Sept. 01- 2010 All About Amenorrhea Articles

Amenorrhea - A Natural Treatment Checklist
By Robert Rister

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Here are some key concepts for coping with amenorrhea, written from a holistic health perspective. Any of these considerations might make the critical difference in re-establishing normal periods.
Sexually active heterosexual women who miss their periods may be pregnant. When appropriate, a pregnancy test should always be performed before extensive medical examination to determine the cause of amenorrhea.
Women who have amenorrhea should limit their consumption of caffeinated coffee to 1-2 cups per day. Caffeine can contribute to osteoporosis.
Heavy use of marijuana interferes with estrogen and progesterone production and can cause amenorrhea.
Vaginal dryness is an indication of low estrogen production, but the frequently recommended soy isoflavones, red clover, and black cohosh are not appropriate. Flax seed (not flaxseed oil) may be more helpful, when taken for 3 to 4 months.
A hallmark of overexercise is the willingness to exercise even when exhausted, injured, or ill. Exercise under these circumstances is anxiety driven and should be reassessed.
Delayed puberty can be a sign of thyroid dysfunction. Girls who have not had their first period by age 14 should be referred to a health provider for diagnosis and advice.
Amenorrhea with unusual hair growth is a symptom of polycystic ovarian disease (POD), and unusual hair growth in women athletes is a strong indicator of the condition. Treatments for POD overlap those for type 2 diabetes (see Polycystic Ovarian Disease).
Drugs to limit menstruation to once or several times a year will in themselves do little to enhance athletic performance, since muscle strength is more or less constant during all phases of a woman's menstrual cycle.
Women who need to reduce calorie consumption to meet the requirements of their sport should eat more high-fiber foods before trying to reduce carbs, fats, or proteins. Heavy exercise reduces the body's sensitivity to the hormone cholecystokinin, but high-fiber foods, particularly oat bran, increase the production of the hormone and relieve hunger.
Read Understanding Amenorrhea and Natural Therapies: Amenorrhea. Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books and over 2,000 articles on natural health.

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August 24- 2010 All About Amenorrhea Articles

Cortisol and Amenorrhea - Why Stress Causes You to Stop Having a Monthly Menstrual Cycle
By Dr. Chase Hayden, D.C. QN

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Throughout a female's life, she will experience many hormonal changes. The earliest transition comes between childhood and adolescence. On average, a girl begins menstruating around the age of 12. In some cases the menstrual cycle can begin as early as 8 or as late as 16. If a female has not started her menstrual cycle by the age of 16 she is often diagnosed with primary amenorrhea. Amenorrhea occurs when the levels of female reproductive hormones are not sufficient to stimulate menstruation. The most common causes of secondary amenorrhea include malnutrition, over-exercising, stress and breast feeding.
Malnutrition can come in varying degrees. When a girl is anorexic (refuses to eat for fear of gaining weight or losing her figure) or bulimic (eats and then induces vomiting for fear of gaining weight or losing her figure) she will often delay the onset of her menstrual cycle, or lose it once it has started. Girls that have a diet lacking the essential amino acids and fats can also be more likely to develop secondary amenorrhea. This is often the case with vegetarian female athletes. A well rounded diet, with plenty of whole food sources of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthy fats will often return the amenorrheic woman to where she needs to be.
Mild to moderate exercise is a great way to maintain optimal health and wellness. Exercise increases the metabolism, assists in weight management, improves mental clarity, as well as many other great things. Intensive or excessive exercise can lead to hormonal imbalance in both men and women. Exercise creates stress on our organs, muscles, and joints because it involves work. This "good" stress can be beneficial but in excess, it creates a rise in the stress regulating hormone called cortisol. As the hormone cortisol increases in our body continually, sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone decrease. When these hormones are out of balance, many of the symptoms associated with women's health present. These include PMS, weight gain, acne, abnormal menstrual cycles, hot flashes, mood swings, bone loss, osteoporosis, infertility and more.
Increasing cortisol is the body's response to any stressful situation. As noted above, intensive or excessive exercise can induce chronic stress in a woman's body, leading to imbalances between cortisol and other health sustaining hormones. Chronic stress in any form will act similarly in a woman's body. Stress comes in all shapes and sizes through physical, chemical, and emotional means.
Some examples in everyday life include: financial pressure, work assignments, death in the family, children leaving home for school, marriage, poor diet, auto accidents, chemical irritants, etc. The stress regulators in our body respond similarly to all of the stressors listed above. No matter the source of stress, the human body's response to stress is to release cortisol, and chronic release of cortisol in the body leads to imbalance of hormones, which lead to symptoms. These symptoms are good for us, and should not be covered up because they warn us that we are no longer in balance.
Dr. Chase Hayden, DC, QN is a holistic doctor that incorporates applied kinesiology, quantum neurology rehabilitation, and functional nutrition in his practice. He is the owner of The Hayden Institute in Houston, TX where the majority of his general practice are women seeking the relief of PMS, menopause, infertility, and other female related symptoms through alternative approaches. He is happily married and currently has two children. For more information regarding Dr. Chase Hayden and his services, please visit http://www.DrChaseHayden.com

