Menstrual irregularities

Abnormalities of the regularity menstrual cycle or of volume, color or consistency of menstrual flow.

Cycle Irregularities of the menstrual cycle include advanced menstruation (shortening of the cycle attributable to blood heat, blood vacuity, qì vacuity, or liver depression), delayed menstruation (lengthening of cycle attributable to blood vacuity, blood cold, kidney vacuity, qì stagnation, or static blood), menstruation at irregular intervals (sometimes short, sometimes long cycles attributable to liver depression or kidney vacuity), and amenorrhea (absence of menstruation attributable to blood depletion, blood desiccation, kidney vacuity, qì stagnation and blood stasis, and congealing cold-damp).

Volume Irregularities of volume include scant menstruation (attributable to blood vacuity, blood cold, blood stasis, phlegm-damp or kidney vacuity) and profuse menstruation (attributable to qì vacuity, blood heat, or taxation damage).

Menstrual Irregularities

Cycle

• Advanced menstruation
• Delayed menstruation
• Menstruation at irregular intervals

Volume

• Amenorrhea
• Scant menstruation
• Profuse menstruation

Color

• Pale menstrual flow
• Purple menstrual flow

Consistency

• Clotted menstrual flow
• Toad-egg menses

Miscellaneous

• Menstrual blood ejection
• Menstrual heat effusion
• Menstrual mania
• Menstrual pain
• Menstrual vomiting
• Menstrual puffy swelling
• Premenstrual bloody stool
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Flooding and spotting

Color Irregularities of the color of the menstrual flow include any deviation from a dark red flow that is paler at onset and termination. Generally speaking, a bright red flow indicates heat, pale red indicates blood vacuity or cold, whereas purple indicates static blood. See pale menstrual flow and purple menstrual flow.

Consistency Irregularities of consistency include excessively thin or thick consistency and clotting. Generally, thick flow suggests heat, thin flow indicates qì vacuity, and clotting indicates blood stasis. See clotted menstrual flow; toad-egg menses.

Miscellaneous Discomfort before, during, or after menstruation most commonly includes abdominal pain during menstruation (due to qì stagnation, blood stasis, congealing cold-damp, qì-blood vacuity, or liver-kidney depletion) and distended breasts (due to liver depression and qì stagnation).

See the entries listed below.