Women menstruate once monthly, but there are many ways this pattern can be thrown off course. When it is, the menstrual period can become longer, shorter, absent or heavier. This occurrence is normally temporary, but in some women it may be continuous, requiring help in regulating it. For these reasons and many more, some women seek non-invasive ways to control their period.
Menstrual Period
A menstrual cycle begins when a woman fails to conceive. Each month, the pituitary gland--located in the brain--releases two hormones: luteinizing and follicle stimulating. The release of these hormones sends a signal to the ovaries to produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Both estrogen and progesterone are needed for menstruation, ovulation and pregnancy. When they are released, the uterine lining begins to thicken and an egg is released for fertilization. If fertilization does not take place, the uterine lining is shed along with blood and this is called a "period." A normal menstrual cycle lasts between 25 and 36 days, with menstrual bleeding lasting anywhere from three to seven days.
Reasons for Controlling a Menstrual Cycle
At certain times, it is necessary for a woman to have medical help to normalize her menstrual cycle. This may be due to her menstrual cycle being extremely heavy or sporadic, or because she is not ovulating. Heavy menstrual bleeding--known as menorrhagia-- is experienced by most women at some point in their reproductive years. This condition can be brought on by hormonal imbalances, lack of ovulation or ovarian dysfunction, uterine fibroids or polyps, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome or the use of an intrauterine device. The absence of a menstrual period is classed in two types: amenorrhea, which occurs when a girl has not had a period by the age of 16; or secondary amenorrhea, which occurs when a woman who has previously had normal menstrual cycles misses one. This could be the absence of one cycle or many. Secondary amenorrhea can be brought on by hormonal imbalances, pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome, stress, medication side effects, low body weight and uterine scarring.
Oral Contraceptives
Women normally take oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, shrink ovarian cysts and clear up acne. Doctors also prescribe oral contraceptives to women with heavy or sporadic menstrual cycles, to restore normality. Oral contraceptives contain two synthetic female hormones, estrogen and progestin, which are normally produced by the ovaries during a menstrual cycle. Each pill in the oral contraceptive pack, contains measured doses of these hormones, which lightens bleeding and restores normal menstrual cycles. These packs contain 21 or 28 pills. Stronger birth control can be prescribed for women who want to temporarily stop their periods.
Medications
Women who have severe menorrhagia and want to have children may be prescribed Zoladez, buserelin or Nafarelin. These medications block the brain from producing luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, so the ovaries don't get a signal to produce estrogen. As a result the menstrual cycle stops and will not resume until the medication is stopped.
Surgery
In some cases, it is necessary to have surgery to regulate menstrual bleeding. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome may have to have surgery to remove large cysts from their ovaries, so the ovaries can resume their natural function. Also, women with endometriosis--a condition that causes uterine tissue to grow outside of the uterus--may have to have surgery to remove the misplaced tissue. In rare, but serious cases, women who have extremely heavy bleeding due to uterine fibroids or endometriosis, may have to have their uterus removed in a procedure called a hysterectomy. Surgeons can also perform a procedure called dilation and curettage to remove the uterine tissue, to minimize the bleeding.
