Girls' pursuit of "skinny" can easily lead to amenorrhea

Recently, there is a bad sign that some girls suddenly stop having menstruation when they are 17 or 18 years old after their menarche. Professor Tan Yong, director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, said that more and more girls are suffering from amenorrhea due to anorexia because of their pursuit of "skinny beauty".

Professor Tan Yong said that after the menstrual cycle has been established, if menstruation stops for more than three consecutive months, it is called "secondary amenorrhea". Amenorrhea is just a symptom. There are many reasons for amenorrhea. In the past, problems with the uterus and ovaries were the most common. Now, the number of "bone amenorrhea" caused by indiscriminate diet has increased significantly.

The human brain contains the hypothalamus, which contains the feeding center and the satiety center. When a person forcibly reduces food intake, the cerebral cortex will be forcibly suppressed. Over time, the two appetite centers of the hypothalamus will become dysfunctional, causing weight loss, and further affecting the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone secretion center of the hypothalamus, causing it to secrete less, and then reducing the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. These two hormones are related to maintaining normal menstruation, and their reduction will lead to amenorrhea. Therefore, women need to maintain a certain amount of fat and be plump to maintain normal menstruation.

Tan Yong said that there is a bad guidance in the current culture, that "skinny" is beautiful. In fact, "skinny" amenorrhea makes girls' skin color dull, hair dry, bones and joints protrude, breasts are poorly developed, and female curves are blurred. Secondary sexual characteristics are not obvious. How can we talk about beauty? In addition, we are not good enough in adolescent education for girls. Many girls still do not know enough about the relationship between normal menstruation and their own health. Some even think it is "troublesome" and "no better". In this regard, we should learn from developed countries, where girls are very concerned about their normal menstruation and feminine characteristics, and are proud of it.

Professor Tan Yong said that amenorrhea in teenage girls is very harmful. For example, long-term amenorrhea can lead to endocrine disorders, atrophy of reproductive organs, and may affect reproductive function. However, most cases of anorexia amenorrhea can be cured. First of all, we should strengthen physical exercise, balance diet nutrition, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, avoid excessive fatigue and mental stress, and get enough sleep. If necessary, appropriate treatment should be given. Treatment mainly comes from two aspects: one is to restore normality by eliminating the cause of the disease. For example, after psychological counseling, some patients can restore their weight after eating normally for a period of time, and resume menstruation without treatment; the other is through medication. Under the guidance of a doctor, taking ovulation-inducing drugs and eating normally at the same time can restore normal menstruation. Patients with anorexia amenorrhea must be diagnosed and treated early. The shorter the amenorrhea period and the earlier the diagnosis, the more chances of cure.