Expert Blames Menstrual Irregularity On Stress

The recipients of 2014/2015 Excellence Award for Malaria Reporting: Television Category, Linda Nengi Fynecountry (left), Print Category, Mrs Appolonia Adeyemi (middle) and Radio Category, Mrs Tosin Odusola, during an Excellence Award ceremony in Lagos last Thursday Photo: Sogbeba Dokubo

Following the increasing
rate of menstrual irregularity  among the women folk, a Gynecologist,  Dr Emmanuella Fibereime, has identified stress as a leading cause of the disorder alongside ill-health excess-weight and family history.
Fiberesima who revealed this to The Tide in Port Harcourt on Monday, explained that menstrual period was usually supposed to last for five to seven days stating that there is an alteration when the system is distorted.
She said “if a woman’s hormones are not balanced, them there is a problem with the hormones that control ovulation and menstruation which makes the period to be irregular and the problem is a stress related to the system. Excessive strenuous activity might stop menstruation sometimes even completely until the activity was stopped and body returned to normal.
Fiberesima noted that the challenging economical situation has placed more stress on the women them usual maintaining that the percentage of the disorder would be less if women would refuse to yield themselves to these stresses and place more value on their health.
“More than 60 percent of these women complain of menstrual disorder ranging from pains to irregularity and so far we could adduce that this problems are courtesy of stress and all these factors and if these women will begin to check their activities, I think the percentage will reduce,” feberesima said.
The expert stated that if a woman was less than 15 years of age, the first few cycles may be irregular due to the levels of the hormones being low, so the menstruation can be irregular at the extremes of age and for women less than 50 years of age and those above 45, hormonal unbalances are common around that age so it could lead to menstrual irregularity.
According to her “if a woman is overweight, her hormones can be imbalanced. Any women weighting more than a 100kg has the potential of having abnormal menstruation. One the flipside, a woman weighting less than 45kg may not even menstruate or have very scanty menstrual flow. So, if they are too learn or too fat, it is not good.
The gynecological also stated that a family history of inconsistent periods can be a source or irregularity in menstruation which can be transmitted to the offspring.
while noting that irregular menstruation should not be ignored as it could be a sign of a more serious health problem, the gynecologist urged Nigerian women to eat a healthy diet as well as avoid stressful activities  that could affect them mentally and physically saying if this is adhere to, a regular menstrual cycle could be maintained.

Lady God knows Ogbulu