What causes amenorrhoea?
Amenorrhoea can be caused by any number of changes in the organs, glands, and hormones involved in menstruation. Possible causes of primary amenorrhoea (when a woman never gets her first period) include: • Failure of the ovaries (female sex organs that hold eggs). • Problems in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain that makes hormones involved in menstruation). • Poorly formed reproductive organs. In many cases, the cause of primary amenorrhoea is not known. Common causes of secondary amenorrhoea (when a woman who has had normal periods stops getting them) include: • Pregnancy • Breastfeeding • Stopping the use of birth control • Menopause • Some birth control methods Other causes of secondary amenorrhoea include: • Stress • Poor nutrition • Depression • Certain drugs • Extreme weight loss • Over-exercising • Ongoing illness • Sudden weight gain or being very overweight (obesity) • Hormonal imbalance due to polycystic ovarian sy
