Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology Study Guide

©2018 of 131 during bowel movements, excessive bleeding, infertility and nausea, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea during menstrual periods. Amenorrhea/Dysmenorrhea Amenorrhea is the disorder characterized by missing at least three menstrual cycles in a row. Common causes of this disorder are pregnancy, issues with reproductive organs or gland regulating hormones, menopause, breastfeeding, and medications. There can be other situations that can lead to amenorrhea, such as contraceptives, lifestyle factors, hormonal imbalance, and structural problems with sexual organs. Dysmenorrhea is also known as painful menstrual cramps and is characterized by throbbing or cramping pain before and during menstrual periods in the lower abdomen. It is generally caused when hormones called prostaglandins are produced in higher levels. During menstrual periods, the lining of the uterus is expelled by way of contraction of the uterus. These contractions are associated with the prostaglandin hormones that cause pain and inflammation. Other causes of dysmenorrhea include endometriosis, uterine fibroid, adenomyosis, pelvic inflammation disease, and cervical stenosis. Signs and symptoms of dysmenorrhea are intense throbbing pain in the lower abdomen, dull and constant ache, headache, loose stools, dizziness, nausea, and radiating pain to the lower back and thighs. Leiomyomas Leiomyomas are soft tissue tumors that are developed from smooth muscles. The lesions are formed in areas with the presence of smooth muscles, but may not be malignant. These tumors can occur anywhere but are most prominent in the uterus, esophagus, and small bowel. Among women, leiomyomas in uterus are also known as uterine fibroids, and are the non-cancerous growths in the uterus. These generally occur during childbearing years. These leiomyomas never develop into cancers. They develop from the smooth tissues of the muscles of the uterus called myometrium. The main causes of uterine fibroids are genetic changes with increased risk among identical twins, hormonal imbalances accounting for higher progesterone receptors, and other growth factors, such as insulin-like growth factor. Signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids are heavy bleeding during menstrual cycles, prolonged menstrual cycles, pressure and pain in the pelvis, frequent urination, difficulty in emptying the bladder, constipation, and pain in the legs and back. Fibrocystic Breast Disease Also known as nodular or glandular breast tissues, fibrocystic breast disease is characterized by the composition of lumpy or rope-like texture appearing tissues in the breast area. It is generally caused due to fluctuating hormones during the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease aggravate before the approach of menstrual cycles and are likely to subside once the menstrual cycle begins. Signs and symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease are the development of breast lumps, pain and tenderness around the breasts, green or dark brown colored discharge from the nipple, changes in both the breasts, and a rise in pain and lumps in the breast from ovulation to the beginning of the menstrual cycle. Achieve Page 127