| | | | Other Names | | | Menses, Mentrual, Menstruation.
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| | | Menstruation refers to a periodic change occurring in human beings
and the higher apes, and consists chiefly in a flow of blood from the
cavity of the womb, and associated with various slight constitutional
disturbances. It begins between the ages of 12 and 15, as a rule, although
its onset may be delayed till as late as 20, or it may begin as early as
10 or 11. Along with its first appearance the body develops the secondary
sex characteristics of the sex: e.g. enlargement of the breasts,
characteristic hair distribution. The duration of each menstrual period
varies in different persons from two to eight days. It recurs in most
cases with regularity, most commonly at intervals of twenty-eight days or
thirty days, less often with intervals of twenty-one or twenty-seven days,
ceasing only during pregnancy and lactation, till the age of 45 or 50
arrives, when it stops altogether, as a rule ceasing early if it has begun
early, and vice versa. The final stoppage is known as the menopause
or the climacteric.
Menstruation depends upon a functioning
ovary and this upon a healthy pituitary gland. The regular rhythm
may depend upon a center in the hypothalamus, which is in close
connection with the pituitary. After menstruation the denuded uterine
endometrium is regenerated under the influence of the follicular hormone,
oestradiol. The epithelium of the endometrium proliferates, and about a
fortnight after the beginning of menstruation great development of the
endometrial glands takes place under the influence of progesterone, the
hormone secreted by the corpus luteum. These changes are made for the
reception of the fertilized ovum. Without fertilization the uterine
endometrium breaks down in the subsequent menstrual discharge.
Disorders of menstruation In most healthy women, menstruation
proceeds regularly for thirty years or more, with the exceptions connected
with childbirth. In many women, however, menstruation may be absent,
excessive or painful. The term amenorrhoea is applied to the condition of
absent menstruation. The terms menorrhagia and metrorrhagia describe
excessive menstrual loss, the former if the excess occurs at the regular
periods, the latter if it is irregular. Dysmenorrhoea is the name given to
painful menstruation.
Amenorrhoea If menstruation has
never occurred, the amenorrhoea is termed primary. If it ceases after
having once become established it is known as secondary amenorrhoea. The
only value of these terms is that some patients with either chromosome
abnormalities or malformations of the genital tract fall into the primary
category. Otherwise, the age of the onset of symptoms is more important.
The causes of amenorrhoea are numerous and treatment requires
dealing with the primary cause. The commonest cause is pregnancy.
Psychological stress or eating disorders can cause amenorrhoea. Poor
nutrition or loss of weight by dieting may do so and any serious
underlying disease such as tuberculosis or malaria may also
result in the cessation of periods. The excess secretion of
prolactln, whether this is the result of a micro-adenoma of the
pituitary gland or whether it is drug induced, will cause
amenorrhoea and possibly galactorrhoea as well, malfunction of the
pituitary gland will result in a failure to produce the gonadotrophic
hormones with consequent amenorrhoea. Excessive production of cortisol, as
in cushing's syndrome, or of androgens, as in the
adreno-genital syndrome or the polycystic ovary syndrome, will result in
amenorrhoea. Amenorrhoea occasionally follows use of the oral
contraceptive pill and may be associated with both hypothyroidism and
obesity.
Patients should be reassured that amenorrhoea can often be
successfully treated and does not necessarily affect their ability to have
normal sexual relations and to conceive. When weight loss is the cause of
amenorrhoea, restoration of body weight alone can result in spontaneous
menstruation. Patients with raised concentration of serum gonadotrophin
hormones have primary ovarian failure. It is not amenable to treatment.
Cyclical oestrogen/ progestogen therapy will usually establish withdrawal
bleeding. If the amenorrhoea is due to mild pituitary failure menstruation
may return after treatment with clomiphene, a non-steroidal agent which
competes for oestrogen receptors in the hypothalamus. The patients
who are most likely to respond to clomiphene are those who have some
evidence of endogenous oestrogen and gonadotrophin production.
Irregular Menstruation This is a change from the normal monthly
cycle of menstruation, the duration of bleeding or the amount of blood
lost (menorrhagia). Such changes may be the result of an upset in
the balance of oestroge hormones and progesterone hormones
which between them control the cycle. Cycles may be irregular after the
menarche and before the menopause. Unsuspected pregnancy may
manifest itself as an 'irregularity' as can an early miscarriage.
Disorders of the uterus, ovaries or organs in the pelvic
cavity can also cause irregular menstruation. Women with the condition
should seek medical advice.
Menorrhagia Excessive
menstruation may be due to the same systemic conditions which produce
amenorrhoea. The underlying disorder should be treated and this will
usually result in restoration of a normal cycle. Menorrhagia may occur
when menstruation first starts and during the months leading up to the
menopause, when periods also tend to become irregular. Local conditions in
the reproductive tract are the commonest cause of menorrhagia, often
accompanied by an irregular cycle (metrorrhagia). polypus,
fibroid, and other turnouts, displacements of the uterus and
inflammation following childbirth or miscarriage are the most common
causes of this type. Treatment involves remedying the local cause.
dysmenorrhoea This varies from discomfort to serious pain
and sometimes vomiting and general malaise. Anaemia is sometimes a
cause of painful menstruation as well as of stoppage of this function.
Inflammation of the uterus, ovaries or the fallopian
tubes is a common cause of dysmenorrhoea which comes on for the first
time late in life, especially when the trouble follows the birth of a
child. In this case the pain exists more or less at all times, but is
aggravated at the periods. Treatment with analgesics and remedying the
underlying cause is called for.
Many cases of dysmenorrhoea appear
with the beginning of menstrual life, and accompany every period. It has
been estimated that 5 to 10 per cent of girls in their late teens or early
twenties are severely incapacitated by dysmenorrhoea for several hours
each month. Various causes have been suggested for the pain, one being an
excessive production of prostaglandins. There may be a
psychological factor in some sufferers and, whether this is the result of
inadequate sex instruction, fear, family, school or work problems, it is
important to offer advice and support, which in itself may resolve the
dysmenorrhoea. Symptomatic relief is of value.
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Please Note: This Traditional Use information is provided as a courtesy only. The products indicated above may be listed in error. This information is based on Traditional and Folklore Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is not based on scientific evidence from any source. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
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Menstruation Problems - Health - Dol-Mite Powder - Calcium / Magnesium
8.80 oz / 250 g
7.96 US
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Menstruation Problems - Health - Dol-Mite Powder - Calcium / Magnesium
17.70 oz / 502 g
12.01 US
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