down the stairs, or make a loop around the hallway office. Stretching is also a great choice. Get creative and find things to get you standing and moving that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
Request an adjustable desk. In some work environments, you might be able to request a desk that adjusts so you can alternate between standing and sitting. If you have a request from a doctor for such a desk, it could help. Further, if you do have health issues where having an adjustable desk would help minimize any difficulty in doing your work, then it might be considered a reasonable accommodation per the Americans with Disabilities Act and your employer will need to accommodate you.
Exercise during the day. If it’s an option for you, consider doing part of your exercise regimen during the day, like lifting weights at the gym or walking on the treadmill. It’s true that it might be a bit more inconvenient and require you to shower in the middle of your workday, but it could still be worth it to support your health by breaking up the length of time that you’re sitting.
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You Just Stopped Taking Any Form Of Birth Control
This includes whether you stopped taking your birth control pills, removed your IUD or Nexplanon implant, or discontinued your birth control shots, says Dr. Irobunda. The reason: For the most part, these can awesomely regulate your cycle, so when you stop taking it, it can be a shock to your body. “We’re not sure exactly why it happens, but it may take time for your system to wake up,” says Dr. Dweck.
It might be a couple months until you get your period again. One big thing to remember: You can still get pregnant even without a period you can still ovulate so use condoms anyway if you’re not ready to get pregnant.
Youve Been Under The Weather
A bout of the flu or other illness could throw off your cycle and result in a missed period. Although, scientific research is lacking on the exact reason, we can theorize that its the resulting physical and mental stressors that can make your period go bye-bye.
And illnesses can pack that double whammy. Not only does the flu make you miserable, you may also be stressed about missing school or work or worried about your health in general.
What to do:
See a doctor for an illness when necessary, and focus your energy on getting well. That means rest up and get plenty of fluids.
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You’re Too Into Your Exercise Routine
Hitting the gym even though you’re exhausted from your workout the day before? Jokingly say you live at the gym, but it’s actually kinda true? Over-exercising , as well as rapid weight loss or suffering from an eating disorder, can all cause your period to disappear, particularly if your BMI drops below 19 or 18, says Dr. Dweck. Thankfully, “simply cutting down on exercise or gaining a couple pounds will get your BMI up a bit, and you’ll get your period,” she says. What you don’t want to do is go without a period for more than a year , which can put you at risk for bone loss and osteoporosis.
The Negative Effects Of Too Much Alone Time
04 February, 2019
A part of our DNA makes us social beings. Humans need others to survive both physically and psychologically. That doesnt mean well take any company we can get, but it does mean that people are important to us. Research has even shown that too much alone time can have negative effects.
Many studies have concluded that spending a lot of time alone can have real effects on our brain. Were naturally inclined to be around other people and spend time with others. But we live in an age where thats not always easy. In fact, big crowds are one of the things that can make many people want to live solitary lives.
Loneliness is a growing world epidemic. Many people are deciding to live on their own nowadays. Neighborly relationships in big cities have become tense and exclusionary. Businesses are selling human interaction by the hour. Deep down, we all know its not good to spend time alone. But we dont always know how to break the bubble.
The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.
-Mother Teresa-
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What Else Should I Ask My Provider
When you talk to your healthcare provider, ask:
- What is causing the amenorrhea?
- What are my treatment options, and what are the risks and benefits to each?
- Do I need to see an endocrinologist for hormonal treatments?
- Can I still get pregnant if I have amenorrhea?
- Once my period returns, can I get amenorrhea again?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
If youre an older teenager who hasnt gotten a period yet, or youve had a normal menstrual cycle but now youre missing periods, talk to your healthcare provider. Amenorrhea is usually the sign of a treatable condition. Once your provider figures out whats causing missed periods, you can get care to regulate your cycle. You may need lifestyle changes or hormonal treatment to help resume normal menstrual cycles.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/30/2020.
References
- Hormone Health Network. Amenorrhea. Accessed 10/20/2020.
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Amenorrhea. Accessed 10/20/2020.
- American Academy of Family Physicians. Amenorrhea. Accessed 10/20/2020.
No Period For Three Months: Is This Normal
Not having your period for three months or more is known as secondary amenorrhea. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Natural causes of an absence of menstruation for three months include perimenopause, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Certain lifestyle factors like stress and excessive exercise may also cause it. Furthermore, having either excessive or low body fat can also cause a missed period. Tumors on the pituitary gland or a hypoactive/hyperactive thyroid gland can also lead to hormonal imbalances and trigger secondary amenorrhea. Low levels of estrogen or high levels of testosterone can also result in a missed period.
