The amount of emotional upheaval that periods, or no periods (for that matter) can cause, is something that every woman is aware of. It's normal to miss your period for different reasons occasionally, but it is a matter of concern if this absence persists over a period of time. The condition is then termed as a case of secondary amenorrhea. Although most people are quick to consider pregnancy while dealing with the various reasons for missed periods, there are a number of possibilities which are seldom mulled over, but should be considered in order to take effective precautions and seek proper medical care:

1. Weight
Body weight is responsible for affecting hypothalamus and this may, in turn, upset your menstrual cycle. BMI level under 18-19 may result in triggering irregularities since enough estrogen will not be created. This is also why underweight women, who suffer from bulimia or anorexia, tend to miss their periods frequently. 

On the other hand, overweight women may stop ovulating due to increase in the production of estrogen and therefore, have heavy, infrequent periods. Therefore, it is essential that body weight be regulated to avoid any disappointment at 'the time of the month.'

2. Stress
Any type of physical or emotional stress is bound to affect your cycle. This is because, the production of stress hormones in the body increases and an elevated level of adrenaline and cortisol may impair the functioning of the reproductive system. Under stressful situations, the body employs its amino acids to assist the neurotransmitters to produce stress hormones over sex hormones. As a consequence, the chances of missing your periods increase.

3. Exercising Too Much
While regular workout is indispensable for battling a sedentary lifestyle, overdoing it might cause your body to produce lesser estrogen and delay your periods. Women, who are into athletics and gymnastics, are more likely to suffer from amenorrhea. In fact, other aspects of over-exercising, like sleeping less, fasting, and infections also contribute to such irregularities.

4. Breastfeeding
Prolactin is the hormone that aids in milk production and may also repress ovulation for a while. Many breastfeeding moms may not get their periods for a month or more as a result. But this doesn't do away with your chances of getting pregnant. A span of three months is expected to pass before the abnormalities are done away with.

5. Food Allergies
Celiac disease or untreated gluten allergy can directly harm hormone production. They are directly related to your gut health and your adrenal glands which is why they can influence the sex hormone creation.


5 Reasons For Absent Periods

Heavy menstrual bleeding, technically called menorrhagia, is one of the most common types of abnormal bleeding from the uterus. Menstrual bleeding is said to be heavy if there is so much blood that a tampon or pad remains soaked for several hours. 

Here are all the possible causes of heavy menstrual bleeding:
1. Hormonal imbalance
Estrogen and progesterone levels are the primary control mechanism for periods. If the ovaries have a problem in functioning, hormonal imbalances may occur. Heavy menstrual bleeding is most common in females who are at the start of menopause. Puberty menorrhagia can occur in adolescents who are experiencing their first menstrual period. 
2. Fibroids
Fibroids most commonly occur around the age when women can get pregnant. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growth on the uterus.
3. Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube, but does not reach the uterus.
4. Blood thinners
These are medicines, which are usually anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
5. Problems with iud
A non-hormonal intrauterine device is a t-shaped device used for birth control which is inserted into the uterus.
6. Adenomyosis
This is a condition in which the muscular wall of the uterus also gets the lining of the uterus intermingled with it. However, this condition is rare and only happens in middle aged women with several children.
7. Pid
Pid stands for pelvic inflammatory disease and refers to any infection within the organs of the reproductive system.
8. Cancer
Uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer are just some of the cancers, which may cause heavy menstrual bleeding.
9. Other diseases
Liver, kidney and thyroid diseases are all included.

Possible Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

What Causes Light Periods in Women?

Light periods refer to menstrual periods that have very light flow and are characterized by a lesser number of days than usual. Although the menstrual cycles vary from a woman to another, the duration for a normal period is around every 28 days. Each period lasts for approximately four to seven days. The amount of blood loss in a normal period is around 20 ml to 80 ml. However, loss of blood below 20 ml can be considered as light periods.

The causes of light periods can vary for different woman. Some of them are:

- An imbalance in hormone levels in the body like PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease).

- Light periods are most common in women who are approaching menopause. This is because, at this time, women tend to produce less estrogen, a hormone responsible for regulating menstrual periods.

- Light periods can be common in girls who have just started to menstruate.

- Excessive bouts of exercise, a thyroid condition or an eating disorder can be also responsible for light periods in women.

- Women who use hormonal or oral contraceptives may also have a chance of experiencing light periods.

- An important cause of scanty menses is implantation bleeding. That means sometimes, despite being pregnant, little amount of bleeding can happen at the expected time of menses in the first three months of Pregnancy. So it's important to rule out pregnancy at the earliest.

Certain symptoms usually follow light periods. These symptoms vary according to the underlying causes of this condition.

Some of the common symptoms which accompany light periods are:

- Abdominal pain
- Frequent infections, namely yeast and other fungal infections
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Missed periods

In some cases, light periods might turn out to be a sign of a fatal condition that should be immediately administered to. An example of such would be an ectopic pregnancy, which can cause light or heavy bleeding. Although light periods are rarely due to serious diseases, neglect can lead to heightened complications and irreversible damage.

Some of the complications can are:

- Serious discomfort and pain
- Difficulty in conception or infertility
- Osteoporosis and osteopenia



What causes light periods in women?

How to ensure a normal period when you're suffering from PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder affecting 12-18% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is a condition where at least two of the following conditions occur:

1. Appearance of acne, excessive hair on your body

2. Irregular delayed periods

3. The presence of 10 to 12 small cysts in the ovaries.

You do not ovulate each month, and some women do not ovulate at all if they are suffering from PCOS. This is because although the ovaries of women, suffering from PCOS, usually have many follicles, they do not develop fully and so ovulation often does not occur. If you do not ovulate, you may not have periods.

