Shannon's Well Woman Assignment: Week 5 Anovulation
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Shannon’s Well Woman Assignment: Week 5 Anovulation Chapter 7 1. What are the 4 main phases that cause a woman’s anovulation/irregular cycle? Why does each affect ovulation? The four main phases that cause a woman’s anovulation/irregular cycle are adolescence, coming off the Pill, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and premenopause. During adolescence, anovulation/irregular cycles are caused by the fluctuating estrogen levels. Cycles gradually become more regular and ovulation occurs more predictably over the course of several years as the hormonal feedback system matures and estrogen levels normalize. When a woman stops taking the Pill, it may take several cycles for the levels of estrogen to rise high enough to trigger ovulation. In addition, women who used the Pill as a “treatment” for preexisting anovulation/irregular cycles will find that these problems reappear after going off the Pill. The Pill does not solve the underlying problem; it only masks the symptoms. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the hormones promoting the maturation and ovulation of an egg (specifically FSH and LH during both times, and estrogen during breastfeeding) are suppressessed, which causes anovulation and either a complete cessation of menstruation (as in pregnancy and usually the first months of exclusive breastfeeding) or irregular/anovulatory cycles (if the woman is not exclusively breastfeeding). A breastfeeding woman could go a year or more without ovulating and experience the same Basic Infertile Pattern (BIP), whether it be dry, sticky, or a combination of both, day after day. Fertile quality cervical fluid won’t appear because of low estrogen levels, which are indirectly caused by prolactin. Premenopause, which is the period of time (usually about 13 years before a woman’s last period) leading up to the full cessation of ovulation and menstruation (menopause), is characterized by a gradually but significant decrease in fertility. Due to a shortening luteal phase, the cycles become longer and ovulation occurs less and less frequently. 2. What is estrogen withdrawal bleeding? What about estrogen breakthrough bleeding? Estrogen withdrawal bleeding refers to spotting that occurs immediately following the Peak Day due to the drop in estrogen. It also refers to the bleeding that occurs during the week that a woman is not taking the contraceptive pill. Estrogen breakthrough bleeding is light or brown spotting leading up to the Peak Day that is the result of excess estrogen without the presence of progesterone to sustain it. It can also refer to the potentially heavy bleeding that occurs in anovulatory cycles in which the lining which has been building due to the effects of estrogen can’t sustain itself, and is sloughed off. 3. Discuss each of the following as it relates to the menstrual cycle (You may make a chart if it is easier): illness, stress, travel, exercise, ovarian cysts, weight fluctuations. Illness: Illness can only affect the menstrual cycle if it occurs during the follicular (or first) phase, or in other words, before ovulation. Ovulation can be delayed or prevented altogether for that cycle. Should illness take place during the luteal (or second) phase of the cycle, it should not affect menstruation. This is because the luteal phase usually has a very consistent life span of 12 to 16 days and varies little for the individual woman. Stress: Whether physiological or psychological, stress is one of the most common causes of occasional long cycles. Stress delays rather than accelerates ovulation in most cases. Because the timing of ovulation determines how long the cycle will be, a woman who experiences stress before she ovulates will most likely not ovulate at all or will ovulate later than she normally does, thus leading to a later menstruation. Travel: Because travel is viewed by the body as a form of stress, ovulation is often delayed, which leads to extremely long cycles. Alternatively, ovulation and menstruation may cease altogether until a time when the woman is more settled and comfortable in her own home environment again. Exercise: Depending on the intensity of exercises one engages in, it has the potential to delay or even prevent ovulation completely. The women most affected are competitive athletes with a very low ratio of body fat to total body weight, such as ballet dancers, swimmers, gymnasts, and runners. These findings are not one hundred percent conclusive as other factors such as physical and emotional stress, diet, and changes in thyroid metabolism (things all of these women commonly struggle with) also play a part in affecting the cycle. Ovarian cysts: One of the most common causes of temporary anovulation and irregular cycles is the presence of ovarian cysts. They can prevent ovulation if they occur during the preovulatory phase of the cycle, and can cause irregular cycles (a shorter or longer luteal phase) if they are present during the postovulatory phase. In most cases, they are not