Dr Garba Omale, a Gynaecologist at the Garki Hospital, Abuja has said that stress, ill health, excess weight are the leading causes of irregular menstruation.
Omale while speaking with the news agency of Nigeria said “If a woman’s hormones are not balanced, then, there is problem with the hormones that control ovulation and menstruation which makes the period to be irregular.
“If a woman is less than 15 years of age, the first few cycles maybe irregular due to the levels of the hormones being low. So the menstruation can be irregular at the extremes of age.
“For women less than 50 years of age and those above 45, hormonal imbalances are common around that age. So it could lead to menstrual irregularity in such women.
Other causes include illness and certain drugs, specifically birth control pills which cause a woman’s period to fluctuate.
“If a woman is overweight, her hormones can be imbalanced. Any woman weighing more than a 100 kg has the potential of having abnormal menstruation.
“On the flipside, a woman weighing less than 45 kg, may not even menstruate or have very scanty menstrual bleeding. So if they are too lean or too fat, it is not good.”
He added that irregular menstruation should not be ignored because it can be a sign of serious medical problem.