Common Menstrual Disorders That a Woman Should Know About

Even though menstruation is the most normal part of female reproductive development, you need to raise your hand if you have ever experienced menstrual abnormalities. I guess, at one point or the other, every woman on the earth goes through some abnormal menstrual shenanigans. As everyone is unique and everybody functions differently, there can be a slight shift in your periods, leading to restless nights, but if the symptoms are constant, there could be underlying issues.

To better understand how all these changes in the menstrual cycle can lead to menstrual disorders, this article is presented in conversation with Dr Elsa, a Top Gynaecologist in Dubai, informing us about the different disorders that occur.

What is a menstrual disorder?

A menstrual disorder is a condition that includes physiological and emotional symptoms before and during the period cycle. It comes in different forms, like delayed periods, missed periods, light periods, heavy flow periods, major mood changes, and heavy cramps.

Apart from these, abnormal menstruation is linked to different factors like biological, psychological, and environmental aspects. There are several types of menstrual disorders that a woman experiences.

1. Dysmenorrhea: Whether you accept it or not, everyone experiences little or more period pain or cramps during their periods. Occurring due to the results of abnormal contractions in the uterus during periods, the situation of severe cramps is known as dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea includes two sections: Primary dysmenorrhea means cramping pain caused due to periods, whereas secondary pain is caused by endometriosis, pelvic infection, fibroids, and others.
2. Menorrhagia: The volume of blood flow changes throughout and from woman to woman. The condition menorrhagia is a situation when you are experiencing prolonged or heavy periods that last for more than 7 days. The condition also includes hormonal imbalances and bleeding disorders.
3. Hypomenorrhea: Opposite to menorrhagia, hypomenorrhea refers to a menstrual situation in which the flow of period blood lasts for less than two days with a reduced blood flow. The condition is said to be caused by hormone imbalance, pregnancy, stress, and others.
4. Oligomenorrhea: The condition of oligomenorrhea refers to a situation in which the periods get extended to 35 days or more. In general, the average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but if it is extended, then it could be oligomenorrhea.
5. Amenorrhea: Also known as skipped periods or absence of menstruation cycle amenorrhea is the lack of bleeding during the monthly cycle. It is divided into two parts: primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is the situation in which menstrual periods have never begun, whereas secondary amenorrhea refers to the situation when there has been an absence of periods for three consecutive years.

The above-mentioned menstrual disorders are caused by different reasons like hormonal imbalance, polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, cysts, and others. Every 1 out 5 women suffer from either one of the menstrual disorders but it is advised to keep a check on the arising symptoms and look for a doctor when in need. For better consultation and care, you can fix your medical appointment at New Concept Clinic, a Gynaecology Hospital in Dubai.