Missing or absent menstrual periods, when not due to pregnancy, usually have a hormonal cause. One of the most common of these is menopause, in which a woman stops having periods because her ovaries are no longer producing estrogen. Other reasons for absent menstrual periods include lack of ovulation, excess prolactin secretion by the brain, thyroid disorders, eating disorders and excessive exercise. Rarely, absent menstrual periods can be caused by scarring of the uterine cavity as a result of a medical curettage procedure.
Diagnosis
The reason for absent or infrequent menstrual periods usually can be determined by the combination of a medical history, physical examination and blood tests.
Treatment
Treatment options are selected once the cause of the infrequent or absent menstrual periods has been identified. Treatment can involve lifestyle changes such as moderation of diet or exercise habits and hormonal medications such as oral contraceptive pills, thyroid medication or estrogen replacement therapy.