Irregular Menstrual Period And Infertility
Irregular or abnormal ovulation accounts for 30 per cent to 40 per cent of all cases of infertility. Having irregular periods, no periods, or abnormal bleeding often indicates that you are not ovulating, a condition known clinically as anovulation.
Although anovulation can usually be treated with fertility drugs, it is important to be evaluated for other conditions that could interfere with ovulation, such as thyroid conditions or abnormalities of the adrenal or pituitary glands.
Problems with the menstrual cycle, the process that prepares the female body for pregnancy, can lead to infertility.
The menstrual cycle includes several phases, and problems at any one of the stages can lead to difficulty getting pregnant or to infertility.
What are menstrual irregularities?
After a teen has been menstruating for a few years, her menstrual cycle typically becomes more regular. For most women, a normal menstrual cycle ranges from 21 to 35 days. However, up to 14 per cent of women have irregular menstrual cycles or excessively heavy menstrual bleeding. Most abnormal uterine bleeding can be divided into anovulatory and ovulatory patterns.
Anovulatory: Irregular/infrequent periods with absent, minimal, or excessive bleeding.
Ovulatory: Periods that occur at regular intervals, but are characterized by excessive bleeding for a duration of greater than seven days.
The most common menstrual irregularities include:
Anovulatory bleeding
Absent menstrual periods (amenorrhea, pronounced ey-men-uh-REE-uh): When a woman does not get her period by age 16, or when she stops getting her period for at least three months and is not pregnant.
Infrequent menstrual periods (oligomenorrhea, ol-i-goh-men-uh-REE-uh): Periods that occur more than 35 days apart.
Ovulatory bleeding
Heavy menstrual periods (menorrhagia, pronounced men-uh-REY-jee-uh): Also called excessive bleeding. Although anovulatory bleeding and menorrhagia are sometimes grouped together, they do not have the same cause and require different diagnostic testing.
Prolonged menstrual bleeding: Bleeding that exceeds eight days in duration on a regular basis.
Dysmenorrhea (pronounced dis-men-uh-REE- uh): Painful periods that may include severe menstrual cramps.
Polymenorrhea (pronounced pol-ee-men-uh-REE-uh): Frequent menstrual periods occurring less than 21 days apart.
First is an irregular menstrual period with a cycle-to-cycle variation of more than 20 days.
The next is shortened menstrual bleeding of less than two days in duration.
Intermenstrual bleeding: Episodes of bleeding that occur between periods, also known as spotting.
How many women are affected by menstrual irregularities?
Menstrual irregularities occur in nine per cent to 14 per cent of women of childbearing age.
What causes menstrual irregularities?
Menstrual irregularities can be caused by a variety of conditions, including pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, infections, malignancies, diseases, trauma, and certain medications.
Getting pregnant with ovulation problems
Once your doctor has ruled out other medical conditions, he may prescribe fertility drugs to stimulate your ovulation.