Ovarian Cysts Cause Missed Periods

Can ovarian cysts cause missed periods? This question occupies many ovarian cysts sufferers. Normally, once a woman reaches puberty, the monthly periods are taken for granted. So, if someone misses one or more periods, it would be normal for her to start worrying as to what's gone wrong. The medical term for missing periods is Amenorrhea and we would like to give you the medical details of what causes it.

To menstruate, the hypothalamus (this is situated in the brain and work to control menstruation) and the pituitary gland as well as the ovaries and vagina, the uterus and cervix must all be functioning normally. There actually are quite a few reasons why normal functioning is impeded, some of the most important of these being:

-          Pregnancy: This is the main amenorrhea cause.

-          First few years: Young girls, just having reached puberty, are liable to have erratic periods.

-          Reasons of lifestyle: Rapid weight loss or gain, changes in your life which cause stress, over exercising or heavy smoking could all be causes for missed periods.

-          Major illnesses: Illnesses which affect the organs responsible for reproduction and their hormones. Not the illnesses alone, but even some treatments, like chemotherapy could affect the regularity of your periods.

-          Emotional health: Depression could be one other cause of missed periods. And there is a mental condition called pseudocyesis - in this the woman is convinced that she is pregnant, but actually she is not. This psychological effect can be so powerful that she may stop having her periods.

-          Hormonal conditions: Hormonal disorders could be a cause for periods not appearing at regular intervals.

And finally, one of the major causes of missed periods could be the presence of ovarian cysts. A condition called the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome leads to the development of the cyst in the ovaries. If not treated, they can become enlarged and be the cause of a large number of problems, such as diabetes, heart disease or even cancer.

Studies indicate that 6-10% of all women of childbearing age are affected by this syndrome and many are not even aware that they have it.

However, since this condition can lead to such serious consequences (diabetes, heart disease and cancer), it would be well worth to have a check up if you miss one or two regular periods. As we said before, ovarian cysts are not the only cause for periods being missed, but they could very well be and you can't take the risk.

Apart from missed periods, other symptoms of ovarian cysts are high BP, high levels of insulin, diabetes or insulin resistance, acne, infertility, excess hair in the body or the face, scalp hair becoming thin, and obesity or weight problems that are centered on your mid section. It is imperative therefore that if you start noticing any of the above symptoms in yourself, you will commence all necessary medical checks to ensure that you are free from ovarian cysts.