Thousands of diseases of the female reproductive system are known to modern medicine. This mechanism is very complicated. Every month, in the weaker sex, some hormones are replaced by others. First comes the estrogen phase, which is also called the follicular. During this period, hormones are produced that promote the growth of follicles. Then comes the time of the luteinizing phase, or period of the corpus luteum. Then progesterone begins to stand out. It acts on the uterus, changing the thickness and structure of the endometrium. If pregnancy does not occur, then about 10-14 days after changing the hormonal background , menstruation begins. Normally, it lasts from three to six days. Moreover, in the first two days, the discharge can be quite plentiful.
However, not always everything happens as described above. Surely every woman in her life encountered a violation of the menstrual cycle. One type of such pathology is oligomenorrhea. What it is? You can get the answer to this question after reading the article. It is worth saying about the causes and symptoms of the disease. We also consider the main methods of treating a disease called oligomenorrhea.
What it is?
Speaking in scientific language, then oligomenorrhea is a sign of hypomenstrual syndrome. In other words, this is a decrease in the volume of discharge during menstruation. The causes of pathology can be very diverse. It is from them that the actions of doctors aimed at improving the patient's condition always depend.
Oligomenorrhea - what is it? This condition negatively affects the health of the fairer sex. Often, if untreated for a long time, the problem can become very serious. One of the complications of oligomenorrhea is carcinoma (malignancy).
Varieties of pathology
Doctors report that there is secondary oligomenorrhea and primary. In the first case, we are talking about congenital causes of pathology. These include abnormalities of the genital organ and appendages.
Primary oligomenorrhea is a disease that was acquired during a woman’s life. There can be many reasons for this. It is worth saying that it is not always the woman herself to blame for the development of the disease. Sometimes pathology can appear due to a malfunction of internal organs and systems.
Oligomenorrhea: symptoms of the disease
The problem that has arisen can manifest itself with various signs. Among them, explicit and hidden are distinguished. The first woman observes independently and can complain about them. Hidden signs of pathology are determined solely by a specialist. Consider the main symptoms of oligomenorrhea:
- Short menstruation. This symptom is one of the first, indicating the development of the problem. Normal bleeding in a woman lasts about 4-6 days. With oligomenorrhea, this period is reduced to two days. In some cases, discharge may end within a few hours.
- Long cycles. Another manifestation of oligomenorrhea is long female periods. Moreover, their duration is from forty days to six months. This fact cannot be ignored.
- An obvious symptom of pathology is infertility with the above symptoms. Since there is a violation of the hormonal background, ovulation simply cannot occur. Ovum maturation is preserved in only 20 percent of the fairer women suffering from oligomenorrhea.
- Disruption of the hormonal background. Secondary oligomenorrhea is almost always accompanied by a violation of the hormonal background. It is almost impossible to independently determine this symptom. However, if you pass a blood test to detect the level of LH, FSH and other substances, then this diagnosis may well be made.
- Changes in body weight and skin can be a symptom of pathology. With oligomenorrhea, the female body is rebuilt, as a result of which it becomes more like a man's. In some areas, hair appears, the skin of the face becomes oily, pores enlarge. All this is the result of a malfunction in the hormones.
Is it necessary to treat this disease? How to choose the correction method?
You have become aware of the symptoms that oligomenorrhea has. What is it described above. It is worth saying that the problem should not be left to chance. As you already know, in some cases it can lead to the development of cancer. The manifestation of unpleasant symptoms also knocks out any representative of the weaker sex from the usual rut.
Oligomenorrhea treatment can have medication and surgery. It all depends on the causes of the disease. That is why it is so important when developing the above situations to consult a doctor and undergo the prescribed examination. Based on your complaints and additional data, the doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis and correctly prescribe a correction. Consider the main causes of oligomenorrhea and methods for their elimination.
Birth defects and abnormalities formed during the embryonic period
What causes oligomenorrhea? If you are faced with the manifestation of pathology immediately, at the first menstruation (menarche), then, most likely, the causes of the pathology are innate. However, you can not find out about them before the onset of the first menstruation, since the symptoms will begin to appear with its arrival.
Uterine bifurcation , infantilism, septum formation - all these are the causes of oligomenorrhea. It is worth noting that congenital pathologies not always described are accompanied by scanty menstruation. The treatment of these problems always has an individual approach. In some cases, doctors are powerless in front of nature. They cannot even eliminate modern birth defects using modern methods. However, there are cases that have a happy ending.
Benign and malignant tumor processes
Oligomenorrhea disease often develops due to the occurrence of a tumor process. In this case, the pathology can have both malignant and benign character. The most common tumors are uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and so on.
The described diseases can be treated with surgical and conservative methods. First, doctors try to cope with the problem with medication. So, to eliminate uterine fibroids and endometriosis, drugs such as Zoladex, Lucrin Depot, Indinol, Epigallat and so on are prescribed. If the woman’s condition does not improve, then you have to resort to surgical interventions. It can be laparoscopy or laparotomy. For the treatment of fibroids, the AMT method is often used when the artery that feeds the tumor is blocked.
Polycystic ovaries
Oligomenorrhea can develop due to polycystic. It is worth noting that this pathology has other manifestations. With proliferative ovaries, a woman does not ovulate. Dominant follicles grow, after which they turn into cysts. This picture is clearly visible during ultrasound diagnostics.
Treatment of the problem may consist in hormonal correction. Doctors try to influence the body from the outside with the help of synthetic drugs similar to natural ones. If the effect is not observed, then a laparoscopic operation is performed. During the manipulation, the doctor makes the so-called ovarian incisions so that the follicle can burst.
Hormonal failure in a woman
The cause of oligomenorrhea is often called hormonal failure. In this case, the necessary substances can be produced, but not at that time and not in such quantities. Often there is an imbalance between the FSH homogen and LH. Steroid and male hormones, as well as substances secreted by the thyroid gland, are often affected.
Correct the condition of a woman in this case can only medications. It is worth noting that some representatives of the weaker sex have to regularly carry out appropriate maintenance therapy. Doctors often prescribe medications such as Janine, Novinet, Triregol, and so on. Recall that these drugs also have a contraceptive effect. If you are planning a pregnancy, then they will not suit you. Pay attention to such formulations as Dufaston, Utrozhestan, Iprozhin and other progesterone-based drugs.
External factors and their impact on the female body
Oligomenorrhea can sometimes develop due to the negative influence of external factors on the body. These include stressful situations, climate change, bad habits, chronic fatigue, anorexia, and so on. Separately, these situations, it would seem, do not cause much harm to the body. However, collectively they are very dangerous.
Exhaustion leads to disruption of all systems. As a result of this, there is a malfunction in the production of hormones and the functioning of the reproductive system. It is worth noting that these causes are manifested by oligomenorrhea unexpectedly. It would seem that a few months ago you had a stable cycle, but now you will have to make a lot of efforts to restore it. And you need to start by eliminating the harmful effects.
Brief Summary
You have learned what oligomenorrhea is. Reviews of women suggest that pathology can be eliminated in a fairly short time. A full recovery is when the symptoms of the disease do not return within one year. Pregnancy and subsequent lactation have a beneficial effect on the body. If you had to deal with the above symptoms, then you should visit a doctor as soon as possible and begin the examination. Be healthy!