November 20th, 2010 1:15 pm
Becoming pregnant may seem like an unattainable dream, especially if you suffer from amenorrhea. Generally, there are two different types of amenorrhea: primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea.
Primary Amenorrhea
Females that have not yet began their very first menstrual cycle by the time they are 16 years of age are considered to have primary amenorrhea. This is quite common amongst girls that are extremely athletic and sporty prior to the start of their first menstrual cycle. This is due to the fact that the bodies of these young athletic girls do not contain enough body fat to set off reproductive hormones like estrogen and other sex hormones, and because these necessary reproductive hormones have not been produced, their first menstrual cycle cannot commence.
Secondary Amenorrhea
Secondary amenorrhea usually occurs in women who have already had their first menstrual cycle but then their regular monthly cycle stops and becomes absent for a prolonged period of time. This type of amenorrhea affects roughly 5% of North American women and can lead to many different health issues, one of which is conception and pregnancy.
Most often, women who are experiencing secondary amenorrhea, also have hormone levels that are out of balance. If a woman’s body cannot regulate the right amount of the necessary sex hormones, then ovulation will not take place and so menstruation cannot be prompted.
A few of the more common reasons that a woman’s hormone levels will fluctuate include over exercising, stress, poor nutrition and weight loss or weight gain. Therefore eating properly, exercising enough and practicing stress reducing techniques can all help in regulating your hormone levels to encourage ovulation and amenorrhea.
However, there are a few uncontrollable medical conditions that can cause the changes in hormone levels, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and purity gland disorders. If you find yourself battling with any of these unhealthy situations, you may also find yourself experiencing amenorrhea and having trouble falling pregnant.
Signs and Symptoms
Obviously the most common sign of amenorrhea is the lack of menstruation. Other symptoms include a decrease in libido or a lowered sex drive, decreased breast size or breast secretions, deepening of the voice and an increase in facial hair.
For some women, amenorrhea is an indication that they may have another underlying medical condition such as uterine fibroids or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Such conditions can hamper a woman’s chances of conception and pregnancy.
Treatment Options
Choosing the right treatment options for amenorrhea depends upon the underlying factors that are causing the amenorrhea in the first place.
Hormone supplements such as birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and even the fertility drug, Clomid, can all be prescribed by a doctor to treat amenorrhea.
Holistically, you can implement a change in your diet to consume more fats, practice less strenuous exercises, and apply stress reduction techniques in order to help control your hormone levels. Such a change in lifestyle can be of great benefit to you both, both before conception and during pregnancy.
Prior to commencing any hormone therapies or alternative treatment programs, you should first consult with your family doctor. This is so they can rule out any other medical condition that could be causing the amenorrhea. After which you may want to consult with a naturopathic doctor or herbalist to discuss various herbal supplements that you can take to balance your hormones and bring back your menstrual cycle.
More tips on infertility and pregnancy:
| 5 Herbs, Foods and Exercises That Can Help Me Get Pregnant |
| I’m 35, it’s not too late to get pregnant |
Tags: infertility, Natural ways to get pregnant, Primary Amenorrhea, Secondary Amenorrhea