Tag(s): ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , Add Tags
Add to My Group(s)

View Ratings | Rate It

Promoted to Headline (H2) on 9/1/10:     Permalink

Amenorrhea: What does not having a menstrual cycle mean?

Add this Page to Facebook!
Submit to Twitter
Submit to Reddit
Submit to Stumble Upon

Tell A Friend
By (about the author)

Become a Fan Become a Fan   -- Page 1 of 2 page(s)

futurehealth.org

"A" in Greek is the word for "negative," "men" is the word for "month" and "rhea" refers to "flow." Amenorrhea means "no menstrual flow" (absence of menstruation). In Chinese medicine, it refers to "no moon."

Rudyard Kipling said, "East is east and West is west and never the twain shall meet."

Today it is more important than ever to understand TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine which includes acupuncture and herbal medicine) as well as Western medicine. Today's reality integrates these two schools of thought to improve patient care. TCM gets to the root cause naturally with out the harsh affects of drugs.

We know that gynecology in China goes back as far as the early 1500 BC. Gynecologists were called "breast doctors" who treated diseases "under the skirt."

By taking advantage of this ancient, successful medicine, we resolve many gynecological health problems at its source, earlier in the woman's reproductive life, and perhaps bearing her from a lifetime of medications, infertility, or lack of hope.

For most women TCM is not sought as the first line of medical resolution. They seek out acupuncture and herbal medicine when all else fails; when they are the middle of fertility procedures, or when someone recommends TCM to them. We owe it to the women in our lives to recommend TCM for this condition. It is normal for menstruation to cease during pregnancy and breast-feeding. So, unless it is a structural or congenital health problem TCM provides solutions and restores your health.

Failure to menstruate may cause the uterine lining to thicken putting you at risk for cancers.

Definitions

Primary amenorrhea

A young woman has reached the age of 16 (in some texts 18) and has not begun menstruating.

Oligomenorrhea or secondary amenorrhea

A woman who has started menses but has missed menstrual cycles for three consecutive months.

Secondary amenorrhea often occurs with extreme exercise such as long-distance running. Typically, leaner women have higher levels of protein which affect estrogen; therefore, less free estrogen is available to stimulate the reproductive cycle properly. Other specific causes include stress, nutritional inadequacies, hormonal imbalances, tumors, intrauterine infection, endometriosis, discontinuation of oral contraceptives, diseases such as diabetes mellitus or tuberculosis, anorexia nervosa, or obesity.

In hypergonadotropin amenorrhea, high gonadotropin any of several hormones that stimulate the growth and activity of the gonads, especially follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and low estrogen levels create symptoms similar to those of menopause: atrophy of the reproductive organs, hot flashes, irritability and other changes. The patient may experience internal sensations of heat, thirst, irritability, low back pain, vaginal dryness or dryness of the eyes. This type is affiliated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or premature ovarian failure (POF).

TCM looks to:

  • overwork,

    Next Page  1  |  2

 

I am a gentle and caring practitioner of acupuncture and herbal medicine. PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Author of "Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Women's Health: Bridging the Gap Between Western and Eastern Medicine" Solo practitioner (more...)
 

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

Contact Author Contact Editor View Authors' Articles

 

Share this page: (what's this?)                   Tell a Friend: Tell A Friend

Add this Page to Facebook!      Submit to Stumble Upon      Submit to Reddit      Add This Page to Mr Wong!           NEWSVINE      DEl.ICIO.US      Looksmart Furl      My Web      Blink List     (More...)

Comments

The time limit for entering new comments on this article has expired.

Comments: Expand   Shrink   Hide  
No comments