All Posts tagged Reasons to miss a period

For many women, their periods are a routine certainty, the timing of which can be dependably calculated. For other women, their menstrual cycle may vary naturally. Abnormal delays, or entirely missed periods however, can be a cause of concern for women who are not trying to get pregnant. If your period is late, or has skipped entirely, and you are sexually active, you should consider the possibility that you may be pregnant; however there are several other factors that can cause a late or missed period that women should be aware of when considering possible reasons for the delay.

1. Stress: Possibly one of the most significant factors that can impact various aspects of a woman’s normal body functioning is stress. When stress levels rise, a woman’s body can develop a condition called “hypothalamic amenorrhea.” The hypothalamus region of the brain regulates many of a woman’s hormones, however it is easily impacted by stress. If you are experiencing an extreme life event that has raised your stress levels, your hypothalamus may not properly regulate the hormones necessary for your menstrual cycle to occur as usual.
2. Extreme Weight Loss: For women whose body mass indexes (BMI) drop rapidly below 18 or 19, they may begin to experience missed periods. Of greater concern, is the potential that such rapid weight loss is associated with anorexia or bulimia. A woman’s body will attempt to protect her from getting pregnant if her body is not healthy enough to support a fetus. When a woman’s BMI is extremely low, her body will prevent ovulation, resulting in low productions of estrogen, which halts the build-up of a woman’s uterine lining, and ultimately results in a missed period.
3. Extreme Weight Gain: Similar to the menstrual impact of severe weight loss, women who experience a rapid increase in their weight can negatively impact their body’s ability to continue its normal menstrual cycle, and also may realize delayed or missed periods.
4. Extreme Fitness Training: Women who are training for extreme, physically challenging events, such as running a marathon, or any other athletic competition that requires diligent hours of athletic training, may experience a skipped period. Extreme levels of fitness that put strain and stress on a woman’s body increase the likelihood that her body will halt her menstrual cycle due to her already taxed physical state.
5. Issues with Your Birth Control Method: Women who take any form of oral, implantable, or injectable contraceptive should speak with their doctor to ensure they understand all of the risk factors and potential side effects of the medication. Some low-dose oral contraceptives can cause a lack of menses. Though not dangerous, it can be an unexpected and alarming side effect.
6. Breast Feeding: Some women who have just given birth and are actively breastfeeding find that they do not return to a regular menstrual cycle until they have completed breast-feeding.
7. Premature Menopause: In the United States, the average age of natural menopause is 51, however some women under 40 can experience what is known as premature ovarian failure, or premature menopause. For these women, their hormones are significantly imbalanced which can result in missed periods, among other physical side effects.
8. Thyroid Irregularity: The thyroid gland regulates metabolism and assists in maintaining other normal body functions. Any type of thyroid imbalance may cause a woman’s period to be delayed or skipped entirely.
9. Polycystic Ovary Symptom (PCOS): This condition results in a hormone imbalance that can halt ovulation, which can alter a woman’s normal level of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Symptoms vary, with some women only experiencing menstrual irregularity, while others may miss their period entirely and repeatedly.
10. Celiac Disease: This disease, which is characterized by an intolerance to gluten, if left untreated or undiagnosed, could add physical stress to a woman’s body and ultimately result in missed periods.
11. Illegal Drug use: Aside from the highly addictive and dangerous nature of illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine, LSD, mescaline, PCP, methamphetamine, and marijuana to name a few, use of these unnatural substances can also cause irregularities in a woman’s menstrual cycle.

If you feel that you are experiencing irregularities in your menstrual cycle that may be caused by any of the factors listed above, or if you think you may be pregnant, speak with your doctor so that he or she can help you understand the cause of your irregularity.