One of the most common reasons women consult a general practitioner. Amenorrhea is a menstrual disorder that can affect women of any age.

Considerations
It is characterized by delayed onset of menstrual bleeding (period or rule) when they should normally occur between 14 and 18 (primary amenorrhea), or the cessation of periods for more than three months, when it was a regular presence in them (secondary amenorrhea).

Causes
Primary amenorrhea may be due to true congenital anomalies of the genitals that affect their function or disease of the ovaries, hormonal abnormalities in brain structures (hypothalamus or pituitary), lack of perforation of the hymen (thin layer of tissue that covers the entrance to the vagina), the output hymen bleeding hinders abroad, or excess secretion of prolactin, usually caused by ingestion of drugs.

Secondary amenorrhea occurs mainly due to pregnancy, after this (known as post-partum period) and during lactation. For some women, menstruation may be suspended for three months in adolescence, a period in which it is carried out sexual maturity of the organism. In older adults menopause is characterized by the suspension of the rule. The excessive weight and low intense exercise contribute to the cessation of menstrual periods.