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Female cycle
& fertility

Female cycle 
& fertility

What affects your menstrual cycle -  Health conditions

A regular menstrual cycle is one sign of good health, so anything that’s unusual for you or that causes you problems needs looking into. There may be a simple reason or there may be an underlying health condition.

Here’s our quick guide to common causes of menstrual issues, the main signs or symptoms, and what you can do about them:

Hormonal conditions

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – infertility and irregular periods

What is it?

PCOS can make your ovaries enlarged, and in many cases involves multiple cysts or follicles (small pockets filled with fluid). This can prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg, which is why women with PCOS can have irregular or no periods, and find it difficult to conceive.

PCOS also means that there is a higher level of androgen hormones, which can cause acne, facial and body hair growth and hair loss from your head.

What can be done about it?

There are treatments for PCOS symptoms, so it’s worth talking to a healthcare professional if your periods are irregular or absent, particularly if you have some of the other symptoms as well.

Losing weight and eating a healthy balanced diet can help ease some of the symptoms, but at the moment there is no cure for PCOS.

Thyroid issues - weight changes and period changes

What is it?

Hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid is over-active. This can make your heart beat faster, make you lose weight, give you anxiety and make your periods light and less often.

Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid is under-active. This can make you put on weight, feel tired and depressed, and make your periods heavier and longer.

What can be done about it?

Your doctor can arrange for a thyroid function test to see what’s going on. It’s a quick blood test and you usually get the results in a few days.

There are medications available for both under- and over-active thyroid.

Physical conditions

Endometriosis – infertility and pain

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Fibroids – heavy periods

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Polyps – irregular periods and infertility

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Infections - menstrual cycle and discomfort

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Life and lifestyle

Stress – period changes

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Medical procedures

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Medication – menstrual cycle changes

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Weight, exercise – period changes

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Perimenopause – menstrual cycle changes, period changes

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Illnesses

Bleeding disorders – heavy periods

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Cancer and cancer treatment – infertility, period changes, menstrual cycle changes

What is it?

What can be done about it?

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) – infertility, irregular periods.

What is it?

What can be done about it?

What affects your menstrual cycle - Health conditions

A regular menstrual cycle is one sign of good health, so anything that’s unusual for you or that causes you problems needs looking into. There may be a simple reason or there may be an underlying health condition.

Here’s our quick guide to common causes of menstrual issues, the main signs or symptoms, and what you can do about them:

Hormonal conditions

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – infertility and irregular periods
What is it?
PCOS can make your ovaries enlarged, and in many cases involves multiple cysts or follicles (small pockets filled with fluid). This can prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg, which is why women with PCOS can have irregular or no periods, and find it difficult to conceive.
PCOS also means that there is a higher level of androgen hormones, which can cause acne, facial and body hair growth and hair loss from your head.
What can be done about it?
There are treatments for PCOS symptoms, so it’s worth talking to a healthcare professional if your periods are irregular or absent, particularly if you have some of the other symptoms as well.
Losing weight and eating a healthy balanced diet can help ease some of the symptoms, but at the moment there is no cure for PCOS.
Thyroid issues - weight changes and period changes
What is it?
Hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid is over-active. This can make your heart beat faster, make you lose weight, give you anxiety and make your periods light and less often.
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid is under-active. This can make you put on weight, feel tired and depressed, and make your periods heavier and longer.
What can be done about it?
Your doctor can arrange for a thyroid function test to see what’s going on. It’s a quick blood test and you usually get the results in a few days.
There are medications available for both under- and over-active thyroid.

