Menstruation - Absent
Alternate Names : Amenorrhea, Lack of Menses, Missed Periods, Periods - Missed
Definition
The absence of menstrual flow, either primary (menstruation fails to begin before age 16) or secondary (menstruation begins at the appropriate age, but later ceases for 6 or more months in the absence of normal causes such as pregnancy, lactation, or menopause).
Pictures & Images
 See all Pictures & Images
Overview & Considerations
Many perfectly normal females begin to menstruate later than most (the median age is 12.8).
Pregnancy is often the first thought when a period is missed, but there are many reasons for having a late period.
The incidence of primary amenorrhea in the United States is less than 1%. The incidence of secondary amenorrhea (due to some cause other than pregnancy) is about 4% in the general population.
Increased risk is associated with extreme and prolonged exercise (particularly without adequate conditioning), body fat content less than 15% to 17%, extreme obesity, and taking hormonal supplements.
Symptoms associated with amenorrhea may include headache, galactorrhea (breasts produce milk in a woman who is not pregnant or breast feeding an infant), visual loss (in rare cases of pituitary tumor), marked weight gain or weight loss, dry vagina, increased hair growth in a "male" pattern (hirsutism), voice changes, and breast size changes.
|