serious and go away on their own. Weight fluctuations: Both extremes of being too thin or being overweight can affect the menstrual cycle by preventing ovulation from occuring. In order for the average woman to maintain normal ovulatory cycles, she should maintain a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 24, which means that she has approximately 22% body fat. Those who are too thin, such as those with anorexia, or those who lose 10-15% of their body weight (or about one third of their body fat) don’t have enough body fat needed to produce the hormones necessary to ovulate. On the other extreme, those who are overweight have too much body fat. This is a problem because too much body fat can lead to excess estrogen production, which disrupts the hormonal feedback system that signals the egg follicles to mature. 4. This question deals with medical issues relating to the menstrual cycle and ovulation. For each, explain how they affect ovulation: hypothyroidism, PCOS, POI, endometriosis, excessive prolactin. Hypothyroidism: Because thyroid health is directly connected to a woman’s cycle, any change in thyroid function will lead to a change in the cycle. With regards to hypothyroidism, the thyroid is functioning in a diminished capacity. This means that it is not producing enough of the hormones (T4 and T3) necessary to maintain the correct functioning of the body, and specifically the ovaries. Ovulation is often delayed or prevented completely when the thyroid is underperforming. PCOS: One of the most common causes of anovulation and irregular cycles, PCOS affects up to 10% of all women. This serious hormonal disorder impacts not only the ovaries but also almost every other organ in the body. In this condition, the body produces an imbalanced amount of hormones that control the maturation of follicles. Many immature follicles are present on the ovary (creating a “string of pearls” appearance on the outer surface of the ovary when seen on an ultrasound), but the correct hormone levels necessary to trigger ovulation are often lacking. Sometimes ovulation does occur, but in many cases, women with PCOS have very irregular cycles, ones that last longer than 35 days, or do not ovulate at all. POI: Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, which may also be referred to as Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) or Premature Menopause, is an endocrine disorder in which women don’t produce enough estrogen, and thus stop ovulating normally. This may occur years or even decades before menopause would normally occur. Endometriosis: A fairly common condition, endometriosis is characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue in areas other than the uterus, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or even bladder. Something important to remember is that the degree of pain the condition causes is not related to its severity. A woman may be asymptomatic, or she may have lower abdominal pain that worsens during menstruation, pain during intercourse, and usually long menstrual periods. Endometriosis can cause irregular cycles and infertility. Additional symptoms include short menstrual cycles (less than 27 days) with periods lasting longer than eight days, very few days of wet cervical fluid or even dry days throughout the cycle, and a normal luteal phase (12 to 16 days) with abnormally low temperatures hovering near the coverline, potentially signalling that progesterone levels are lower than normal. Chapter 8 1. What are the most common types of ovarian cysts? How are they treated? The most common types of ovarian cysts are functional cysts, which develop as a result of the normal function of the menstrual cycle. Instead of following a typical path, they continue to grow beyond normal. They may cause anovulatory, irregular, or confusing cycles. Currently, there is no consensus among physicians regarding how to define or treat functional cysts. Surgery can be used to treat all cysts, but should only be used as a last resort due to its potential to cause adhesions and affect future fertility. There are three types of functional cysts: follicular, luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF), and corpus luteum cyst. They all have hormonal causes and may occur only once or often. A follicular cyst forms when the follicle surrounding the egg continues to grow as ovulation approaches, but doesn’t rupture to release the egg, as it normally would. Instead, the follicle enlarges into a cyst that encases the egg inside, preventing ovulation. Follicular cysts will usually resolve on their own, typically by Day 5 of the next time of bleeding. A progesterone injection can be used if the woman experiences chronic pelvic pain. Other treatment options, which are less favorable include birth control pills and ovarian surgery. A luteinized unruptured follicle cyst forms when the mature egg remains encased in the follicle (which has undergone all the necessary sequences of a normal ovulation, including the formation of a corpus luteum that produces progesterone) instead of bursting out of it during ovulation.