Physical conditions

Endometriosis – infertility and pain
What is it?
In endometriosis, tissue that is usually found in the uterus starts to grow in other parts of your pelvic area. It can be very painful, and cause bleeding between periods. It also affects your fertility, making it more difficult to become pregnant.
What can be done about it?
There’s no cure for endometriosis at the moment, but there are things that can be done to help.
It’s difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can vary so much, and may also be put down to several other conditions.
You can help by keeping a diary of your symptoms and taking it with you to your appointment.
Fibroids – heavy periods
What is it?
Fibroids are a mass of cells that form a round shape, usually found in the wall of the uterus. They are very common, and many women don’t even know they have them. However, more severe cases can make your periods heavier, with pain or cramping.
What can be done about it?
You may be referred for a scan to see if there are fibroids and if so, how many there are, how big they are, and where they are. Fibroids can sometimes be removed surgically.
Polyps – irregular periods and infertility
What is it?
Polyps are another kind of tissue growth in the uterus. Like fibroids, they don’t always cause symptoms but they can cause irregular periods, bleeding that isn’t a period, and infertility.
Polyps are more common in perimenopause and menopause, but younger women can also be affected.
What can be done about it?
Polyps can sometimes be treated or removed with surgery. Your doctor may refer you for tests to look for polyps, and the hospital may also take a sample of tissue for testing – this is a biopsy, and the lab will examine the tissue for signs of potential cancers, although most polyps are benign (non-cancerous).
Infections - menstrual cycle and discomfort
What is it?
Thrush, bacterial overgrowth, infected cuts or tears in the vulva/vagina and some sexually transmitted infections can all cause a lot of discomfort and may cause bleeding too. Infections are unlikely to affect your menstrual cycle directly, but they can be stressful for you and your body, and stress can impact your cycle.
What can be done about it?
See a doctor if you suspect you have an infection.

Life and lifestyle

Stress – period changes
What is it?
Being under a lot of strain physically, mentally or emotionally can play havoc with your cycle. If you’re chronically stressed out, your periods may become less regular – and worrying about it can just add to the stress.
What can be done about it?
Try to find ways to build relaxation, meditation and calm into your day. Exercise can be a great stressbuster, as can socialising or just talking it all out with a trusted friend or a counsellor.
Medical procedures
What is it?
Even minor surgery can put a lot of stress on your body, and the worry of undergoing medical tests can also take its toll on your physical health.
What can be done about it?
Talk to your healthcare team about the procedures and tell them about any effects you notice on your cycle. Communication and understanding can go a long way towards reassuring you, and it will also help your healthcare team to take action as soon as they’re aware of an issue like delayed or irregular periods.
Medication – menstrual cycle changes
What is it?
There are a few common medications that can have an effect on your menstrual cycle.

These include:

  • Medications for mental health conditions (e.g. ADHD, depression, schizophrenia)
  • Hormones and steroids
  • Medications used for weight loss
What can be done about it?
If you suspect that a medication is affecting your cycle, talk to a healthcare professional. It might be possible to switch you to an alternative or adjust your dose.
Weight, exercise – period changes
What is it?
Being underweight and/or doing a lot of intense exercise can affect your periods, and sometimes even stop you ovulating at all.
Equally, being very overweight can affect your cycle as your body produces too much oestrogen.
What can be done about it?
Getting your body fat percentage into a healthy range can go a long way towards stabilising and regulating your cycle.
For women aged 20-40, this range is around 21% to 32%.
Perimenopause – menstrual cycle changes, period changes
What is it?
As you approach menopause, your cycle can change, with longer gaps between periods until they eventually stop. Hormones account for a lot of the symptoms associated with menopause like hot flushes and night sweats.
What can be done about it?
If menopause symptoms are interfering with your life, your doctor may be able to prescribe hormone therapy and give you advice.

Illnesses

Bleeding disorders – heavy periods
What is it?
Bleeding disorders can cause very heavy periods, as well as other symptoms like bruising easily or nosebleeds.
What can be done about it?
This needs medical attention, and there may be medications you can take to lessen or slow your bleeding.
Cancer and cancer treatment – infertility, period changes, menstrual cycle changes
What is it?
Gynaecological cancers can cause a range of symptoms, including heavy periods and irregular bleeding, although these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions.
What can be done about it?
If you’re worried, talk to a healthcare professional. They would much rather see you and find that it’s nothing to worry about than not see you and potentially miss something serious.
Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) – infertility, irregular periods.
What is it?
POI is when the ovaries don’t work properly, and it can mean you get very irregular and infrequent periods. Without ovulating regularly, it’s very difficult to get pregnant.
What can be done about it?
There are treatments available to help balance your hormones and help your ovaries to function more normally.

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References

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