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ABSTRACT –

Absence of menstruation in women of reproductive age is known as Amenorrhea.

Types:

1. Primary Amenorrhea:Females who never got menstrual periods even after puberty.
2. Secondary Amenorrhea:Absence of menstrual periods in menstruating females.

CAUSES –

1. Natural Amenorrhea:The natural halt in menstruation during the following phases:
   • Pregnancy
   • Breast-feeding
2. Menopause
3. Lifestyle factors:Weight loss, stress and excessive exercise can cause Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA).
4. Medications:
   • Contraceptives
   • Antidepressants
   • Antipsychotics
   • Antiallergics
   • Antihypertensives
5. Chemotherapy
6. Celiac disease
7. Physical Deformities:Physical deformities are the second most common reason of primary Amenorrhea like –
   • Lack of Reproductive organs
   • Uterine scarring
   • Structural abnormality of vagina
8. Hormonal Imbalance:
   • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
   • Thyroid malfunction
   • Pituitary tumor
   • Premature menopause

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS –

Other than the absence of menstrual period, the other symptoms are:

• Acne
• Headache
• Milky nipple charges
• Alopecia
• Changes in Vision
• Excess facial hair
• Pelvic pain

DIAGNOSIS –

Primary Amenorrheais diagnosed by testing the levels of FSH and LH in blood. X-ray is also done to check the absence of uterus in body.

Secondary Amenorrhea:First step for diagnosis is pregnancy test. Other blood tests are also done to check the levels of hormones in body. X-ray can be done to check the absence of uterus in body.

TREATMENT –

Treatment method is selected based on the underlying cause. Some common treatments are:

• Decreasing the amount of exercise, eating more and getting support from family and friends.
• Discontinuing the medication that caused Amenorrhea.
• Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) can be helpful to treat this condition.

RISK FACTORS –

• Rigorous exercise
• Family History
• Eating Disorder like Anorexia

COMPLICATIONS:

If this condition is not treated, following complications may occur:

• Infertility
• Osteoporosis if there is low level of estrogen