Amenorrhoea (Absence of Periods)
The absence of periods (amenorrhoea) is called "Bi Jing" in Chinese, where "jing" means menstruation and "bi" means "shut" or "closed". Western medicine distinguishes between primary amenorrhoea, which occurs when a woman has not had a period by the time she is 18, and secondary amenorrhoea, which occurs when a woman has had periods but they have stopped for at least 3 months.
Causes of Amenorrhoea
- Emotional stress
- Excessive physical work or exercise
- Hereditary weakness
- Poor diet
- Taking certain medications
Treatment of Amenorrhoea
Treatment may include herbs to tonify Qi and Blood, or to move Qi and Blood stagnation. It is important to differentiate between amenorrhoea from deficiency and amenorrhoea from excess.
