It is no secret that at the age of 40-45, a woman begins to gradually fade away her reproductive function. This is the main reason for the failure of the menstrual cycle after 40 years. Due to the fact that the ovaries begin to produce less hormones. Menstrual cycles pass without ovulation. Why the chance of getting pregnant the first time is reduced to 5%.
An irregular menstrual cycle, frequent delays, scanty discharge are the main signs of premenopause. But such a process, according to world statistics, begins at the age of 45. In a forty-year-old woman, the reproductive system in most cases works fully if she is healthy. What else can be the reasons for the failure of the menstrual cycle after 40 years, we will find out in the article.
Main reasons
Normally, there are only two natural causes of a malfunction or cessation of the menstrual cycle - pregnancy and menopause. All the rest is the impact on the body of negative factors or the consequence of pathological processes.
Why is the monthly cycle shortened after 40 years? The natural reason is that the body enters a state of premenopause. The production of female hormones by the ovaries decreases. This is reflected in the menstrual cycle, which by their nature is a hormone-dependent process. The monthly cycle can both decrease and increase, the allocation can change in volume.
But this is not always the case for such a natural reason. A lot can determine a cycle failure:
- Endometriosis
- Uterine fibroids.
- Polycystic ovary.
- Inflammatory processes in the body.
- Abortion or miscarriage.
- Reception of hormonal contraceptives.
- The period after childbirth.
- Serious physical activity.
- Chronic stressful conditions.
- An abnormal change in body weight.
- Adverse environmental conditions.
- Intoxication of the body.
- Taking certain medications.
- Hereditary predisposition.
We will analyze these reasons in more detail.
Negative factors
We list what the medical specialists most often encounter. Here are some common causes of a menstrual cycle failure after 40 years that they identify:
- Psychogenic factor. In particular, stressful situations, which are not uncommon in the life of a modern woman. Excitement, feelings negatively affect the hormonal balance in the body. And menstruation is precisely a hormone-dependent process. It is necessary to add to this chronic diseases, whose number only increases with age. In this case, the general health condition may worsen. We also note that stressful situations at the age of 40 are experienced harder than at 20. Sometimes even a slight mental negative impact can lead to a malfunction of the menstrual cycle.
- The emotional factor. The next reason for the failure of the menstrual cycle after 40 years is a strong emotional shock experienced by a woman. Moreover, the impression can be both positive and negative. Shock situations especially affect a woman’s health. It is not unusual for them to provoke a delay in themselves.
- Neurogenic factor. This reason can be associated with strong mental, mental stress for a long period. For example, the delivery of a responsible project at work, a difficult stage in one’s own life or the fate of a family.
- Heavy physical exertion. Violation of the cycle of menstruation after 40 years can often provoke this. Many women, despite their age, continue to work in hard physical work. Moreover, they do not spare themselves, arguing that they no longer have a baby. But the woman’s body is still sensitive to heavy loads. Why can easily answer them with a malfunction of the menstrual cycle. Heavy bags from the store, self-relocating furniture - these are sufficient reasons.
Consequence of diseases
The next most common causes of menstruation disorders after 40 years are various diseases. And not only the reproductive system:
- Diseases of the female genital organs. According to medical statistics, after 40 years, a woman’s exposure to various gynecological diseases is aggravated. The delay in menstruation can be explained by a number of problems: uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts or cysts, endometritis, endometriosis, chronic adnexitis.
- Surgical procedures If a woman underwent surgery that affected the organs of the reproductive system, this will also cause a delay, a failure of the cycle. In particular, abortion, removal of polyps, diagnostic scraping, etc.
- Chronic diseases of various organs and systems of the body. A short cycle of menstruation after 40 years can be triggered by pathology, which at first glance is not related to the reproductive system. But any inflammation, infection interferes with the normal functioning of the body. What is reflected in a certain way on the menstrual cycle. Liver cirrhosis, urolithiasis, hematopoiesis pathology, cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, celiac disease, infections are sufficient reasons. Various surgical operations, severe burns can also provoke a failure.
- Severe colds, respiratory diseases. We are talking about the flu, SARS, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections.
- Endocrine problems. One of the common causes of an increase in the menstrual cycle after 40 years is endocrine organ disease. Mostly it is diabetes mellitus or thyroid pathology.
Lifestyle
What are the causes of a malfunction or short cycle of menstruation after 40 years? They can also be covered in lifestyle:
- Taking medications. Among the main reasons for reducing the cycle of menstruation after 40 years or its complete absence may be medical treatment. Especially affecting the hormonal background. However, almost any medication can provoke menstrual irregularities. According to doctors, the following drugs are most affected: opiates, drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, antipsychotics, Reserpine, Metoclopramide, Dufaston, Methyldop, Danazol.
- Sudden changes in life. It must be remembered that at the age of over 40, the adaptive functions of our body are already weakening, they are not working so fast. Any significant change in life is painfully perceived by the body. That is why people often become conservatives with age. Moving, resting in another climatic zone and even changing the usual diet can cause a short cycle of menstruation after 40 years, delayed menstruation.
- Defective or malnutrition. This reason for the delay is also not uncommon in forty-year-old women. If you like sweets, smoked delicacies, pickles and marinades, spicy dishes, the reason may be in them. Painfully, an aged body perceives any imbalance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. If at the age of 20 this is experienced practically without consequences, then at 40 it can turn out to be a violation of the menstrual cycle.
- Lack of vitamins, essential nutrients, minerals. It can negatively affect the work of the ovaries, which will lead to a failure of the cycle. The body becomes slower in terms of self-regulation, functioning in conditions of lack of vital elements.
