Definition
Amenorrhea is when a woman does not have a menstrual period or they have stopped. It is also called absent periods.
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Causes
Hormones often cause this problem. They start changes in the body that result in a period. They may be lowered by:
- Poor habits, such as lack of nutrition, too much physical activity, too much weight loss, or a lot of stress
- Health problems, such as polycystic ovary syndrome
- Delayed puberty
- Birth defects
Risk Factors
This problem is more common in high-level athletes, such as long-distance runners. Faulty genes may also raise the risk in some women.
Symptoms
Primary amenorrhea is when the first period has not happened in a young woman aged 5 years or older. Secondary is when a woman with regular periods has not had a period in 3 months in a row or a woman with irregular periods has not had a period in 6 months in a row.
Diagnosis
You will be asked about your symptoms and health history. You will also be asked about your history of periods. A physical exam will be done. This is enough to make the diagnosis.
More testing will need to be done to find the cause of the amenorrhea.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause. It may be treated by things like:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising less often
- Managing health problems
- Lowering stress
- Correcting birth defects with surgery
Prevention
Female athletes can lower the risk by staying at a healthy weight by eating foods that support their level of training.
RESOURCES
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists http://www.acog.org
Women's Health—Department of Health and Human Services http://www.womenshealth.gov
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Health Canada https://www.canada.ca
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada https://sogc.org
References
Amenorrhea. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/amenorrhea . Updated January 16, 2018. Accessed January 17, 2020.
Amenorrhea. Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/amenorrhea.html. Updated May 24, 2017. Accessed January 17, 2020.
Azurah AG, Zainuddin AA, et al. Diagnostic pitfalls in the evaluation and management of amenorrhea in adolescents. J Reprod Med. 2013 Jul-Aug;58(708):324-36.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Beverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
- Review Date: 09/2019
- Update Date: 07/22/2020