An expert on different types of menstrual disorders

There are a wide range of conditions and factors that can affect the menstrual cycle, collectively known as menstrual disorders. The symptoms are varied and can include pain, excessive bleeding, or infrequent, even non-existent, periods. Esteemed consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Amelia Davison, who treats patients in London, shares her expertise on these disorders, discussing the causes and treatments available. 

How are menstrual disorders defined?

Menstrual disorders involve a wide range of different conditions affecting the menstrual cycle. They can be caused by certain underlying conditions, medical problems, certain medications that you might be taking, and then there are the stress and hormonal side of things as well. Menstrual disorders involve pain with your menstrual cycle, they might involve excessive bleeding, they might involve lack of or infrequent periods, and of course, they can also involve stress and disturbances that occur before you even start your periods. 

What are the most common menstrual disorders?

The most common menstrual disorders include conditions such as dysmenorrhoea (painful periods), which can include menorrhagia (heavy periods), amenorrhoea (the absence of periods), or oligomenorrhoea (infrequent periods). Menstrual disorders also include the condition called premenstrual syndrome which is a condition that affects the menstrual cycle before your period comes.

What are the causes of menstrual disorders?

There are several different causes of menstrual disorders. Some of the underlying conditions may be medical, such as thyroid disease or clotting problems, which cause heavy periods. Other disorders may be caused by hormonal imbalances, like polycystic ovarian syndrome. Sometimes, we don’t find an underlying cause for these conditions, in these cases, it may be caused by dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

What are the conditions related to menstrual disorders?

Many underlying gynaecological conditions may give rise to a menstrual disorder. These include things like fibroids which are benign swellings or tumours in the womb. They can include a condition called adenomyosis or endometriosis. 

Sometimes, there may be conditions within the womb that are causing problems and they include things like endometrial polyps or abnormal cells that can be found in the lining of the womb.

Finally, there are hormonal conditions that could be causing your problems, most commonly known as polycystic ovarian syndrome. If you're worried about any of these conditions, then your gynaecologist will explain to your how they’re investigated and treated. 

How are menstrual disorders and their related conditions treated?

The first step is to visit a healthcare professional who will investigate the underlying cause of the symptoms, taking the patient's age and symptoms into account. The investigation may include blood tests, ultrasounds, and in some cases, potentially hysteroscopy telescope tests or a biopsy. 

Once that is determined, then treatment options will be discussed. There are a variety of different treatment options available, and the most suitable will be chosen based on the underlying cause. It may be non-hormonal medication, like tranexamic acid or mefenamic acid to help with the bleeding and pain, or medication with hormones, like the contraceptive pill or the Mirena coil. For some patients, we would suggest antidepressants or cognitive behavioural therapy to help with premenstrual syndrome. 

Finally, there's the surgical option which might be removing fibroids or polyps or surgical treatment of your endometriosis which in some women might be a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the womb.

If you're worried about any of these conditions then please don't hesitate to get in touch with a healthcare professional or me and we can discuss things in detail and offer you the support you need.

If you would like to book a consultation with Dr Amelia Davison, an esteemed London-based consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, you can do so by visiting her Top Doctors profile.