Hormone imbalances in girls can occur for a number of reasons. They can be caused by something as simple as the fact that your daughter is just now starting her period and her hormones are still fluctuating pretty wildly. However, problems in hormone-producing glands such as the thyroid may also be the cause for hormone imbalances in girls. Hormone imbalances can cause a number of problems. If your daughter has any of these or other problems, you will probably want to consult your health care professional.
No Periods
Hormone imbalances in girls can cause them to have no periods at all. The medical term for this is amenorrhea. It is normal for a girl who is just starting her menstrual cycle to skip periods, especially during the first year; however, if your daughter has not started at all by the time she is 16 or if she was regular and they just stopped, it could be a hormone imbalance.
If your daughter has amenorrhea, you will need to check with her health care professional. He will determine if the absence of her periods is caused by pregnancy or if hormone imbalances are responsible for this condition.
Heavy Periods
A heavy period is defined as a large amount of blood that continues for more than one or two days and is so heavy that it is necessary for protection to be changed at least once an hour for several consecutive hours. Girls who have periods that are more than seven days long are also said to have menorrhagia, which is the medical term for heavy periods.
When this is caused by a hormone imbalance, the problem usually lies with the amounts of estrogen and progesterone in the body. Because the levels of these hormones are not where they should be, the uterine lining continues to build, causing a heavy period. Other causes of menorrhagia are thyroid problems, diseases involving the blood and vaginal or cervical inflammation or infection.
Extremely Painful Periods
Cramping is a part of the menstrual period; however, when cramping becomes severe enough to impact your daughter's life negatively, she may be suffering from dysmenorrhea. There are two types of dysmenorrhea. They are primary and secondary. Primary is more common in teenage girls and occurs as a result of too much prostaglandin. Primary dysmenorrhea, however, usually lasts only a couple of days. Secondary dysmennorhea most often does have an underlying cause, such as a disease or condition. Only a health care professional can determine what is causing secondary dysmennorhea.
Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen Dominance is exactly what it sounds like. Production, secretion and function of the estrogen hormone become dominant over the other hormones, resulting in gynecological problems as well as problems with the thyroid. This condition can be treated with medication that will balance out or reduce the estrogen level. Additionally, tests can be performed to determine if the thyroid is functioning properly.
Yeast Infections
Yeast infections can actually cause hormone imbalances, especially if they are left untreated. Further, hormone imbalances can occur if the causes or reasons for recurrences of yeast infections are not found and treated.
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