Suffering from irregular periods is a fairly clear indication that your cycles have become imbalanced. There are a variety of reasons for this and also many ways to address the imbalance. Many women are unconcerned about having irregular cycles until they begin trying for a baby, but other women find it very difficult to plan without knowing when their periods could appear.
What are irregular periods?
Irregular periods are simply those that are not regular. If you suffer from irregular periods, you simply will not know when your period is going to appear. Cycles can vary from 23 to 35 days, but they are classed as regular if your periods occur at roughly the same time each cycle. So, even if your periods are, say, 35 days apart instead of the usual 28, but they always appear at day 35, they would be classified as being 'normal'. Irregular periods can be extremely difficult or even impossible to track.
What symptoms could you experience?
Minor cycle irregularities are common. For example, you may have your period on day 23 of one month and then the next month on day 35.
You may, however, have a much more irregular cycle, in which case it is important that you have further investigations, so that other problems, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (see polycystic ovary syndrome section) can be ruled out. The following symptoms are characteristic of irregular periods, and you can experience a combination of any or all of these:
1. Large gaps with no periods
2. Some gaps and then periods coming too frequently for a while (for example, two in one month) followed by gaps again.
3. Gaps of no periods and then bleeding continuously for a few weeks.
4. Spotting in between period.
What are your choices?
The natural approach is designed to encourage your body to re-establish regular ovulation and to get your hormones back in balance. Given the right tools, your body has the remarkable ability to balance itself. The supplements outlined below are designed to ensure that you are well nourished - in other words, your body has all the nutrients it needs.
Supplements
The supplements recommended below have been studied in clinical trials and have been found to be effective in connection with irregular periods. For best results you should take them over a period of three months, at the end of which you should be reassessed in order to monitor improvements and changes and then adjust the supplement programme according to your new condition.
Multivitamin and Mineral
A good quality multivitamin and mineral would form the foundation of your supplement programme to make sure that you are getting a 'little bit of everything'. You then add in those nutrients in slightly higher amounts which are known to be helpful for irregular periods.
B Vitamins
These are often called the 'stress' vitamins because they can help you to cope with the pressures of everyday life. As stress can be such an important factor in causing irregular periods it is important that you have some help in dealing with it. Vitamins B2, B3 and B6 are also necessary for thyroid hormone production and B5 (pantothenic acid) is essential for optimum adrenal function. Both imbalances in thyroid function and stress can affect your cycle.
The easiest way to make sure you are getting a good supply of these vitamins is to take them in the form of a good B-complex tablet. B vitamins are synergistic, which means that they work together.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are particularly relevant with irregular periods. It is believed that antioxidants have the ability to prevent cells from mutating. In other words, they prevent cells from becoming 'abnormal'. This is extremely important if you have been diagnosed with thickening of the womb lining (endometrial hyperplasia) because you don't want the cells to mutate. Antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium. Their effects have been proven: women with womb tumours have been shown to have less of both selenium and vitamin E than women without them so make sure you are getting enough of these valuable nutrients.
Magnesium
This mineral has been classed as 'nature's tranquilliser', so it is an essential inclusion in the diet of anyone suffering from irregular periods. In fact, anyone in today's hectic society will benefit from a magnesium supplement. Stress is often a factor in period irregularity, and this mineral will help to redress the balance of a stressful lifestyle.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
Linseeds, which are an excellent form of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, have been proven to encourage regularity of the cycle among other things. Even if hormonal imbalance is not at the root of your condition, it is worth adding these fatty acids to your diet. There are many factors that are now known to affect the way fatty acids are used by our bodies, including high adrenaline levels (in the case of stress), high alcohol consumption, and high levels of cholesterol. If your body is NOT getting or using enough of the fatty acids consumed, your cycle can be affected. You can't lose by adding these supplements to your diet.
Herbs (see caution below)
Herbs have a long tradition of normalising irregular periods. One herb in particular is extremely useful for balancing your cycle and they can be used effectively together:
Agnus castus (Vitex/Chastetree berry)
This herb stimulates and normalises the function of the pituitary gland which in turn helps to balance hormone output from the ovaries and to stimulate ovulation. Agnus castus is also useful when there is an excess of prolactin which can be suppressing ovulation. Furthermore, it has been shown to reduce thickening of the lining of the womb (endometrial hyperplasia) and can be used on a preventative basis.
You should not take any of the above herbs if you are taking, The Pill, Fertillity drugs, HRT or any other hormonal treatment or other medication unless they are recommended by a registered, experienced practitioner.
Tests
Tests are extremely useful, in that they can tell you what deficiencies you have at the moment and then for you to know what supplements would be useful to take to correct those deficiencies. You would then be re-tested after three to four months to monitor your progress and to adjust the supplement programme accordingly.
Mineral Analysis Test with Supplement and Nutritional Assessment Programme
This test measures the deficiency and excess levels of 7 different minerals and 5 heavy toxic metals that may be present in your body.
Online Personalised Supplement Assessment Programme
The analysis of this comprehensive questionnaire will give you a three monthly supplement programme to help balance any vitamin and mineral deficiencies you may have.
After three months you would then have a re-test in order to monitor your progress and adjust your supplement programme according to your new condition.
If you need help in obtaining any of the supplements, herbs or tests mentioned above, click, Irregular Periods options at The Natural Health Practice. They can supply all of them for you online or if you prefer to talk to somebody first you can also order by mail order on the telephone. The products supplied by this company are always of the highest quality.
Plan of Action
Nutrition
Ensure you are getting the right nutrition:
Follow dietary recommendations outlined on the Foundation of Health page.
And for more information on the special dietary recommendations for irregular periods, see the rest of the Irregular Periods e-book at The Natural Health Practice
Supplements
The supplement programme below should be taken for at least three months in order to achieve best results
- A good multivitamin and mineral tablet
- B-complex vitamin (containing 100 mg of each B vitamin)
- Magnesium (300mg per day)
- Linseed oil (also known as flaxseed oil at 1000mg per day)
- Vitamin C (1000mg per day)
- An antioxidant tablet, containing vitamin A and selenium)
Plus the herb Agnus castus
At the end of three months you should reassess your condition and adjust your supplement programme accordingly.
Tests
The tests below have been specially selected to be the most helpful if you are concerned about irregular periods.
Mineral Analysis Test with Supplement and Nutritional Assessment Programme
Online Personalised Supplement Assessment Programme
After three months you would then have a re-test in order to monitor your progress and adjust your supplement programme according to your new condition.
If you need help in obtaining any of the supplements, herbs or tests mentioned above, click, Irregular Periods options at The Natural Health Practice. They can supply all of them for you online or if you prefer to talk to somebody first you can also order by mail order on the telephone. The products supplied by this company are always of the highest quality.
The section above forms part of a larger complete e-book on Irregular Periods. In the rest of the e-book you will learn what the medical approaches to irregular periods are and how to combine them with the natural approach. This is called Integrated Medicine and is the way that healthier of the future is moving towards. You will also learn what medical tests will give you an accurate diagnosis of your condition and if you really need to have them. The medical treatments for irregular periods are then examined which can include looking at either drugs or surgery. Each treatment is then discussed and the pros and cons of the options explained. The Integrated Approach to irregular periods is considered in some detail so that if appropriate you can know how to combine the best of both conventional and natural medicine.
No comments:
Post a Comment