ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the causes, diagnosis, and investigation of symptoms related to periods in women. It provides a general practitioner overview, differential diagnosis, possible investigations, and top tips for dealing with periods-related symptoms in women. The symptoms discussed are absent periods, heavy periods, irregular vaginal bleeding, and painful periods. The differential diagnosis includes common, occasional, and rare causes of the symptoms. The chapter covers all causes of irregular vaginal bleeding throughout life including prepubertal, causes in early pregnancy and post-menopausal. The key to appropriate management usually lies in a careful history. Primary dysmenorrhoea is pain with no organic pathology, usually starting when ovulatory cycles begin. Secondary dysmenorrhoea is associated with pelvic pathology, and appears later in life.