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Chase_Hayden,_D.C._QN

August 16- 2010 All About Amenorrhea Articles

Amenorrhea - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
By Juliet Cohen


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Amenorrhea is absence of menstruation. Amenorrhea is a normal feature in prepubertal, pregnant, and postmenopausal females. Amenorrhea can be caused by any number of changes in the organs, glands, and hormones involved in menstruation. Stress due to internal or situational concerns can cause secondary amenorrhea, because stress interferes with the brain's control (through hormones) of the ovaries. Amenorrhea may be classified as primary or secondary. primary amenorrhea - from the beginning and usually lifelong; menstruation never begins at puberty. Primary amenorrhea is defined as the failure of menses to occur by age 16 years. Secondary amenorrhea - due to some physical cause and usually of later onset; a condition in which menstrual periods which were at one time normal and regular become increasing abnormal and irregular or absent. Secondary amenorrhea is defined as the cessation of menses once they have begun. This problem is seen in about 1% of women of reproductive age. Amenorrhea occurs if the hypothalamus and pituitary fail to provide appropriate gonadotropin stimulation to the ovary, resulting in inadequate production of estradiol or in failure of ovulation and progesterone production. Amenorrhea can also occur if the ovaries fail to produce adequate amounts of estradiol despite normal and appropriate gonadotropin stimulation by the hypothalamus and pituitary. Chronic conditions (eg, starvation, excessive exercise, depression, psychological stress, marijuana use, Crohn disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, thalassemia major, HIV infection, renal disease, thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, anorexia nervosa)

Physiologic states of amenorrhoea are seen during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). The hypothalamus is the initiator of the follicular phase. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pump located in the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a pulsatile fashion into the portal vessel system surrounding the anterior pituitary gland. GnRH interacts with the anterior pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the follicular phase. FSH is secreted into the circulation and interacts with the granulosa cells surrounding the developing oocytes. As levels of progesterone, estradiol, and inhibin decline 2-3 days before menses, the hypothalamus begins to release higher levels of FSH, which recruits oocytes for the next menstrual cycle. As FSH increases during the early portion of the follicular phase, it interacts with granulosa cells to stimulate the aromatization of androgens into estradiol. Early in the follicular phase, both estradiol and FSH increase the FSH-receptor content of the developing follicles. Over the next several days, the steady increase of estradiol (E2) levels exerts a progressively greater suppressive influence on pituitary FSH release. Only one selected lead follicle, with the largest reservoir of estrogen, can withstand the declining FSH environment. The remaining oocytes that initially were recruited with the lead follicle undergo atresia. Immediately prior to ovulation, the combination of E2 and FSH leads to the production of luteinizing-hormone (LH) receptors on the granulosa cells surrounding the lead follicle.