Genetic disorders such as Swyer syndrome and Turner syndrome result in a lack of menstruation without proper hormone replacement therapy. Some people experience a missed period because of medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, or chemotherapy drugs. You could also notice no period for three months or more if you have just stopped taking birth control pills.
Physical issues like problems in your reproductive organs could also cause delayed or missed periods.
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Are There Any Complications From Having A Long Menstrual Period
Often, the biggest problem from having a long menstrual period is the way it impacts your quality of life. If this is the case, dont be shy about exploring ways to change your cycle with your doctor.
Its okay to treat something simply because its a bother. Women dont have to live that way, Thielen says
And since blood is rich in iron, women who bleed a lot are at risk of anemia, she says.
What Should I Do If I Have Missed My Period
Don’t panic! In most cases there is nothing serious going on. The most important thing to do is to do a pregnancy test if there is any chance at all you could be pregnant. If you otherwise feel well in yourself, and you are not pregnant, then the chances are your periods will start up again in due course.
You should consult a doctor if:
- You have not had a period for three months and your periods were previously regular.
- You have not had a period for 6-9 months but your periods have always been infrequent.
- You could be pregnant.
- You wish to become pregnant.
- You have hot flushes or night sweats and are under the age of 45.
- You have lost weight or your BMI is 19 or less.
- You or someone close to you is concerned about your eating or weight.
- You have milk leaking from your breasts and are not breastfeeding.
- You feel unwell in yourself .
- You have not had a period for six months after stopping the contraceptive pill .
- You are worried about your lack of periods.
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A Change In Lifestyle
This can go hand in hand with stress but something as simple as moving house, changing hours at work, travelling or waking up earlier can lead to a skipped period. These changes can interfere with your body clock, which helps to regulate your hormones.
This will only usually cause one skipped period, if it causes any at all, as once your body gets used to the new schedule, the menstrual cycle will return to normal.
The History Of Monthly Periods
If we go back a couple of thousand years, women were typically in some sort of a sexual relationship from the time they started having periods until they reached menopause, says Pierson. With no contraception available, women were usually pregnant or lactating. For this reason, Pierson estimates that they may have only menstruated about five or six time in their lives.
It was when we had efficient contraception that we got the idea that regular menstrual periods are normal. So to have someone declare that you need a regular menstrual period to be healthy, thats just not the case, he says.
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Pads And Tampons Can Cause Cancer
Yes, sanitary pads can cause cancer. However, you should note that you do not just get cancer straight away. However, you should keep in mind the fact that you are using pads each month, and even though you are only exposed to low chemical contaminants that are in the pads at a time, with time, they can accumulate inside your body and this can in the long run threaten your reproductive health. As it is, the mere thought of having cancerous chemicals accumulate on your vagina is not only scary, but it is also sickening.
Estrogen Deficiency In Premenopausal Women
One of the top causes of secondary amenorrhea is functional hypothalamic amenorrhea which results in severe hypoestrogenemia and cessation of the menstrual cycle. Three main types of FHA are psychological stress, intense exercise, and disordered eating, making this a relevant womens health issue. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, FHA is responsible for 2035% of secondary amenorrhea. It is estimated that FHA effects about 1.62 million women between the ages of 18 and 44 years in the US and 17.4 million women worldwide.
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How Does Depo Provera Work
When a woman has Depo Provera, her body senses the presence of the hormone so that her own hormone production is switched off. Because of this, her ovaries will not release an egg and this is how pregnancy is prevented. This is very similar to how the Pill works. Depo Provera is also sometimes used in the treatment of endometriosis.
Sensitivity Test For Warfarin Side Effects
If you are concerned about the long term effects of Warfarin, you can talk to your doctor about taking a a warfarin sensitivity test.
- About a third of the people who take warfarin are at a higher risk of bleeding because their genetic makeup is more sensitive to warfarin.
If you’re worried that you might be more sensitive to warfarinbecause a family member experienced side effects of blood thinners, talk to your doctor about taking a warfarin sensitivity test.
- The test can tell if your genetics might increase your risk of bleeding.
This can prevent your getting a Coumadin overdose, improve your chances of your doctor setting the right Coumadin dosage, and less worry about long term side effects warfarin for YOU!
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