13 REASONS FOR A MISSED OR LATE PERIOD

 

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF DELAYED MENSTRUATION?

One of the things that any girl or a young woman may worry about is the delay or irregularity of her period, especially if she is still an unmarried girl or a wife who is not waiting for the news of a sudden pregnancy.

A missed or late period does not always mean that you are pregnant, there are some other factors that can cause your period to be late.

While a missed period is a hallmark of early pregnancy, a missed period can be due to a number of factors and conditions.

 

Reasons for delayed menstruation:

The symptoms of menstruation are different for every woman, you may have physical symptoms such as bloating or gas, or emotional symptoms such as sadness or both, the symptoms may also change with time.

1-stress and anxiety:

A negative factor affecting a person’s health, whether he is a man or a woman, which leads to a deficiency of some hormones in the body, but the effect of stress on the woman appears immediately in the form of delayed ovulation, and then the delay of the menstrual cycle and sometimes affects the degree of pain she feels during the menstrual period itself.

2-weight gain:

Have you noticed that after marriage you have gained weight? You may think this is a myth, but studies have indicated that most women gain weight after marriage.

There are many reasons behind this, but the most important are stability and psychological comfort.

On the other hand, weight gain has a significant impact on irregular menstruation, as body fat affects the production of estrogen and increases its levels, which can cause irregular menstruation.

3-pathological thinness:

It leads to general weakness and anemia, and then irregular glands and hormone secretion, all of this leads to irregular menstruation, even interruption and stopping sometimes, and in this case, you should pay attention to proper nutrition and eat foods that help treat anemia.

4-Lack of sleep:

Not getting enough sleep at night can affect not only your physical health but also the regularity of your menstrual cycle. Make sure you get enough sleep between 6 and 8 hours at night.

5-chronic diseases:

Taking some medications, especially depression and cancer medications, and changing them constantly may negatively affect the regularity of the menstrual cycle, so you should see your doctor if you experience this problem.

6-Colds:

Episodic diseases and general weakness resulting from them affect ovulation and lead to a delay in the menstrual cycle, even if it is an accidental delay that disappears with the demise of the problem.

If your period is late because you suffer from immune diseases or minor surgeries, don't worry, your body is in survival mode at the moment and will return to normal once all other bodily functions resume their normal rhythm.

7- Biological clock:

Disruption of the biological clock of your body leads to disturbances in the body that appear first in the functioning of the digestive and reproductive systems and in the person’s ability to work and think, and in turn affect the regularity of the menstrual cycle on time.

8- intense exercises:

Intense exercises can cause hormonal changes that may affect ovulation and menstruation, especially if it is exercised for long periods, or without eating enough calories, to develop disorders, and this problem is common in ballet dancers and gymnasts.

9- thyroid disorder:

An imbalance of thyroid hormones can cause abnormal changes in the menstrual cycle, including delayed periods.

Because the thyroid gland regulates the metabolism in the body and the levels of hormones in the body, so you should see your doctor for tests and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

10- Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the most important hormonal disorders that affect women of childbearing age and may cause irregular or absent menstruation, and it occurs due to the high level of male hormones (androgens), this can make ovulation irregular or stop it completely, and what The condition characterizes the formation of small cysts on the ovaries, and its symptoms include the appearance of acne, facial and body hair, excessive obesity, and insulin resistance, and it is necessary to consult a doctor if they appear to evaluate the disease and develop the appropriate treatment plan to avoid any possible complications.

11- pregnancy:

Pregnancy is one of the common reasons for menstruation to stop, even if contraceptive methods are used correctly and regularly, so it is very important to verify the presence or absence of pregnancy by conducting a home or digital pregnancy test, with a doctor’s review if the result is negative to determine the cause of the delay

12- Breastfeeding:

The menstrual cycle can be irregular or completely absent during breastfeeding due to the secretion of the milk hormone prolactin, but you cannot rely on breastfeeding as a method of contraception, as it is completely ineffective.

13- Menopause:

If a woman approaches the age of menopause, which naturally begins after forty to fifty, and in some women may be delayed beyond fifty or start abnormally early before forty, this stage begins with a change in the nature of the menstrual cycle and the irregularity of its dates.

the woman must then visit the doctor to prescribe some important medications for this stage and beyond.

Is your period regular?

The date of your period is measured from the first day of it to the first day of the following month, and it usually ranges from 25 to 28 days, but it may be less or more than that for some people. As for the time of menstruation itself, it is completely different, it may be three and it may be more or less, but it is often between 5 to 7 days.

Find out how to calculate your menstrual cycle and find out whether it is regular or irregular in the following:

If the number of days from the first day of menstruation for the first month in the calculation to the first day of menstruation in the following month is between 25 and 30 each time; your cycle is regular, even if it differs and it was in one 26 days and in the other  28 days.

But if the number of days in one time  is 24 and in the other time is 31 or maybe more, and it comes to you once every two months, this means that your menstrual cycle is irregular and in this case you should consult a doctor.

Foods That Induce Menstruation:

Some foods that help to get the menstrual cycle in case it is delayed for a reason other than pregnancy, including:

Vitamin C sources; ginger; parsley. Cinnamon.

Treatment for delayed menstruation:

* Drink alot of water.

*If it is pathological due to malfunctioning of the glands or something, the cause can be treated and you should go to the doctor.

* But if the causes are accidental, such as weight, food and stress, the cause must be prevented.

*Eat a balanced diet and reduce sweets and fats to a minimum.

* It is important to exercise regularly and not to exercise hard or intense for example swimming and walking.

* Stay away from stress and learn how to beat anxiety.

General Instructions:

*It is important to avoid deliberately delaying your period several times, as sometimes you may need to postpone it for travel, for example, but do not exaggerate delaying it several times, because this affects its timing and the hormonal regularity of your body.

* reduce salt intake; Because it causes fluid retention in the body.

* reduce caffeine intake; because it causes stress.

* Consult your doctor before using any method of contraception.

* Eating calcium-rich foods, as calcium relieves the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

* stop smoking.

When should you see a doctor?

1- Persistent menstruation for more than a week.

2- Absence of a period for more than 3 consecutive periods with no pregnancy.

3- Significant increase in menstrual pain.

4- The course is accompanied by fever and unusual secretions.

5- If the cycle is less than 24 days or more than 38 days.

Sources: (1) - (2) - (3) - (4) - (5) - (6) - (7) - (8) - (9) - (10).