Hormonal contraceptives that contain only progestogen like the oral contraceptive Circulating estradiol stimulates growth of the endometrium. Progesterone, produced by the corpus luteum formed after ovulation, transforms proliferating endometrium into secretory endometrium. During the late follicular phase, estrogen positively influences LH secretion, instead of suppressing pituitary LH secretion as it does early in the follicular phase. To have this positive effect, the E2 level must achieve a sustained elevation for several days. The LH surge promotes maturation of the dominant oocyte, the release of the oocyte and then the luteinization of the granulosa cells and the surrounding theca cells of the dominant follicle resulting in progesterone production. The appropriate level of progesterone arising from the maturing dominant follicle contributes to the precise timing of the mid-cycle surge of LH. E2 promotes uterine endometrial gland growth, which allows for future implantation. Other signs or symptoms along with the absence of periods, such as milky nipple discharge, headache, vision changes, or excessive hair growth on your face and torso (hirsutism).

Treatments of Amenorrhea based on the condition. Medical care needs are defined by the etiology of the menstrual cycle disturbance and the desires of the patient. Progesterone supplements (hormone treatment). Gonadotropin therapy or the use of pulsatile GnRH therapy is required to induce ovulation for patients with infertility whose underlying pathology cannot be reversed. Dopamine agonists are effective in treating hyperprolactinemia. Oral contraceptives (ovulation inhibitors). Dietary modifications (to include increased caloric and fat intake). Hormone replacement therapy is required to maintain bone density in patients whose underlying pathology cannot be reversed to restore normal endocrine function. In most cases, physicians will induce menstruation in non-pregnant females who have missed two or more consecutive menstrual periods, because of the danger posed to the uterus if the non-fertilized egg and endometrium lining are not expelled. Without this monthly expulsion, the risk of uterine cancer increases.Women with evidence of hyperandrogenism and disordered menses have many other medical issues that must be addressed. Specific treatment for amenorrhea is your opinion or preference and expectations for the course of the condition.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for health care clinic and home remedies. She also writes articles on beauty tips.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juliet_Cohen

August 09- 2010 All About Amenorrhea Articles

Amenorrhea III - How to Treat and Prevent Amenorrhea With Foods
By Kyle J Norton


Recommended Reading
Pain Free Periods In 60 Days
Natural Healing To Eliminate Feminine Reproductive Issues
Including Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts, Painful Cramps & Endometriosis.

Amenorrhea is defined as delay of menstruation. There are 2 types of amenrrhea:

a) Primary amenorrhea is defined as no period by age 16 and
b) Secondary amenrrhea is defined as period begins at the appropriate age, but later stops for more than 3 cycles or 6 months. Women who had a delay of period used to think that may be pregnant. In fact, there are many causes of amenorrhea. In this article, we will discuss how to treat amenorrhea with foods.

1. Whole grain

Whole grain contains high amounts of fiber that help to remove toxins from our body and indirectly strengthens liver function, which helps to maintain the levels of estrogened resulting in lowered xenoestrogen in our body.

2. Celery seed

Celery seed contains high amounts of butylidene-phthalide which helps to balance woman's natural hormones and reduce emotional stress causing irregular hormone production by cleansing toxins from the liver as well as improving reproduction of red blood cells caused by liver malfunction.

3. Soy

Soy contains high amounts of isoflavones which helps to balance your body's estrogen levels as well as binding the xenoestrogen causing breast cancer and tumors. Soy raises the levels of estrogen if it is too low and lowers levels of estrogen if it is too high.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt contains lactobacillus bacteria that helps to lower incidence of breast cancer as well as preventing the re-absorption of xenoestrogen and enhancing immune effects.

5. Legumes

Legumes and other protein rich food contains high amounts of coumestans that helps to improve metabolism of estrogen in the liver. It also helps to maintain levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids as well as cleansing the bad cholesterol in our body, improving blood flow.

