Getting The Balance Right

Life is all about balance. A shift in a certain area can cause an imbalance, which can lead to problems. A perfect example of this is an imbalance of your hormones, very likely leading to periods that are heavy, painful and extremely uncomfortable.

Is It inescapable?

Like many women in Malaysia, you probably suffer from premenstrual symptoms like anger, irritability, and depression, not forgetting period pain. It can be a terrible time for you and your partner. These have become so common that you can be forgiven for thinking that these issues are a normal part of a woman’s menstrual cycle. This may surprise you, but they aren’t, and shouldn’t be.

This may seem impossible if you’re a menstruating woman. In a balance state, however, your period should be an uneventful experience each month. It should arrive each month without any drastic changes to your personality or your mood, and there should not be a need for you to look for your painkillers. If your periods are irregular, or heavy, and cause you great discomfort, there is a problem.

Causes of Painful Period (Dysmenorrhoea)

Primary dysmenorrhoea
During period, uterus produces chemical substances, prostaglandins to expel uterine inner layer. Some women produce more prostaglandins, causing painful periods. Though the exact reason for excessive prostaglandins is not fully understood, it is usually associated with emotional stress, smoking, genetic or high estrogen level.

Endometriosis & Adenomyosis
Endometriosis is a condition where the inner layer tissue grows outside of the uterus, scattering in ovaries and pelvic cavity. While in adenomyosis, the inner layer tissue invades into uterine muscular layer. During periods, these tissues become inflamed and cause intense pain.

Infection
Infection of uterus, ovaries, and pelvic cavity can cause painful periods due to inflammation. The infection is commonly caused by sexually transmitted infection, such as Chlamydial and Neisseria. Other non-sexually transmitted infection includes anaerobes, Gardenerella, E.coli etc.

Fibroid
Uterine fibroid is a benign muscular tumour in uterine muscle layer. Under the effect of estrogen and prostaglandins, the contraction of the enlarged muscle layer causes painful periods.

Causes of Heavy Period

Hormonal imbalances
Both thyroid hormone excess and deficiency can cause heavy periods. Thyroid disorders can directly and indirectly affect the balance of estrogen and progesterone, causing unopposed estrogen effect on uterus.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal imbalance. PCOS results in anovulatory cycles (menstrual cycles without ovulation), subjecting uterine inner layer to unopposed estrogen stimulation. Inner layer of uterus proliferates and thickens, leading to heavy period flows. The periods are often irregular.

High insulin level, which often found in women with obesity or diabetes, disrupts estrogen production in the ovaries, resulting in anovulatory cycles and heavy period.

Uterine fibroid
Fibroid is a benign tumor in uterine muscle layer. It disrupts uterine inner layer and causes heavy period flows.

Bleeding disorders
Inherited bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease, hemophilias, ITP and other clotting factors disorders impairs coagulation process. Women with bleeding disorder commonly present with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Causes of Irregular Period

Fluctuating ovarian function
This is the commonest cause of irregular period in adolescents. In the first few years after the onset of period, ovulation is not consistent. The absence of ovulation causes irregular and unpredictable periods. This often continues for a few years until the ovarian function stabilises spontaneously.

Hormonal imbalance
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often have suboptimal estrogen, resulting in anovulatory cycles (menstrual cycles without ovulation). In the absence of ovulation, ovary fails to produce progesterone to nourish uterine inner layer. Uterus can bleed after the inner layer becomes unstable, resulting in unpredictable irregular periods.

Menopause occurs when women’s ovarian function cease to function permanently. Women usually reach menopause at age 45 to 55 years old. Prior to menopause, women usually go through perimenopause phase, a transitional phase where ovarian function fluctuates. The fluctuating estrogen level causes irregular periods.

Extreme lifestyle can disrupt brain regulatory centre and suppress estrogen and progesterone production. Hormones production are often affected by high level of psychological stress. Extreme exercise and weight loss can also cause irregular or absence of periods.

Endometrial growth
Endometrium is the inner layer of uterus. Endometrial polyp is a benign growth arising from uterine inner layer. It can cause uterine bleeding between periods, and sometime painful heavy bleeding. Endometrial cancer is a malignant growth in uterine inner layer. It causes abnormal uterine bleeding between periods or in postmenopausal women. Women might be at risk of endometrial cancer if they are above 50 years old, nulliparous, overweighted, smoking, or having opposed estrogen level.

Importance of Female Hormones

If you’re suffering from irregular periods or heavy periods, this is probably down to a hormonal imbalance, which can be managed by hormone treatment.

Take heart, though. There is good news. It is actually possible to alleviate PMS and period pain and regulate the cycle and flow. You can rebalance your hormones so your period comes and goes each month without the pain and discomfort that you associate with it.

Many women are not aware that heavy period and irregular period treatment are available in Malaysia. With the use of bio-identical hormones, Fonctio Healing provides hormone treatment for painful irregular period and heavy period in Malaysia.

Optimum Levels

What does hormone therapy do for you, then? The wonderful thing that happens is that it helps your ovaries to produce optimal levels of the important female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.

Oestrogen controls ovulation and regulate period cycle. It also boosts the feel-good sensation. additionally, it improves energy, mood, and libido.

Progesterone acts as a natural anti-anxiety – often referred to as ‘hormonal Valium – because it relaxes your mind, creates the soothing and calming effect in your brain.

The underlying issue that causes painful, heavy periods and PMS stems from an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. Occasionally, it’s called estrogen dominance.

When It’s Irregular

The average menstrual cycle is 28 days. It’s common to have small variation from month to month. Anything from 25 to 35 days can be considered normal, however, the cycle should generally be the same every month.

Irregular periods with longer cycles are known as oligomenorrhea. It’s when you don’t get your period for 35 days or more. It happens when estrogen levels fluctuate and fail to trigger ovulation. Progesterone usually remains low, and unopposed estrogen can continue to stimulate endometrial growth. When the endometrium reaches certain thickness which it could not sustain, a breakthrough bleeding will occur. This breakthrough bleeding is often mistaken as “normal menstruation”.

If your period cycle is regularly 35 days or more, or in some women the period cycles are unpredictable, it should be looked at for hormone imbalance.

Get Tested

Women of Malaysia, there is no reason to suffer through your irregular or heavy period. Managing your diet can help, but it may not be enough.

The professionals at Fonctio are here to help. We curated tests and treatments for heavy period and irregular period in Malaysia. This will show how your hormones are working, and if they are balanced. This test will help you understand why you are having problems with your periods, and we will provide guidance on what the nest steps should be.

You may have tried seeing your specialists at the hospital and may not be happy with the results. Why not look at it from another angle. Our treatments for heavy period and irregular period in Malaysia are safe and painless, and may be the answer that you are seeking.