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.