6. Sesame seed

Besides containing proteins that are necessary for improving metabolism of estrogen levels in the liver, sesame seed contains lignans that helps to increase levels of phyto-estrogen and reducing the production of estrogen converting into xenoestrogen wich causes breast cancer and amenorrhea.

7. Potato

Potato contains high amounts of steroidial saponins that helps to block the over-production of estrogen by increasing levels of phyto-estrogen, the element which is necessary for normalizing menstrual cycle.

I hope this information will help. If you need more information of insurance or series of articles of the above subject at my home page at:

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All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have all the links intact. "Let Take Care Your Health, Your Health Will Take Care You" Kyle J. Norton I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990. Master degree in Mathematics, teaching and tutoring math at colleges and universities before joining insurance industries.

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August 02- 2010 All About Amenorrhea Articles

Amenorrhea Testing and Diagnosis
By Bond Mejeh

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Pain Free Periods In 60 Days
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There is a combination of hormonal issues associated with amenorrhea though they are rarely life threatening. There may need to be several tests conducted by your doctor to accurately determine the underlying cause. Such tests would include:

• A pregnancy test will probably be the first test your doctor does to check for possible pregnancy.
• Pelvic exams are performed to check for any abnormalities with reproductive organs.
• The physical exam includes checking for indications of changes that should be occurring at puberty. Medication history will also be discussed.
• Blood tests such as a thyroid function test or a test to evaluate prolactin levels can reveal any inconsistency in hormone levels, which could be the cause for amenorrhea. If a woman has experienced more than usual hair growth, a test for hormone levels may also be administered.
• Progestin challenge tests can also be administered. This test involves taking a progestogen or some hormonal medication for 7 to 10 days. This medication will trigger menstrual bleeding and as a result, your doctor can determine whether your menstrual periods have halted due low estrogen levels.
• An imaging test may be administered by your doctor after reviewing your symptoms and blood test results. Imaging tests such as a CT scan (computerized tomography), an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or an ultrasound can show if there are pituitary tumors or any abnormalities in reproductive organs.
• Laparoscopy or hysteroscopy is generally considered a last option if other testing (as those mentioned above) reveal nothing or are inconclusive. Minimally invasive surgery may be recommended by your doctor to view internal organs. Occasionally, problems found during surgery can be treated simultaneously.

Treatments And Drugs

The cause of amenorrhea will determine its treatment. You may need to make some changes to your lifestyle as per your doctor's recommendations. Such changes may include adjustments to your body weight, exercise routine or physical activity in general as well as stress level management. Those who have hypothalamic amenorrhea or PCOS may need oral contraceptives for treatment prescribed by a physician. Medication is usually used to treat amenorrhea when the underlying cause is thyroid or pituitary disorder.

A Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help a normal menstruation cycle. You may want to consider implementing some other things below but you should always consult your physician.

• Consider changes in your diet and exercise activity in order to achieve a healthy body weight.
• Balance work, recreation and rest.
• Reduce stress-causing situations. Consult a physician family or friends if you need help to decrease stress levels.

In order to be aware of changes in your menstrual cycle you should keep a record of when they occur. Include the calendar date, the duration and symptoms experienced that are a cause for concern.

Consult female family relatives (mother, sister etc...) to see if anyone in your family has had a case of amenorrhea. This type of information can assist your doctor in determining the underlying cause for the condition. You may feel some anxiety due to the condition, but your doctor can provide you with management and treatment to help you find ways to restore and regulate your menstrual cycle.

Bond Mejeh produces health related articles for HealthClients.com, a natural health product review site. HealthClients.com not only provides thyroid supplement reviews, but also contains a wealth of articles that focus on natural health remedies and management options for various medical conditions using natural methods.

Please visit HealthClients.com for more information and be sure to check out our Health Clients blog

Recommended Reading
Pain Free Periods In 60 Days
Natural Healing To Eliminate Feminine Reproductive Issues
Including Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts, Painful Cramps & Endometriosis.

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