Many girls and women face such a problem as the constant delay of menstruation. The reasons for this phenomenon may be different. However, the first thing that comes to the mind of the fair sex is pregnancy. Most women go straight to the pharmacy to buy a test. But when it is discovered that there is no pregnancy, women do not understand what are the reasons for the constant delays of menstruation. It is worthwhile to examine in more detail the features of this problem.
Normal cycle rate
Every healthy woman should observe the regulation of the menstrual cycle. On average, its duration is 28 days. If there are no health problems, then the menstrual cycle should not cause the woman severe pain. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in some cases its beginning is postponed for a couple of days. As for the duration of menstruation, the norm is from 5 to 7 days.
The amount of blood released is small, normally it should be from 50 to 100 ml. This volume includes not only menstrual blood, but also the elements of the torn uterine membrane, as well as parts of the dead egg.
For the normal regulation of the menstrual cycle, certain hormones, the pituitary gland and the cerebral cortex are responsible.
In girls, menstruation begins at the age of 12 to 15 years. During the first year, the cycle is only being established in girls, for this reason it may be irregular. At this age, many girls have a menstrual cycle of 40 days.
How to recognize a delay
But how to diagnose menstrual irregularities? For this, it is necessary to constantly keep records of menstruation. If about a week has passed from the moment when menstruation should begin, then this indicates a delay. Experts say that such a delay is absolutely normal if it occurs in women no more than once every 12 months. However, the constant delays of menstruation, the causes of which will be described below, indicate some kind of disturbances occurring in the body. A delay is also considered normal and lasts no more than 8 days.
Norm or not
The absolute norm is delay, the duration of which is from 4 to 6 days. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that a woman at this time should feel good. But if there are constant delays in menstruation, the causes of which may be different, and at the same time there is pain, general malaise, dizziness, then you should definitely visit a gynecologist.
As mentioned earlier, the menstrual cycle during puberty in young girls can be established over the course of a year or a year and a half. For example, if girls aged 11 to 15 years started having periods, then for 1 year they do not happen every month, which is the absolute norm.
In addition, pregnancy is the norm of menstrual irregularities in women. Menstruation often does not occur after childbirth, when a young mother breast-feeds her baby. The fact is that at this time, the fair sex in the body has a hormone called prolactin, it is designed to produce milk. It is he who is the main reason for the suspension of the cyclic function of the ovaries.
At the end of breastfeeding, menstruation should begin in 2-3 months. If after this time, menstruation did not appear, then you should seek the advice of a doctor who will tell you how to normalize the menstrual cycle.
Signs and Symptoms of Delay
Menstrual irregularities are often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Soreness of a different nature. The pain can be cutting, pulling, stitching.
- Bloating.
- An increase in body temperature.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Excessive irritability.
- Rashes on the skin.
- Excessive sweating.
- Increased appetite.
- Unpleasant discharge.
- Frequent urination.
Symptoms, like causes, can have individual characteristics. They will depend on the disease that triggered the delay of menstruation, as well as on other provoking factors, which are described below.
Reasons for the delay
Many women complain that they have a constant monthly delay of 10 days or more. If there are no signs that are considered the norm of such a delay, then it is mandatory to visit a gynecologist. If all normal physiological causes that were described above were excluded, as well as pregnancy, then an increase in the menstrual cycle can occur for two reasons. They are divided into two main groups:
- Gynecological
- Non-gynecological.
To begin with, it is worthwhile to become more familiar with all the reasons for this phenomenon that belong to the first category, as well as with methods of dealing with them.
Adenomyosis
Endometrium is the mucous membrane of the walls of the uterus. A disease such as endometriosis is diagnosed when endometrial cells spread outside the boundaries of this membrane. The disease is divided into two main types: extragenital and genital. The latter, in turn, is divided into external and internal. It is internal in medicine that is commonly called adenomyosis, in which cells begin to grow into the myometrium. During this, the uterus becomes rounded, and also increases several times. Its dimensions become as if the sixth or seventh week of pregnancy is proceeding. During this phenomenon, hormones in the fair sex are not produced correctly, this is the reason that the menstrual cycle has increased.
