Amenorrhea and Pregnancy

Amenorrhea is basically absence of menstrual periods in a woman of childbearing or reproductive age. Generally, for a woman who is trying to conceive, missed or late periods can be a major indication that you are pregnant. Though in some cases, absence of periods can be considered as an early sign of being pregnant, sometimes the situation is not as you expect it to be. This is because a missed period or unexplained interruptions in your regular menstrual cycle, need not necessarily be a symptom of pregnancy rather can be a result of some kind of disorder in the menstrual cycle.

One such disorder is amenorrhea wherein the menstruation stops due to some unexplained reasons. The term amenorrhea has been derived from Greek words, 'a' meaning without, 'men' as month and 'rhea' meaning flow or discharge. During the reproductive years of a woman's life, physiological states of amenorrhoea can be seen during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding), otherwise, the condition can also prevail during childhood and even after menopause.

Amenorrhea and Pregnancy

Amenorrhea and pregnancy are two conditions in a woman's life which need not depend on each other. In fact, primary a menorrhea has no relation with pregnancy, as this type of amenorrhea occurs during childhood when a girl does not get her menstruation by the age of 16. Primary amenorrhea is usually seen in extremely thin girls or athletic girls who do not have sufficient body fat to stimulate estrogen and other sex hormones.

Likewise, secondary amenorrhea is another condition in which a girl even after having regular periods for a certain period of time, experience no bleeding for consecutive 3 to 4 months. This condition can prevail in a woman of childbearing age and can be misconceived for pregnancy. However, secondary amenorrhea is typically the result of drop in hormonal levels, infertility or some kind of reproductive complication, premature menopause or intrauterine scar formation. Another type is hypothalamic amenorrhea, which is characterized by an abnormality of the hypothalamus, a basal part of the diencephalon governing autonomic nervous system. Hypothalamic abnormality can be a result of low body fats, exercise, stress, eating disorders, obesity, and even pregnancy.

Causes

There are various factors that may result in amenorrhea, varying from hormonal imbalance, i.e., abnormal levels of sex hormones, to poor nutrition. Hence, check out the below given some of the probable causes of amenorrhea.

• Birth defects of the female reproductive system
• Absence of an opening in the membrane at the entrance of the vagina (hymen)
• Hypothalamus or pituitary gland problems or abnormalities
• Pregnancy
• Stress and anxiety
• Drastic weight reduction
• Hormonal imbalance (such as with polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• Endocrine disorders such as thyroid disease or pituitary disease/tumor
• Use of birth control pills and other contraceptives
• Premature ovarian failure or menopause

Symptoms and Complications

Besides the most obvious sign of amenorrhea, i.e. absence of menstrual period, most women exhibits some other symptoms, as well, including increased facial hair, deepening of the voice, reduced breast size, lowered sex drive and breast secretion. Amenorrhea can also lead to some underlying complications to the reproductive system like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or ovarian cyst, hirsutism or uterine fibroid. On a more severe side, amenorrhea can also affect your fertility and can lead to conception complications. Basically, women having amenorrhea suffer anovulatory, a lack of ability to produce viable eggs for conception or in simple words, they are unable to ovulate.

Treatment for amenorrhea primarily depends upon its underlying cause for missed or absent periods. For mild cases, a few healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle (meditation or massage) can help you overcome this disorder. However, for severe conditions, the patient should consult a doctor to diagnose the actual cause and for necessary treatment. Onset of amenorrhea does not mean that one cannot conceive at all, as there have been cases, where a woman can become pregnant even after not getting her menstruation for months. Hence, the best way to ascertain your possibilities for conception if you are having amenorrhea is to consult a health care provider.