So what can you do to have normal periods?

Although some women with PCOS have regular periods, high levels of androgen and also the hormone insulin, can disrupt the monthly cycle of ovulation and menstruation. If you have PCOS, your periods may be irregular or may stop altogether. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days with one ovulation, but anywhere between 21 and 35 days is considered normal, and for a woman suffering from PCOS, this cycle can take as much as 3 months to complete.

To ensure a normal period during PCOS, your doctor can prescribe hormonal contraception. The medication can also reduce menstrual cramps, acne, and excess hair growth. The estrogen and progesterone in hormonal contraception act to override the body's normal hormonal control of menstrual cycle and ovulation. Production of hormones such as testosterone is greatly reduced by the oral contraceptive pill. Some oral contraceptive pills not only aim to block the effects of testosterone but also increase insulin resistance.

By allowing the regular shedding of the uterus lining during menstruation, the pill can reduce the risk of developing endometrial cancer while ensuring you get normal periods.

Note: it is important that you closely watch your weight. Lifestyle changes and weight reduction help a lot when you are suffering from PCOS.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: How Not to Miss Your Workout During Your PERIOD

How to Ensure a Normal Period When You're Suffering from PCOS?

7 causes of heavy menstrual bleeding you must know about

Heavy menstrual bleeding, also known as Menorrhagia, refers to the state of abnormally heavy bleeding during periods. It's common for women at the premenopausal stage of their life to experience heavy bleeding during periods; but if you are not among them, heavy menstrual bleeding is a matter of severe concern.

If you normally lose a lot of blood during your periods or experience severe cramps that prevent you from leading your normal lifestyle, you must first identify the cause of it.

Here are some of the most common conditions that are responsible for causing Menorrhagia.

Disturbed hormonal balance: Menstruation involves the shedding of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), whose build-up is generally controlled by the balance between oestrogen and progesterone, the two significant hormones of your body. It sometimes happens that there is excess endometrium generation due to disturbed hormonal balance, which results in heavy menstrual bleeding.

Polyps: Sometimes heavy menstrual bleeding occurs due to the occurrence of uterine polyps, which are tiny growths appearing on the uterus lining. This condition is mostly prevalent among women of child-bearing age caused due to raised levels of hormones.

Intrauterine device (IUD): People who use birth control methods like intrauterine device or IUD are likely to experience certain side effects which include heavy menstrual bleeding. If the cause behind your menorrhagia is an IUD, you might need to remove it to get relief from the condition.

Pregnancy complications: If you experience your period later than usual and it is associated with excessive bleeding, it may be caused by a miscarriage. Moreover, you might also experience menorrhagia incase of an ectopic pregnancy, a condition when the fertilized egg is implanted within the fallopian tube in place of the uterus.

Uterine fibroids: Women of reproductive age may develop noncancerous (benign) tumours in the uterus known as uterine fibroids. These fibroids can be responsible for giving you periods lasting longer than usual accompanied with excessive bleeding.

Cancer: Though it is a rare case, sometimes the reason behind heavy menstrual bleeding may be uterine cancer, cervical cancer or ovarian cancer.

Medications: consumption of certain prescription drugs such as anticoagulants and anti-inflammatory medicines may lead to prolonged or excessive menstrual bleeding.





7 Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding You Must Know About

A collection of symptoms typically occurring between ovulation and menses (discharge of blood and from the uterus) is defined as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Premenstrual syndrome symptoms can either be physical or emotional.

Physical symptoms and signs include:
i. Muscle or joint pain
ii. Headache
iii. Fatigue
iv. Weight gain due to fluid retention
v. Bloated abdomen
vi. Breast tenderness
vii. Acne breakouts
viii. Diarrhoea or constipation

While other behavioural and emotional symptoms include:
i. Anxiety or tension
ii. Depressed mood
iii. Crying spells
iv. Anger or irritability and mood swings
v. Food cravings and appetite changes
vi. Insomnia
vii. Social withdrawal
viii. Poor concentration

Causes 
The exact cause of PMS is unknown. But there are several contributing factors, such as:
1. Cyclic hormonal changes: The hormones oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate a lot while preparing for a normal menstrual cycle. This fluctuation causes some of the symptoms of PMS.
2. Chemical changes: The fluctuation of serotonin, a kind of neurotransmitter (brain chemical), affects the mood, which causes some of the emotional symptoms of PMS. For instance, insufficient serotonin triggers premenstrual depression, insomnia, food cravings and fatigue.
3. Depression: If the PMS symptoms are severe, depression could be the underlying cause, though it doesn't usually trigger all of the symptoms.

Treatment
There is no permanent cure for PMS, but a few lifestyle changes and home remedies can work very well for you. Some treatment options include:

1. To ease abdominal bloating, drink lots of fluids
2. Eat a balanced diet comprised of plenty of vegetables and fruits. Reduce your alcohol, caffeine, salt and sugar intake.
3. You can take supplements such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin B-6 and folic acid to reduce mood swings and cramps.
4. Take vitamin D supplements to relieve symptoms
5. Sleep for at least eight hours in the night to counter fatigue
6. Exercise to improve your emotional health and reduce bloating
7. Try to reduce your stress as much as you can; read a book or walk to relieve some stress.

Besides, these lifestyle changes, you can take over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen to reduce stomach cramps, muscles aches and headaches. Diuretics (drugs that increase urination) are excellent treatments for bloating and fluid retention. However, consult your doctor before consuming any medication or supplement.

Causes and Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome

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