How is your menstrual cycle? Is it normal? Menstruation, without doubt, causes a lot of discomforts. One most common issue is PMS. You may face slight cramping and feel tired just before your period, but the symptoms will vanish as soon as your period starts. This is pretty common, and most women are able to brace themselves up for it. However, are you aware of the fact that there are many other women who have to face far more severe menstrual problems?
Here is a list of menstrual problems along with their symptoms and causes:
1) Premenstrual syndrome
PMS or premenstrual syndrome occurs a week or two before your period starts. While there are women who have a lot of emotional and physical symptoms but there are others who don’t experience any!
Due to PMS you can feel bloated, irritable, have backaches and headaches. Your breasts may feel sore; you may crave for food, have acne, and feel tired, depressed or anxious. You can even be stressed out, suffer from insomnia, diarrhea or constipation and stomach cramps.
Each month the symptoms and their severity may vary. PMS is not a cause for worry till it affects your day to day activities.
2) Heavy periods
Many women suffer from heavy periods, and it is termed as menorrhagia. This condition makes you bleed more than usual, and you may have a more extended period than the typical 5 to 7 days.
This menstrual disorder is due to hormonal imbalances, but there may be other causes too such as puberty, infection in the vagina, cervical inflammation, fibroids, hypothyroidism or change in lifestyle.
3) Absent Periods
Some women might not get periods, and this condition is termed as amenorrhea.
When girls don’t hit puberty by 16, they suffer from primary amenorrhea. It can be due to some issue with the pituitary gland or some defect in the reproductive system or even a delay in attaining puberty.
When a woman stops getting her periods for more than a period of 6 months, the condition is termed as secondary amenorrhea.
Teenagers may suffer from it because of hyperthyroidism, anorexia, sudden weight loss or weight gain and ovarian cysts. Other reasons could be pregnancy or stopping use of birth control. In adults, apart from pregnancy, the condition can be due to a reproductive system infection, stopping birth control, menopause, breastfeeding or an early ovarian failure.
4) Painful periods
Some women can have very painful periods. While cramping is normal when you have PMS, it can also happen when your uterus contracts upon the beginning of your period. However, some women have agonizing pain which is termed as dysmenorrhea. An extremely period is due to fibroids, endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease.
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Menstrual Problems – Disorders Treatment
Though there are many home remedies for irregular periods, it is better to consult the gynecologist for menstrual disorders treatment. The doctor will treat you based on what is affecting your menstrual cycle.
Heavy menstrual flow or a scanty flow is linked with a hormonal disorder and it can be treated by hormone replacements. Painful periods may be connected with hormones but to address the problem there may be the need of further treatment.
Whatever your menstrual disorders may be, it is always better to seek medical help at the earliest.