hypomenorrhea

Poor menstruation

Hypomenorrhea is a medical term that denotes scarcely abundant and generally short periods ; represents the phenomenon contrary to hypermenorrhea, and is often associated with an elongation of the intermenstrual period (oligomenorrhea).

Types of hypomenorrhea

First of all, the primary hypomenorrhea must be distinguished from the secondary one: in the first case, the hypomenorrhea appears due to an alteration of the uterine anatomical structure (rare probability) or following a hypoplasia of the uterus. The secondary hypomenorrhea, on the other hand, is the consequence of psychophysical stress caused by substantial traumas (eg miscarriage, excessive physical activity, malnutrition, mourning, etc.); it is clear, therefore, that secondary hypomenorrhea is often accompanied by anxieties and considerable concerns.

When to worry

In general, if the scarce menstruation represents a sporadic or occasional condition, the woman must not worry too much about it. Hypomenorrhea, on the other hand, should cause serious concerns when it appears as a recurrent phenomenon, except, of course, for women who approach menopause.

Hypomenorrhea and menopause

Statistics show that mature women, near menopause, often complain of an irregular menstrual cycle, with a scarce abundant flow: in this case, hypomenorrhea, although frequent, should not generate anxieties: the body, in fact, is approaching at a time of remarkable transformation both from the physical and psychological point of view, since the climacteric (pre-menopausal period) represents the passage from the fertile age to sterility. Hypomenorrhea in women over 40 years of age could therefore herald the arrival of menopause, but this does not mean that the shortage of menstruation must be underestimated: it is always advisable to consult a doctor and, possibly, a control visit to ascertain that the hypomenorrhea does not depend on pathologies.

Related disorders

In women, all alterations affecting the menstrual cycle, including hypomenorrhea, can be a sign of ongoing diseases, including polyps, uterine myomas, cysts, etc. Hormonal and thyroid disorders, changes in glandular secretions and debilitating diseases can also cause hypomenorrhea. Obviously, when more than one of the aforementioned factors occur together in women, they could act synergistically increasing the chances of hypomenorrhea or any other alteration of the menstrual cycle. Synechiae (adhesions that interpose between the walls of the uterine cavities), lesions of the endometrium, inflammations and uterine hypo-sensitization could also be implicated in the appearance of hypomenorrhea.

It has been shown that patients who tend to suffer from hypomenorrhea at a young age are likely to have a poor development of the genital system, as well as a general one: in some cases, the genital organs present themselves as infantile ones (infantilism) .

Hypomenorrhea and advantages

Although the pathological value of the hypomenorrhea is almost relative, it must never be neglected: unfortunately, by some women, the hypomenorrhea is not even considered a disorder, but rather an almost pleasant phenomenon, given that they do not (almost) realize that they have menstruation. On the other hand, even the media advertise a lot of internal sanitary napkins, which, of course, are particularly suitable for women with a certainly not abundant menstrual cycle.

Difficulty at conception

Probably, the most "serious" problem associated with hypomenorrhea, with the exception of uterine tumors, is represented by a possible (but not fully demonstrated) difficulty in conception: in fact, the hypomenorrhea is an indication of an insufficient development of the mucosa of the uterus, whereby the fertilized egg encounters difficulty in implanting itself.

Care

The treatment aimed at resolving low-abundance menstruation should not be directed to the mere elimination of the most obvious symptom - hypomenorrhea in fact - but to the triggering factor, be it a tumor, a stress or an estrogenic alteration. When the menstrual cycle presents substantial irregularities, a gynecological check is absolutely essential: the doctor can then direct the patient towards a targeted treatment (eg hormonal treatment) to solve the problem.

Summary

Disorder	hypomenorrhea
Description	Poorly abundant menstruation
Related menstrual disorders	oligomenorrhoea
Classification	Primary hypomenorrhea: appears due to an alteration of the uterine structure (rare case) or following hypoplasia of the uterus Secondary hypomenorrhea: poor menstruation is a consequence of psychophysical stress caused by substantial traumas (eg miscarriage, mourning etc.)
Incidence	Women of childbearing age, mature women approaching menopause
Causal factors	Alterations in the hormonal and thyroid structure, changes in glandular secretions, debilitating diseases, polyps, uterine myomas, cysts, synechiae. Endometrial lesions, inflammation and uterine hypo-sensitization.
Possible complications	patients who tend to suffer from hypomenorrhea are likely to have poor genital development, as well as general possible (but not fully demonstrated) conception difficulties
Therapies against hypomenorrhea	Hormonal care