The actual meaning of Amenorrhea is that a woman of childbearing age fails to menstruate. Amenorrhea refers to the absence of your menstrual periods. It is fairly common in North America mostly it affecting between 2% and 5% of the female population in that country. Most women get their periods every 28 days or so. Of course, there will be some fluctuation in your monthly cycles, especially if you have just begun to menstruate. For instance, some women only get their periods every 35 days or so.

Amenorrhea may be classified as primary or secondary.

* Primary amenorrhea ? it is start from the beginning and usually lifelong; menstruation never begins at puberty.
* Secondary amenorrhea - it is due to some physical cause and usually of later onset. It is a condition in which menstrual periods which were at one time normal and regular become increasing abnormal and irregular or absent.

Causes

You can have amenorrhea if any of your reproductive organs are not working right or if you don't have the right amount of certain hormones in your body. If you are pregnant you will have few chances to amenorrhea during the pregnancy.

A number of factors can contribute to these hormonal imbalances:

* Disorders of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, or ovaries
* Extreme weight loss or weight gain
* Poor nutrition
* Eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia
* Over exercise
* Stress

Symptoms

A lack of menstrual periods is the main symptom this disorder. Additional symptoms, such as headaches, visual loss, weight gain or loss, and galactorrhea, in which lactation occurs in a woman who is neither pregnant nor nursing an infant, depend on the cause of the condition. If amenorrhea is caused by a pituitary tumor, other symptoms related to the tumor, such as visual loss, may be present.

Treatment

Type of treatment depends upon that what's causing the amenorrhea. Your doctor may suggest that you make changes to your lifestyle depending on your weight, physical activity or stress level and this is the good treatment for the patients.

Young women who have not had their first menstrual period by the age of 16 should be evaluated promptly, as making an early diagnosis and starting treatment as soon as possible is very important.

Treatment for amenorrhea may include:

* Progesterone supplements- it is nothing, it is a hormone treatment.
* Oral contraceptives- it is a ovulation inhibitors and also good treatment
* Dietary modifications- it is include increased caloric and fat intake.