Absent and Infrequent Periods: What is oligomenorrhoea?

Periods can stop if you have poor health. Usually it is the general ill health that is the presenting problem rather than the amenorrhoea. Malnutrition, whether due to involuntary starvation because of famine or psychological problems such as anorexia nervosa will result in suppression of the menstrual cycle. Underweight women frequently have amenorrhoea. Weight and height measurements are used to determine accurately if there is a weight problem. From these measurements you can calculate your body mass index (BMI). Ideally this should be between 20 and 25. Body fat plays an important part in the chemistry of the sex hormones.

Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) can suppress the menstrual cycle; there are other more typical symptoms including weight loss. Excessive glucocorticoid steroid production by the adrenal gland (Cushing's syndrome) may lead to amenorrhoea although this is rare; patient's with Cushing's syndrome tend to have a round, moon-shaped face.

Psychological stress may result in temporary amenorrhoea although this is unlikely to last for more than a couple of months unless there is weight loss. Ultrasound examination of the ovaries may show small cysts but the central part of the ovaries is not dense; this is a picture of multicystic ovaries rather than polycystic ovaries which have a dense central stroma.

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