Does a missed period mean that no ovulation has occurred?
A missed period is not always as simple as that. A missed period has many underlying causes that actually determine whether or not ovulation has occurred. A period or menstruation is the bleeding that occurs about 12 to 16 days after ovulation or the release of an egg takes place in a woman. After ovulation has occurred in a woman, the fate of the egg decides whether or not a woman will have her menstrual period. If she gets pregnant and the egg is fertilized, there will be no bleeding although ovulation did occur.
If ovulation does not occur in a woman, no egg is released from the uterus, and hence technically there should be no bleeding or periods in the woman at all in that month. Hence, if a woman is not pregnant and does not get her periods, it is absolutely correct to say that definitely no ovulation has taken place. This is known as anovulation or anovulatory cycle. However, even in anovulatory cycle, there are times when there can be bleeding or spotting in some women. Often called as anovulatory bleeding, this is not a normal menstrual period but can be very difficult to identify.
Most often, women who do not ovulate also do not menstruate, a disorder known as amenorrhea, or do not menstruate regularly, a condition called oligomenorrhea. Because of this tendency, scant, erratic, short and/or painless menstrual cycles can sometimes alert a woman or her doctor that there might be an anovulation problem. Your health care officer will be the best person to advice you about modern diagnostic techniques and treatments for anovulation.
Anovulation can arise from a number of causes, ranging from diet and exercise to complex disruptions in the relationships between tiny glands in the brain that control our most basic functions. Anovulation can also be difficult to detect. Some women have seemingly normal menstrual periods even though they are not ovulating.
If you are pregnant, then it is indeed great news for you that you haven't had your periods. But for women with anovulatory cycles, this can be quite distressing. There are a number of causes for anovulation and it can be treated with regular treatment and medication. Here are some of the most common causes of anovulation and how they can be managed:
- Excessive exercise and weight loss: A prolonged, strenuous program of exercise, such as running, can interfere with the ovulatory cycle by suppressing the output of hormones called gonadotropins from the hypothalamus in the brain. This type of anovulatory cycle is generally accompanied by amenorrhea (lac of menstrual cycles) and normal menstruation returns when the woman adjusts her regimen so that it is more in since with her body's physiology.
- Stress: Anxiety and other forms of emotional stress can also take a their toll on normal ovulation and menstruation in women. It is vital that you practice any kind of pprefered exercise or therapy to manage stress. You can also employ the help of a psychiatrist or psychotherapist if the problems are beyond your understanding.
- Drugs: Another possible contributor to anovulation is the long-term use of certain medications, generally steroidal oral contraceptives. Drugs like the pill, work by intentionally disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian hormonal balance and thereby suppress ovulation.
- Other causes: These might include estrogen and progesterone imbalances, a malfunctioning corpulsteum, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, premature ovarian failure, and hyperprolactinemia.
Read our article on anovulation for more details on the diagnosis, treatment and management of this common disorder.
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