Health Guide©

MISSED or IRREGULAR PERIODS (Unexpected periods)

Home Treatment:

In this instance, home treatment consists of giving you some time to consider the various causes of missed periods. You can do something in obesity. If you are dieting to the point of starvation, you may have a condition known as anorexia nervosa, and you should consult a doctor or a psychotherapist. If strenuous physical exercise is to continue, you should be alert for further information concerning the possible harmful effects of hormonal imbalance associated with missed periods. Finally, knowing that emotional stress may lead to missed periods will at least help you focus on the cause of the stress rather than the symptom.

If you feel that there is no satisfactory explanation for the missed period or are unable to develop a plan for dealing with the cause on you own, a phone call to your doctor should provide the advice you need.

What you can do:

• Use oral contraceptives correctly.
• Reduce stress.
• Consult a doctor if you have strong prolonged or irregular bleeding or if you bleed after menopause or sexual contacts.

What to expect at the doctor's office:

Because diseases are relatively infrequent causes of missed periods, most doctors will not rush into a series of tests in an effort to detect these diseases. The doctor will consider the common causes of missed periods discussed above; this is best done with a careful history and physical examination. If pregnancy is the only real possibility, the doctor may refer you to the laboratory for a pregnancy test without the need for an office visit.

What your doctor can do for you:

• Determine the cause and treat it.
• Counsel on the correct use of oral contraceptives. Prescribe different contraceptive ness pills with a different hormonal dosage.
• Surgically remove a polyp.
• Perform D&C (dilation and curettage) to diagnose and correct the bleeding.

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