I want to know if I have anovulatory menstruation! Before going to the hospital, self-check the cause and how to deal with it

Do you know "anovulatory menstruation"? Bleeding such as menstruation occurs, but ovulation does not occur. Ovulation is invisible, so some women may not be aware of anovulatory periods. However, in the long run, anovulatory menstruation increases the risk of bone and uterine diseases, and can also cause infertility.

In this article, we will explain the causes and treatment of anovulatory menstruation. And we have a checklist of the characteristics of anovulatory menstruation, so please check it out. If any of these apply to you, it is safe to visit a gynecologist.

Find out in this article

• What is Anovulatory Menstruation
• Causes of Anovulatory Menstruation
• Anovulation menstruation self-check
• How to improve anovulatory menstruation

What is Anovulatory Menstruation

Anovulatory menstruation is menstrual-like bleeding but no ovulation. There are three stages for ovulation to occur:

1. The hypothalamus in the brain secretes a hormone called GnRH
2. GnRH stimulates the secretion of two hormones, FSH and LH, from the pituitary gland.
3. Stimulated by FSH and LH, the egg is released from the ovary

If there is an abnormality or problem with any stage, ovulation will not occur.

Anovulatory menstruation causes infertility. Long-term anovulation is also said to increase the risk of osteoporosis and endometrial cancer.

If you haven't ovulated, you probably won't have symptoms of PMS, the premenstrual upset. If the disorder continues before anovulatory menstruation, the possibility of another cause cannot be ruled out, so it is recommended to see a doctor.

Causes of anovulatory menstruation

Anovulatory menstruation can be caused by disease or by other factors.

Diseases that cause anovulatory menstruation include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), hyperprolactinemia, luteinizing unruptured follicular syndrome (LUF), and thyroid disease.

Other causes include obesity, being too thin due to excessive dieting, and stress. As for the season, in April when the environment changes, stress tends to be higher than usual, so it seems that more people are going to see a doctor with the problem of anovulatory menstruation. Medications such as antidepressants may also cause anovulatory menstruation.

Anovulation menstruation self-check

Anovulatory menstruation is difficult to notice because there are no subjective symptoms. However, anovulatory menstruation is possible if the menstruation has any of the following characteristics: If the self-check applies to you, it is recommended that you consult with a specialized gynecologist. If you are planning to become pregnant, please see a doctor as soon as possible.

• The basal body temperature is constant (not divided into two layers, high temperature period and low temperature period)
• long or short menstrual cycles
• heavy or little bleeding
• A small amount of fresh blood that continues to flow outside of menstruation
• menstruation occurs twice a month
• I used to have menstrual pain or discomfort during menstruation, but it suddenly disappeared
• discharge does not change during the menstrual cycle

Possibility of anovulatory menstruation due to pregnancy

If you have a miscarriage after a pregnancy is established, the subsequent menstrual period will often be anovulatory . After a while, the hormone balance stabilizes, and normal ovulation and menstruation will return.

During lactation, ovarian function is suppressed by the influence of hormones related to lactation. Therefore, during breastfeeding, there is a high possibility of anovulatory menstruation.

Also, it seems that it is sometimes said that it is easy to get pregnant in the month following an anovulatory menstruation. However, there is no data showing that it is easy to get pregnant in the month following anovulatory menstruation, and if left untreated, it may lead to deterioration of uterine and ovarian function, so caution is required.

Possibility of anovulatory menstruation due to menopause

After the age of 40, menopause is more likely to result in anovulatory menstruation. During menopause, the function of the ovaries declines and the ability to cause ovulation weakens, so anovulation may occur.

To explain the general changes in menstruation during menopause, first the amount of menstruation decreases and the cycle becomes shorter. After that, anovulatory menstruation begins to be mixed about once every few times. In addition, a small amount of bleeding continues slowly, a considerable amount of bleeding occurs, and the cycle and amount fluctuate.

Also read the following articles
When does menopause start? Introduction to pre-menopause

Possibility of anovulatory menstruation due to poor physical condition

When you are not feeling well, you may have anovulatory menstruation. For example, if you are not feeling well and are unable to eat and are malnourished, the function of the hypothalamus in the brain decreases and ovulation does not occur. The same is true for eating disorders and nutritional deficiencies such as stress and weight loss.

Also, when you are not feeling well, your body will use a lot of its energy to recover. Therefore, the hormones that cause ovulation and the function of the ovaries are different from usual, and the possibility of anovulation will increase.

