Amenorrhea
Not having your period?
Having regular periods is an important sign of overall health. Unless you are on a hormonal birth control, missing a period, when not caused by pregnancy, breastfeeding, or menopause, is generally a sign of another health problem.
How does menstruation work?
A complex system of hormones controls your menstrual cycle:
- An area in your brain called the HYPOTHALAMUS produces a hormone called GnRH.
- GnRH stimulates the PITUITARY GLAND which produces FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
- FSH stimulates the OVARY.
- Every month your ovaries form multiple small cysts called follicles, an event which starts at the beginning of your menstrual cycle.
- Typically, one follicle grows faster than the others, becoming the dominant follicle that contains the egg, preparing it for release (ovulation).
- This dominant follicle produces estrogen.
- Estrogen stimulates the lining of the uterus called the endometrium preparing it for pregnancy.
Every cycle, these hormones prepare your uterus for a possible pregnancy. If there’s no pregnancy that cycle, you shed your uterine lining. That shedding is your period.
This is called:
The HYPOTHALAMIC + PITUITARY + OVARIAN control
There are many factors that can affect this control which can cause you to not have your period.
There are two kinds of amenorrhea: primary and secondary.
Primary amenorrhea:
When you haven’t gotten your first period by age 15 or within five years of the first signs of puberty (such as developing breasts).
What causes Primary Amenorrhea?
- Chromosomal or genetic conditions.
- Problems with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland.
- Structural problems with your organs, such as missing parts of your uterus or vagina or having an underdeveloped reproductive system.
Secondary amenorrhea
This occurs when a woman who once had regular periods experiences 6 months of no periods.
What causes Secondary Amenorrhea?
Natrual Cause that might stop your periods
- Pregnancy
- Breast Feeding
- Menopause
General health problems that might stop your periods
- Low body weight
- Low percentage of body fat
- Very low intake of calories or fat
- Emotional stress
- Strenuous exercise that burns more calories than are taken in through food
Conditions such as chronic stress, significant weight loss, low body weight, excessive exercise, or nutritional deficiency can disrupt normal brain signaling.
Specifically, they impair the function of the hypothalamus—the part of the brain that regulates ovarian activity. When the hypothalamus slows or stops releasing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the hormonal signals to the ovaries are reduced, ovulation does not occur, and menstrual periods may stop.
Medical Conditions
- Thyroid Dysfunction
- Pituitary Gland Tumors
Gynecologic conditions that might stop your periods
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- is a common hormonal condition in women that affects ovulation. It is characterized by irregular or absent menstrual periods, elevated androgen (male-type hormone) levels, and enlarged ovaries that may contain multiple small follicles. PCOS can contribute to symptoms such as acne, excess hair growth, weight gain, and difficulty becoming pregnant. It is also associated with insulin resistance and an increased long-term risk of diabetes and metabolic disease.
- Ovarian Insufficiency – Fragile X describes a condition in which a woman’s ovaries stop functioning before normal menopause, sometimes around age 40. Fragile X results from certain changes to a gene on the X chromosome.
Medications that might stop your periods
- Oral Contraception like the birth control pill.
- Injectable contraceptives like Depo-provera.
- Hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs).
- It can take a few months after stopping one of these types of birth control for the menstrual cycle to restart and become regular.
If you are missing monthly periods or not having your period, amenorrhea, this may be a symptom of a more serious health problem.
It’s important to call for an appointment with one of our specialists at County Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Our providers and will then discuss available treatment options and assists you in selecting treatment plan.
County Obstetrics & Gynecology
STL Leaders in Women’s Healthcare
Board Certified Physician:
Dr. Lawrence V. Boveri
Dr. Stephen A. Boveri
Our Location
1859 Bowles Avenue
Suite 103
Fenton, MO 63026
Our Hours:
Monday: 9:00 – 5:00
Tuesday: 9:00 – 5:00
Wednesday: 9:00 – 5:00
Thursday: 9:00 – 3:00
Friday: 9:00 – 12:00