- Body mass. After 40 years, more and more women are faced with the problem of overweight. It can be the cause of an irregular menstrual cycle. But shortening the cycle of menstruation after 40 years can provoke the opposite phenomenon - excessive thinness.
How to determine that menstruation deviated from the norm?
Normal duration
What cycle of menstruation is the norm after 40 years? There is no universal figure. A period of 21 to 35 days will be normal. Deviations in terms of shortening or lengthening this interval are normal if they are not more than 5 days.
What cycle of your period after 40 years is normal specifically for you, only your gynecologist can say. As a rule, this is a rather individual indicator for each woman.
It should be borne in mind that the menstrual cycle goes astray due to stress, heavy physical exertion, climate change, diseases and hormonal disorders. Such a failure is not pathological. The cycle will return to normal, as soon as you adapt to new conditions, completely cure the underlying disease.
Start and end
Normally, menstruation occurs in a teenage girl in 10-15 years. Menstrual bleeding should take place monthly (except for the period of pregnancy) until a woman reaches 46-52 years. Of course, here are the most average, not individual cases.
A decrease in the cycle of menstruation after 40 years in the case when the woman is healthy is associated with one factor - the onset of menopause. Menstruation takes a much shorter period, and the volume of secretions decreases. This process ends with a complete cessation of menstruation.
Amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea
Amenorrhea is the medical name for either delay or the complete absence of menstruation. The condition is further divided into two categories:
- Primary Such amenorrhea occurs in adolescents - when a girl does not start her period when she reaches 16 years of age. The cause may be congenital dysfunctions of the reproductive system, which occur before puberty.
- Secondary A condition where normal menstruation has abruptly stopped and been absent for more than three months. It is secondary amenorrhea that is the most common cause of menstrual cycle disorders after 40 years. The causes of this disease are many: pregnancy, ovarian disease, pituitary tumors, stressful situations, early menopause, a serious decrease or increase in body weight.
In addition to this, another condition stands out - oligomenorrhea. There is a significant increase in the duration of the menstrual cycle and a decrease in the period of the menstruation itself. That is, oligomenorrhea is diagnosed in a woman if she had no more than 8 menstrual bleeding per year. Or in the case when the duration of the monthly stably does not exceed two days.
Body mass
Scientists were able to find out that adipose tissue in our body is involved in many hormonal processes. Therefore, the reason for the irregular cycle of menstruation often lies in problems with weight - both when the norm is exceeded, and when there is a lack of weight.
In case of excess weight, the fat layer contributes to the accumulation of estrogen by the body. This has a negative effect on the regularity of the cycle. Underweight is a more difficult situation. Both prolonged fasting and a decrease in body weight on average below 45 kg will be perceived by the female body as an emergency.
The "survival mode" will be activated. This is especially dangerous during pregnancy, as in most cases it provokes a miscarriage. In a non-pregnant woman with insufficient body weight, both malfunctions of the menstrual cycle and amenorrhea (complete absence of menstruation) are possible.
This problem goes away with returning to normal weight. In some cases, when gaining body weight, in some cases, when losing weight. Both that and another process should be careful, gradual. It is necessary to ensure that the woman's diet remains balanced. Fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, as well as necessary vitamins and minerals must be present in it in the right volumes.
Diet should not be exhausting, a test for the body. It is best to combine it with moderate physical activity.
Diseases
At any age, a malfunction of the menstrual cycle can provoke diseases. In particular, inflammatory processes that develop in the uterus and ovaries. Accordingly, they lead to a disruption in hormone production. And the latter are just the same responsible for the processes of maturation of the endometrium, follicles, eggs.
It is important to note that in the case of pathology, a woman will note not only a malfunction of the menstrual cycle, but also other symptoms: a different nature and volume of monthly discharge, pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, and so on. In addition to delaying menstruation, "female diseases" are fraught with infertility, provoking a tumor in the organs of the reproductive system, and mammary glands.
Inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system, for the most part, are of an infectious nature. Bacteria, fungi and viruses can be introduced into the body with improper hygiene of the intimate zone, unprotected sexual intercourse, damage to the reproductive organs during childbirth, and abortion.
Irregular menstruation is one of the main symptoms of uterine fibroids. The delay can range from a few days to several months. Myoma here is recognized as a benign tumor. But it is fraught with many negative consequences. In particular, by the fact that it can develop into a malignant formation.
Another disease in which there is almost always a violation of the monthly cycle is polycystic ovary. Due to the pathological condition, organs cannot produce hormones in the right quantities, which is why an unstable cycle is observed. There is a lack of ovulation, inhibition of the endometrium. The eggs do not mature.
It is important to note a disease such as endometriosis - a benign proliferation of the mucous membrane lining the inside of the uterus. The tissue can grow in any location of the organ. And in other cases, go beyond it. A change in the hormonal background here can be both a cause and a consequence of the process.
Birth control
And another common cause of an irregular menstrual cycle is oral contraceptives. In some cases, they can provoke an increase in it. Menstruation becomes less prolonged, the volume of discharge decreases. Perhaps the absence of menstruation is due to an unplanned pregnancy. OK do not give a 100% guarantee.
Violation of the monthly cycle can be an individual side effect. In many women, when prescribing such contraceptives, he gets confused. Sometimes it lasts a couple of months, sometimes half a year. It is worth noting that when the drug is canceled for some time, unstable menstruation can also persist.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons for the increase or decrease in the monthly cycle in women after 40 years. There may be natural (menopause, pregnancy), and caused by adverse factors, diseases. Therefore, with an unstable menstrual cycle, the best solution is to pay a visit to the gynecologist.