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| How can irregular monthly cycles be effectively managed? |
What is considered a normal cycle?
The menstrual cycle fluctuates throughout life, sensitively responding to a woman's condition. Even factors such as lifestyle, workload, illnesses, and stress levels have an impact on the cycle. Small fluctuations in the cycle is experienced by every woman. To understand when it is time to sound the alarm, it is worth knowing what cycle is considered normal. A normal menstrual cycle has the following parameters: - Lasts 21-35 days. - The duration of the discharge ranges from three to seven days. - Blood loss during menstruation is approximately 80-100 ml. - The norm, as we see, is very flexible. Therefore, any deviation from these indicators is considered a violation of the cycle. Very long or, conversely, two-day menstruation, too abundant or extremely scanty bleeding, frequent or infrequent periods - all this is considered a violation of the menstrual cycle. Types of menstrual disorders Cycle disorders can be different, depending on what indicator is out of the norm: the interval between menstruations, their duration or the amount of blood loss. Here are the main types of deviations and their names. Violated interval between periods: Complete absence of menstruation for 3 months or longer - amenorrhea. Very rare menstruation, with a period of 36 days to 3 months - opsomenorrhea. Too frequent menstruation, with an interval of less than 21 days - proiomenorrhea. Abnormal amount of discharge: Scanty periods (a few drops during the day) - hypomenorrhea. Too abundant periods - hypermenorrhea. Deviations in the duration of menses: - Less than 3 days - oligomenorrhea. - More than 7 days - polymenorrhea. - More than 7 days with heavy bleeding - menorrhagia. - Sometimes uterine bleeding that occurs outside the days of the expected menstruation is taken as a cycle failure. This phenomenon is called metrorrhagia. As a rule, it is accompanied by severe discomfort, pain, fever. All these symptoms are a reason to see a doctor as soon as possible. However, and with other abnormalities, it is desirable to visit a specialist.  Causes- Violation of the cycle - this is usually not an independent disease, but the result of other problems or changes in the body. - Hormonal failures or deviations. This is the most common reason that causes menstrual cycle disorders. Which is not surprising, because it is the endocrine system that fully regulates the menstrual cycle. And cause failure can cause not only fluctuations in the level of sex hormones, but also reduced or increased production of thyroid hormones, adrenal glands, pituitary gland. However, in about 70% of women of reproductive age, cycle disorders are caused by elevated prolactin levels (hyperprolactinemia). In second place among the hormonal causes - changes in the work of the pituitary gland, which worsens the excretion of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones or their normal ratio necessary for ovulation. - Climax. Shortening of the cycle and its irregularity - one of the manifestations of menopause. During menopause, the production of sex hormones, their ratio decreases, the cycle becomes shorter, and gradually the periods stop altogether. It should be remembered that menopause is a normal state, not a disease. It comes to all women. However, the appearance of an irregular cycle does not yet indicate menopause. - Chronic stress. In part, this cause overlaps with hormonal disorders. During stress, a high portion of prolactin is released into the blood, with constant stress, prolactin levels will be constantly high. - Diseases of the neuropsychiatric sphere. Violations of the psychiatric spectrum are also often coupled with hormonal problems. - Infectious-inflammatory diseases of the genital organs, ovarian cysts, myomas. Naturally, any disease of the sexual system will affect its work in one way or another. With a rise in temperature, which accompanies inflammatory diseases, ovulation can be disturbed, with genital infection, problems can affect the ovaries and uterus. - Nutritional disorders - emaciation or obesity. Underweight reduces the activity of sex hormones, because the body "realizes" that in conditions of lack of nutrition will not be able to bear, give birth and nurture viable offspring. Increased weight creates a problem for the proper functioning of most organs and systems. - Taking medications: hormones, including birth control, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, tranquilizers, antidepressants. These drugs depress various functions of the endocrine and sexual system. Determine the cause of menstrual irregularities and ways to return it to normal without additional examination is not always possible. Therefore, if the cycle began to differ from the usual by any of the parameters, you should definitely visit a gynecologist. - Initial examination for menstrual cycle disorders includes anamnesis collection (frequency of sexual life, methods of contraception, taking medications), external examination (allows you to get an idea of nervousness, stress level, the possibility of anemia), gynecological examination and smears, pelvic ultrasound, blood tests - general, biochemical, hormonal. - After examination, the doctor will determine what caused the failures and how to normalize the cycle, or prescribe clarifying examinations and possibly refer to other specialists.  How to normalize a broken cycle? Many people believe that if the main cause of menstrual cycle failure is hormonal, then it will have to be treated by taking hormones. However, this is not true. There can be no general recommendations here, each case is special. With elevated prolactin levels, as a rule, drugs with Vitex extract are effective. It gently corrects the hormonal background, affecting the pituitary gland, and reduces the increased synthesis of prolactin, equalizing the ratio with other hormones to normal. In this case, Vitex does not affect the level of prolactin in the normal operation of the hormonal system, that is, when taking it should not be afraid that prolactin will become lower than normal values. In chronic stress, in addition to Vitex extract, B vitamins are necessarily prescribed - they are involved in the synthesis of estrogens and maintaining their level, as well as give strength, restore the emotional background. As a complex of vitex with vitamins, Pregnoton has proven itself well. It reliably reduces prolactin levels and helps to normalize the cycle in case of disorders caused by stress or hyperprolactinemia. If the cause of cycle disorders was a chronic inflammatory process, the specialist will prescribe a course of antibiotics. If it is a matter of low or increased body weight, the gynecologist may send for a consultation to a nutritionist to correct the diet and to an endocrinologist to check whether the deviations in weight are not the result of other, more serious problems. After or even simultaneously with the elimination of the underlying cause of the cycle disorder, the doctor gives prescriptions that will help restore the normal functioning of the reproductive system. Recommendations may include correction of nutrition, taking vitamin complexes, changing working conditions and lifestyle, etc. During this period it is indicated to take the already mentioned complex Pregnoton, which improves blood circulation in the pelvic organs and the state of the endometrium, reduces the effects of inflammatory processes and helps restore the menstrual cycle. It is important to remember that it may take 3-6 months to normalize the cycle, even after eliminating the cause that caused the failure. During this time it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations. |