Oligomenorrhea: Diagnosis
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More about Oligomenorrhea:
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Diagnosis of oligomenorrhea begins with the patient informing the doctor about infrequent periods. Women should seek medical treatment after three missed periods. The doctor will ask for a detailed description of the problem and take a history of how long it has existed and any patterns the patient has observed. A woman can assist the doctor in diagnosing the cause of oligomenorrhea by keeping a record of the time, frequency, length, and quantity of bleeding. She should also tell the doctor about any illnesses including longstanding conditions like diabetes mellitus. The doctor may also inquire about her diet, exercise patterns, sexual activity, contraceptive use, current medications, or past surgical procedures.
Laboratory testsAfter taking the woman's history, the gynecologist or family practitioner does a pelvic examination and Pap test. To rule out specific causes of oligomenorrhea, the doctor may also do a pregnancy test and blood tests to check the level of thyroid hormone. Based on the initial test results, the doctor may want to do tests to determine the level of other hormones that play a role in reproduction.
— Tish Davidson
