Patient's question:
Menstrual flow is usually light and only lasts for about 2 days. sanitary pads get wet 3-5 pieces but it's not much. The period is still quite regular. Haven't used contraception for half a year and still not pregnant. Had two abortions before. It's been a year.Doctor's answer:
Women who are healthy and have functioning ovaries all have experienced menstruation. After menarche, a woman's menstrual cycle typically goes through an unstable phase before most women establish a regular and normal menstrual pattern. This regularity and normalcy refer to a cycle of about 30 days, with a 5-day period, bright red menstrual blood, moderate flow, without abnormal blood clots, and without severe abdominal pain or lower back pain. However, many women experience menstrual irregularities to varying degrees due to their physical constitution, work and living environment, diet, personality, and other factors. So, why is menstrual irregularity a precursor to infertility?Experts from Beijing Dongfang Liren Hospital, Cao Peihong, explain: Common menstrual irregularities include dysmenorrhea, early or delayed periods, ovulatory bleeding, excessive menstrual blood clots, and abnormally heavy or light flow. If these conditions do not significantly affect work, study, or daily life, many young women often do not take them seriously and fail to seek treatment, which may lead to infertility in the future. Surveys have found that the vast majority of infertile women experience some or all of these symptoms to varying degrees. But is it really menstrual irregularity that causes infertility?
No, it is not menstrual irregularity that causes infertility, but rather one or more underlying causes within the female body that lead to both menstrual irregularity and infertility. In other words, menstrual irregularity is a signal of infertility. For example, women with ovulation disorders often experience light, pale menstrual flow, delayed periods, or secondary amenorrhea.
Western medicine attributes this to ovarian dysfunction, while traditional Chinese medicine often believes it is caused by coldness in the uterus and insufficient qi and blood. In cases of fallopian tube disorders, menstrual irregularities often manifest as excessive blood clots, dark menstrual blood, and poor blood flow. Western medicine attributes this to blocked or obstructed fallopian tubes. Traditional Chinese medicine, however, often diagnoses it as qi stagnation and blood stasis.
Additionally, women with gynecological inflammation (such as pelvic inflammatory disease, adnexitis, or cervical inflammation) often have heavy, bright red, thick, and foul-smelling menstrual flow. Western medicine considers this to be caused by infection, while traditional Chinese medicine attributes it to damp-heat accumulation and excessive heat forcing blood to flow uncontrollably.
Finally, infertility caused by uterine fibroids or endometriosis often presents with early periods, heavy flow, prolonged bleeding, and severe dysmenorrhea. Traditional Chinese medicine believes these symptoms are often due to blood heat and blood stasis, or qi deficiency failing to hold blood in place.