How to improve anovulatory menstruation in the hospital

Hormone therapy and Chinese herbal medicine are ways to improve amenorrhea and ovulation in the hospital. If you want to get pregnant, you can use ovulation induction drugs or have an embryo transfer. If you don't want to get pregnant, hormone treatment other than ovulation induction and Chinese herbal medicine are used to balance hormones and encourage ovulation and menstruation. Be sure to let your doctor know at the time of your appointment whether or not you want to become pregnant.

Ovulation induction if pregnancy is desired

If pregnancy is desired, ovulation induction or embryo transfer is performed. Treatments for ovulation induction include clomiphene therapy and gonadotropin therapy.

• Clomiphene therapy A drug that causes ovulation by acting on the hypothalamus in the brain, which is involved in regulating hormones. It is often used when ovulation disorders are mild.
• Gonadotropin therapy Human postmenopausal gonadotropin (hMG), which has a strong ability to develop follicles, is injected to nurture follicles. Once the follicle reaches a certain size, ovulation is induced by injecting chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which induces ovulation. Gonadotropin therapy is used when clomiphene therapy does not result in pregnancy.

Embryo transfer may be recommended for those with severe ovulation disorders or depending on their age. Embryo transfer involves egg retrieval and in vitro fertilization.

Hormone therapy if pregnancy is not desired

If you do not want to become pregnant, treatment with hormones to cause menstrual-like bleeding is selected. Depending on your hormonal status, progesterone alone or both estrogen and progesterone may be used.

With any treatment, if you take progesterone and bleed periodically, ovulation and menstruation may occur spontaneously even if you stop taking the drug. Remember to take it as directed by your doctor.

[Both can be prescribed] Kampo medicine

Herbal medicine can be taken regardless of whether or not you want to become pregnant.

In Kampo medicine, anovulatory menstruation is considered from two possibilities: ``lack of egg growth potential'' and ``ovulation is inhibited due to stagnation of qi and blood''. Which one applies to you is determined by checking your constitution and menstruation in detail. For those who do not have enough egg power, a prescription that supplements energy and blood will be suitable, and for those who have a strong stagnation and have not ovulated, Kampo medicine that circulates energy and blood will be suitable.

In addition, weakness of the kidneys related to the reproductive system is also a cause of anovulatory menstruation. In that case, use a prescription that increases the power of the kidneys.

However, it is often difficult to improve anovulatory menstruation with Chinese herbal medicine alone.

3 Ways to Improve Anovulatory Menstruation on Your Own

Anovulatory menstruation can be expected to improve even by reviewing daily life. I will explain the relationship between stress, coldness of the body, diet and anovulatory menstruation. And try to incorporate what you can do to improve your life.

de-stress and relax

To improve anovulatory menstruation, it is effective to relieve stress and relax. The secretion of female hormones related to menstruation and ovulation is controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain. Since the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are easily affected by stress, female hormones cannot be adjusted well when there is a lot of stress.

Relieving stress and relaxing will make the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in the brain work smoothly, which will lead to ovulation.

improve body cooling

Next, it is also important to relieve the cold of the body. Coldness leads to imbalance of female hormones. Therefore, if you improve the coldness of the body, it can be said that female hormones stabilize and ovulation and menstruation are in order.

To improve cooling

• Soak in the bath [Half-body bath is effective]
• Warming the wrists, ankles, and neck [warming and stimulating pressure points such as the gokoku on the back of the hand, the saninkou on the ankle, and the large vertebrae on the back of the neck]
• Always have something to wear and put it on before it gets cold

There are many ways you can start working on your daily routine. Adopt a method that fits your life.

change your diet

Finally, it is also important to review your eating habits. A balanced diet helps keep your hormones in balance. Don't be overwhelmed by the information that "○○ is good!"

Also, it is effective to change your eating habits to improve your body cold. It is also a good idea to keep drinks as warm as possible, replace raw vegetable salads with warm vegetables, and include hot soups such as miso soup and soup.

summary

I explained the checklist and causes of anovulatory menstruation. Anovulatory menstruation is rarely felt as a symptom, such as severe menstrual cramps. Therefore, you may not notice it yourself. However, when you become aware of your menstrual cycle and how it looks again, you will notice the possibility of anovulatory menstruation. Therefore, it is recommended that you perform a self-check on a regular basis.

Anovulatory menstruation can lead to future illness and infertility. From the checklist, those who feel the possibility of anovulatory menstruation or those who are concerned about it are recommended to consult a gynecologist as soon as possible. And since anovulatory menstruation often comes from lifestyle habits, there are ways to improve it yourself in addition to treatment at the hospital, so please refer to it.