At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the fact that menstruation can be delayed for a very long time. Therefore, if the menstrual cycle is 40 days or more, then this may indicate the presence of this disease. In parallel with this, the disease can provoke uterine bleeding. Another symptom of the disease is considered to be plentiful and long periods. Before menstruation and after it, smearing blood discharge can also be observed for several days.
As for the treatment of this pathology, for these purposes hormones are most often prescribed, for example, Danazol, Dienogest, Gestrinon. In some cases, surgery is required.
Ectopic pregnancy
This phenomenon in medicine is considered to be one of the complications of pregnancy. This pathology is characterized by the development of a fetal egg outside the uterus. It attaches to the fallopian tube, after which its development occurs on the ovary. In other cases, the ovum grows to the peritoneum. Thus, during an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo does not attach to the uterine wall, but to another organ, due to which its work is disturbed. As a result of all this, bleeding begins, which enters the abdominal cavity.
However, the female body in this period works as if a normal pregnancy is taking place. Progesterone begins to be actively produced, due to which there is a delay in menstruation.
If during an ectopic pregnancy a woman makes a test, then in most cases it will be positive. For this reason, immediately after the test at home, a woman should consult a doctor so that he excludes the development of this pathology.
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are as follows:
- Severe pain in the abdomen where the embryo attached.
- Sensation of pain during urination.
- Small bloody discharge.
- Heart palpitations.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- General weakness.
The most reliable examination is an ultrasound scan.
As for the treatment methods, in all cases, surgical intervention is used to combat this pathology.
Hormonal disbalance
In any female body, hormones play one of the main roles. Their main purpose is to contribute to the proper functioning of the reproductive system. If there is a constant monthly delay for a week or more, then quite often this happens due to a malfunction in the production of thyroid hormones and sex hormones. To diagnose the cause of the delay, a woman needs to visit a gynecologist, as well as take a blood test for hormones.
Ovarian dysfunction
Ovaries are called genital paired female glands. They are responsible for the development of germ cells, and they also produce hormones. The ovaries function in a specific cycle. Endocrine changes or inflammatory process can lead to their dysfunction. And this, in turn, is the reason for the failure of the menstrual cycle. In some cases, delays last from 2 to 6 months, which may cause uterine bleeding. In addition, the menstrual cycle with existing ovarian dysfunction can, on the contrary, be reduced and be less than 3 weeks.
Uterine fibroids
This is the name of a benign tumor that develops in the muscle layer of this organ. The reasons for the development of uterine fibroids are still not yet identified. The main signs of this disease are menstrual irregularities, while the discharge is abundant, and their duration is more than 8 days. In addition, menstrual flow can be observed twice a month.
Therapy of this disease involves conservative treatment, in which combined oral contraceptives are used, as well as GnRH. In some cases, treatment requires surgical intervention.
Abortion
As a rule, abortion can be done with medication, as well as with surgical intervention. Abortions are allowed for pregnancy up to 20 weeks. If the period is short, it is best to use abortion with a medical method. If the period is longer, then vacuum aspiration is used for abortion, as well as an instrumental method. In the early stages, termination of pregnancy is carried out at the request of the woman. However, from the 13th week, abortion should be performed only for medical reasons.
The following bleeding after this procedure occurs depending on the type of abortion. As a rule, after medical termination of pregnancy, menstruation occurs in 1-2 months. After 3 months, the menstrual cycle is fully restored. But if this did not happen, then this is considered to be a complication. In this case, it is imperative to consult a gynecologist.
If vacuum abortion was used, then the delay in menstruation can last for 3 months, but no more.
After instrumental abortion, the female body recovers within 1-2 months. It must be remembered that within 2 weeks after such a procedure, abundant discharge may be observed.
Cervical cancer
Such a malignant formation in women in most cases is asymptomatic. Menstruation during cancer is irregular, mainly delays are observed. In addition, menstrual flow will not be plentiful, and may also be repeated several times during the month. Menstruation can be accompanied by soreness, which was not felt before. The color of the discharge in this case can vary from light brown to darker.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
This syndrome is a violation of ovarian function. As a rule, with such a diagnosis, menstruation does not happen at all or it occurs quite rarely. For example, menstruation can be 3-5 times a year. Moreover, they are either scarce or, conversely, abundant, accompanied by soreness.
