Irregular Menstrual Cycle

Irregular periods or menstrual cycle is a condition of disarray the normal cycle of menstrual in women, which plays a crucial role in fertility. Lack of ovulation or irregular ovulation commonly causes irregular periods. Irregular periods include Amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), Oligomenorrhea (Infrequent periods), and menorrhagia (prolonged or heavy periods).
Menstrual disorders can be cause of infertility due to factors like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and uterine fibroids. Women facing irregular periods should look forward for treatment.
Following could be reasons of irregular menstrual cycle:
• Medication, including contraceptives
• Stress
• Thyroid Issue
• Extreme weight loss or gain
• Eating disorder
Types of Irregular periods:
• Amenorrhea– Amenorrhea is condition of permanent lack of permanent menstrual cycle. Missing one period is not a matter of concern, but regular missing of periods or lack of periods may cause infertility.
Amenorrhea caused by structural, genetic, or hormonal change in puberty period is known as primary amenorrhea. This abnormality could be a result of gonadal dysgenesis, turner syndrome, PCOS, androgen sensitivity, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Amenorrhea occurs after a woman starts her periods then it is termed as secondary amenorrhea. This condition usually arises due imbalance in hormones including ovaries, hypothalamus, and pituitary glands. Main causes are:
1. PCOS
2. Premature ovarian failure
3. Early menopause
4. Excessive amount of androgen
• Oligomenorrhea– When a women misses her periods usually more than 35 days then the irregularity is termed as oligomenorrhea. It can be a cause of thyroid, diabetes, eating disorder. If it is left untreated then risk of causing endometrial cancer and endometrial hyperplasia increases.
• Menorrhagia– Menorrhagia is a abnormality termed for heavy blood flow. Women with heavy blood flow and large blood clots should seek for medical treatment.
Causes of Menorrhagia, which can impair infertility are:
1. Polyps in uterine lining
2. Hormonal imbalance
3. Ovarian dysfunction
4. Uterine fibroids
5. Adenomyosis
6. Cervical or uterine cancer
7. Medications
8. Pregnancy complications
9. Side effect of Nonhormonal IUD
10. Bleeding disorders
11. Certain medical conditions