Scanty menstruation refers to a condition where the menstrual cycle is generally regular but the flow is significantly reduced, sometimes amounting to only a few drops; or where the period lasts less than two days with minimal flow. This is termed "oligomenorrhea," a menstrual disorder often accompanied by weight gain and skin pigmentation.
Congenital Factors
Congenital uterine hypoplasia, small uterus, thin endometrium, resulting in scanty menstrual flow;
Acquired Factors
1. Constitutional weakness, severe illness, or chronic disease;
2. Anemia or malnutrition;
3. Endocrine dysfunction;
4. Uterine coldness or uterine abnormalities;
5. High work stress, tension, or sudden intense emotional shock;
6. Long-term contraceptive use;
7. Weight loss efforts;
8. Abortion, childbirth, weaning;
9. Excessive sexual activity;
10. Endometrial adhesions or damage;
11. Other medication-related causes.
Ultimately, scant menstrual flow results from one or multiple of the above factors leading to low estrogen levels in women. This causes insufficient endometrial thickening and reduced shedding, ultimately resulting in scant menstrual flow.Regardless of the cause, scant menstrual flow may impair future fertility.
Menstrual Health Care
Avoid Emotional Disturbance
When girls enter puberty and begin menstruating, this is a normal physiological phenomenon requiring proper understanding without anxiety. Maintain a cheerful disposition as usual, prevent emotional fluctuations, and avoid agitation when facing issues—consistent emotional stability is crucial.For girls experiencing menarche without prior experience, mothers or female relatives should provide timely guidance and assistance with menstrual self-care. Avoid Excessive Fatigue During menstruation, maintain a balanced schedule. Avoid strenuous exercise and heavy physical labor, ensuring a proper balance between work and rest. Otherwise, increased pelvic congestion and accelerated blood flow may lead to excessive menstrual bleeding.
Avoid nutritional deficiencies
Since menstruation involves monthly blood loss, it's important to increase intake of nutrients like protein, vitamins, iron, and calcium. During your period, eat more eggs, lean meat, fish, soy products, fresh vegetables, and fruits.
Avoid sexual intercourse
Women should refrain from sexual intercourse during menstruation. The uterine lining sheds during this period, leaving fresh surfaces in the uterine cavity. Sexual activity may introduce bacteria, causing reproductive organ inflammation and potentially increasing menstrual flow or prolonging the period.Avoid wading in water or swimming. Do not sit in damp, shady areas or directly in the path of air conditioning or fan drafts. Refrain from bathing or washing feet with cold water to prevent menstrual irregularities. Avoid strong tea Increase intake of plain water during menstruation and avoid strong tea. Strong tea contains high levels of caffeine, which can stimulate the nervous and cardiovascular systems, potentially causing dysmenorrhea, prolonged periods, or excessive bleeding.Additionally, tannic acid in tea binds with iron in food within the intestines, forming precipitates that impair iron absorption and may cause anemia. Furthermore, alcohol, smoking, and highly stimulating foods should be strictly avoided during menstruation.
Avoid Sitz Baths
While some individuals regularly enjoy sitz baths, during menstruation the cervix remains slightly open. Continuing sitz or tub baths during this time increases the risk of contaminated water entering the uterine cavity, potentially leading to inflammation of the reproductive organs.
Avoid tight-fitting pants
Wearing pants with a narrow crotch and tight waistband during menstruation compresses local capillaries, impairing blood circulation and increasing perineal friction. This can easily cause perineal congestion and edema, potentially leading to urinary or reproductive system infections.
Avoid singing loudly
During menstruation, the respiratory tract mucosa becomes congested, and the vocal cords may swell. Singing loudly or speaking too forcefully can quickly fatigue the vocal cord muscles, leading to vocal cord dysfunction, hoarseness, or vocal cord damage.
Avoid pounding the lower back
Menstrual lower back soreness stems from pelvic congestion. Pounding the lower back during this time increases pelvic blood flow, intensifying the discomfort.
Additionally, pounding the lower back during menstruation hinders the healing of the uterine lining after shedding, potentially increasing bleeding and prolonging the menstrual period.
Avoid Medical Examinations
Besides being unsuitable for gynecological examinations and urine tests, menstruation is also an inopportune time for blood tests, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and similar procedures. Hormonal fluctuations during this period can distort test results, making it difficult to obtain accurate data.
Avoid Dental Extractions
During menstruation, the uterine lining releases increased tissue-activating substances that convert fibrinogen in the blood into fibrinolytic enzymes with anticoagulant effects. Concurrently, platelet counts decrease,resulting in diminished clotting ability and prolonged bleeding time. Therefore, tooth extraction should be avoided during menstruation. Otherwise, not only will bleeding increase during the procedure, but a lingering metallic taste in the mouth afterward may suppress appetite, potentially leading to nutritional deficiencies during this period.
Avoid Alcohol Consumption
During menstruation, the body's alcohol-metabolizing enzymes decrease, making individuals more susceptible to intoxication.More critically, the liver must work harder to produce enzymes that break down alcohol, significantly increasing its burden. Alcohol consumption during this period can cause more severe liver damage than usual, raising the risk of liver dysfunction. Avoid overly salty foods Excessively salty foods increase salt and water retention in the body. Before menstruation, this can easily lead to headaches, emotional agitation, and irritability.
Avoid raw and cold foods
Excessively raw or cold foods, including beverages and fruits, can slow blood circulation. This impairs uterine contractions and the flow of menstrual blood, leading to difficult discharge and menstrual pain.
Avoid fried foods
Fried foods are also a major no-no for women during their period. Due to increased progesterone secretion, sebum production rises, making skin oily. Simultaneously, dilated capillaries heighten skin sensitivity. Consuming fried foods at this time burdens the skin, potentially causing pimples, acne, folliculitis, and dark circles under the eyes.Additionally, since fat and water metabolism slows during menstruation, consuming fried foods at this time can easily lead to fat accumulation in the body.
Dietary Recommendations
During menstruation, it is advisable to supplement with foods that promote smooth menstrual flow, such as lamb, chicken, red dates, tofu skin, apples, coix seeds, milk, brown sugar, and longan—all considered warming and nourishing foods.For symptoms like poor appetite or lower back pain, choose nutrient-rich, spleen-nourishing, and easily digestible foods such as red dates, noodles, or coix seed porridge. To maintain nutritional balance, incorporate fresh vegetables and fruits.Fresh foods are preferred not only for their superior taste and ease of absorption but also because they suffer less nutrient degradation. Chinese Herbs for Menstrual Regulation 1. Angelica sinensis (Danggui): Used for irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and postpartum abdominal pain caused by blood deficiency and blood stasis. Its effect on the uterus depends on the uterine functional state, exhibiting a bidirectional regulatory action. Also used for renal anemia caused by chronic renal failure.
Example: Angelica and Motherwort Egg Decoction: 30g Angelica sinensis, 50g Leonurus japonicus. Boil, add eggs, and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Ejiao (Donkey-Hide Gelatin), used for scanty menstruation due to blood deficiency, metrorrhagia/metrostaxis from unstable Chong and Ren vessels, and bleeding during pregnancy. Contains multiple amino acids, outperforming iron supplements in treating anemia, improves calcium balance, and can be used for renal anemia in uremia.
Example: Ejiao Stewed with Red Dates: Boil 30 red dates until tender, add 10g Ejiao and simmer until melted.