Climax
Quite often, menstrual irregularities with menopause are observed. As a rule, age-related changes in women are always accompanied by the extinction of the reproductive system. This period is also called menopause. Symptoms of menopause include a complete cessation of menstrual flow. On average, menopause occurs in women, whose age is about 50 years. However, menopause symptoms in some cases also appear at a younger age. This directly depends on the physical and psychological state of the woman.
In most cases, the fair sex heavily survives menopause only at the beginning of its development. During menopause, a woman feels periodic flushes, frequent headaches, sleep disturbances, weight gain, frequent mood swings, soreness during urination, itching in the vagina, shortness of breath. It is pointless to treat menopause, you can only alleviate its symptoms. At the same time, experts recommend adhering to a balanced diet, observe psychological calm, and also take vitamins in case of menstrual irregularities.
And now it is worthwhile to become more familiar with non-gynecological causes of menstrual irregularities.
What else causes violations
Other causes of menstrual irregularities include:
- Intoxication. Any chemical or alcohol poisoning can cause a menstrual cycle to fail.
- Colds, for example, flu, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections. In this case, the immune system is very weak, which can cause a delay in menstruation.
- Change in body weight. Body weight has a great influence on the frequency of the menstrual cycle. If a woman has obesity or weight loss, then the hormonal background begins to change sharply, which leads to the termination or delay of the menstrual cycle.
- Taking medication. There are varieties of drugs that can cause menstrual flow or, conversely, delay them. Therefore, before using any medicine, you must carefully read its instructions.
- Diabetes. In most cases, diabetes mellitus provokes irregular menstrual flow, as well as early menopause.
- Stressful situations. Any emotional upheaval provokes a dysfunction of the hypothalamus, which is the reason for the failure of the menstrual cycle.
- Physical exercise. If a woman is constantly exhausted by physical exertion, then male hormones begin to prevail over female hormones, which is the reason for the delay of menstruation.
- Climate change. Quite often, the female body undergoes a sharp change in climate undergoing a period of adaptation, during which deviations in the cycle are observed.
- Diets. Different diets can negatively affect women's health. If an inadequate diet was selected, then this is a huge stress for the body.
Diagnostic Methods
To identify the main reason for the delay in menstruation, the gynecologist can prescribe the following examinations:
- Ultrasound of the pelvic organs, thyroid gland, adrenal glands to determine or exclude pregnancy, gynecological and endocrine diseases, tumors.
- Screening for the absence or presence of various sexually transmitted diseases.
- Various kinds of studies of the hormonal background of the female body.
- Schedule the basal temperature to be displayed.
- General blood and urine tests.
- The study of the pituitary gland, which should include magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, computed tomography and radiography.
- Detection of hCG levels in the blood.
- Consultation with a nutritionist, endocrinologist and psychotherapist.
Only after a full examination should a specialist prescribe certain drugs and procedures to normalize the menstrual cycle.
Treatment features
But what to do with a constant delay in menstruation? Treatment of menstrual irregularities includes:
- Hormone therapy.
- Therapy of the main diseases that provoked a delay.
- Reception of homeopathic preparations and vitamin complexes.
- Gynecological massage and physiotherapy.
- Proper nutrition and rejection of bad habits.
- Acupuncture.
Specialists quite often with this woman prescribe progesterone, if during the examination it was revealed a lack of it. This hormone in most cases is prescribed in the form of tablets or injections. The use of progesterone normalizes menstruation, however, there are some contraindications. It can not be used during vaginal bleeding, existing tumors in the chest, as well as with liver diseases.
With a delay in menstruation, a specialist can also be prescribed a homeopathic drug Pulsatilla. It is prescribed if the delay in menstruation was caused by stress. Granules of this product include lumbago extract, which has a large number of healing properties. , , , , , .
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In conclusion, it is worth noting that every woman at least once in her life has faced menstrual irregularities. In most cases, this is normal. But if such delays are observed constantly, then this is an occasion to consult a doctor.