Oligomenorrhea is irregular period or delayed menses when menstrual period occur at interval of greater than 37 days but less than 90 days, with only four to nine periods in a year.
(Normal menstrual cycle occurs between 24 to 38 days).
Causes of Oligomenorrhea:
1. Hormonal changes
Hormonal pills such as oral contraceptives often cause menstrual delay. It may also occur if you suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) .
PCOS is a condition in which excessive androgens (male sex hormones) are released by the ovaries.
It is seen in elderly women with hormonal changes in perimenopause ( around the menopause when menstrual period is about to stop).
2. Endurance exercises
If you are into swimming, running, ballet dancing, or doing athletic exercises then you might suffer from scanty menses.
3. Breastfeeding
It has been linked to irregularity of menstrual cycles due to hormones that delay ovulation.
4. Eating disorders
Eating disorders can result in oligomenorrhea or irregular periods.
It could be anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where a person does food restriction due to fear fear of gaining weight and with a strong desire to be thin. This is characterized by low weight .
Bulimia nervosa is a eating disorder when a person first eats food in excess and then try to remove the food by vomiting or defecation i.e. binge eating followed by purging.
5. Use of certain medication
Use of hormonal pills, anti- anxiety medicines, anti-coagulants, epilepsy medicines, etc are linked to irregular menstrual cycles.
6. Emotional Cause
Emotional stress and anxiety also lead to delay in periods.
7. Obesity
Hormone that regulates menstruation is estrogen which is found in body fat. Thus increase in body fat increases your estrogen levels, which can affect your menstrual cycle.
8. Extreme weight loss and anaemia can also cause scanty periods.
9. Oligomenorrhea or irregular periods can be a sign of several underlying health conditions, including:
- Primary ovarian insufficiency
- Pelvic inflammatory disease(PID)
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Hyperprolactinemia (elevated levels of prolactin in the blood)
- Prolactinomas (adenomas on the anterior pituitary gland)
- Hormone-secreting tumors
- Thyroid disorders (thyrotoxicosis)
- Obstructions of the uterus, cervix, and/or vagina (Abnormalities in the structure of the uterus or cervix that obstruct the outflow of menstrual blood. )
- Steroid use
- Graves’ Disease
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Uncontrolled Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
Symptoms of Oligomenorrhea :
- Menstrual periods at intervals of more than 35 days.
- Unusually light menstrual flow.
- Irregular menstrual periods with unpredictable flow.
- Difficulty in conceiving.
Complications of Oligomenorrhea :
Women with irregular periods are at increased risk of :
-Obesity
-Diabetes
-Heart disease
-Uterine cancers
-Osteoporosis (osteoporosis is a disease in which bone gets weakened and increases the risk of bone being broken easily) -Infertility( difficulties in becoming pregnant)
-Symptoms of estrogen deficiency, such as loss of sexual desire, decrease in breast size, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes.
Diagnosis of Oligomenorrhea :
- You will be asked in detail about your menstrual history. Also menstrual details about your mother and sisters will be noted down in the family history.
- Physical examination (rectovaginal examination)
- Certain blood tests to check thyroid, hemoglobin, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies,etc.
- Urine test to check pregnancy, infection or STD(sexually transmitted disease).
- Ultrasonography (Usg)
- Pap smear test ( cervical cancer daignosis).
What can I do to improve my situation?
1) Lifestyle changes:
If obesity, stress etc are the causative factors then certain life style changes can help you. Workouts, walking and exercises can be done.
If you are underweight certain changes in diet and weight gain techniques should be used.
2) Limit usage of medicines:
Limit usage of medicines like anti- anxiety medicines, anti-coagulants, epilepsy medicines, oral contraceptive pills, etc.
3) Emotional well being:
Doing yoga, meditation and mind relaxation exercises can help to lower down your stress and anxiety.
What can Homeopathy do?
Homeopathy strengthens your immune power and acts on the root cause of irregular periods.
Your constitutional homeopathic remedy is selected after matching your mental and physical symptoms which will further prevent irregularity of menses in future.
Homoeopathic Remedies for Oligomenorrhoea Treatment:
1) If your menstrual cycle is disturbed i.e. your periods are not on time .
Your period may be early or late with pain in lower abdomen then homeopathic remedy PULSATILLA can work wonders. Also cases of PCOD and delayed periods during puberty can be cured by it.
Menses can be suppressed by cold or following wet feet. It is helpful in delayed, scarce or suppressed menstruation appearing in gap of 1.5 to 2months.
2) Homeopathic remedy NATRUM MURIATICUM is helpful for you when the you are anemic (low hemoglobin) and you skip periods for many days or months. You have great weakness and headache. You have desire for salty food items.
3) If you have delayed periods with scanty and dark colored menstrual flow accompanied by violent pains in the abdomen and back pain then homeopathic remedy SEPIA can be helpful in this situation. You have bearing down pains with irritation and sadness.
4) If you have a sensation as if your periods are about to come but they don’t appear then homeopathic remedy SENECIO AUREUS can be helpful. You may suffer from disturbed sleep and loss of appetite. Pain in back and shoulders can be present.
5) Homeopathic remedy KALIUM CARBONICUM helps you when your periods are delayed by several months. Back pain is present with suppressed periods. Menstrual flow has bad smell.
6)If your periods are late, scanty and last for a short duration along with clotted flow then Homeopathic remedy CONIUM works wonders. You have restlessness and anxiety and pain in breasts may appear before periods.
7) Homeopathic remedy LACHESIS can be helpful if your menses appear late and are dark, lumpy, dirty looking and offensive.
Menses too short with pain which gets better after the flow. There is bleeding from nose and headache.
Note : These are indicated medicines and should be taken after advice of qualified Homeopathic Doctor. A constitutional medicine is prescribed according to case history and individualization of patient which stops further recurrence of Oligomenorrhea or Irregular Periods. The oligomenorrhea treatment will depend on the cause as well as your individual state of health, preferences, and needs.
To book appointment for the treatment of Irregular Periods(Oligomenorrhea), please visit at -> https://www.homoeopathy-online.com/book-appointment
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