What Happens When A Girl Misses Her Period

Medicines And Medical Treatment

Missed Menstrual Periods

As discussed above, a number of contraceptive treatments can stop you having periods. Other medicines can affect periods too. Examples are some medicines for schizophrenia , an anti-sickness medicine called metoclopramide and strong painkillers called opiates.A number of operations may result in absent periods. For example, after a hysterectomy you will not have periods. A hysterectomy is an operation where the womb is removed. As the blood during a period comes from the womb, you will never have periods again afterwards. Another operation , which is sometimes done for heavy periods, also causes periods to stop. In this operation the lining of the womb is removed. This is not usually permanent and periods start again in time.

Treatments for cancer, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy, can also damage the ovaries and result in absent periods. Recreational drugs such as heroin may also cause periods to stop.

Should I Be Concerned

From the above mentioned causes of no period not pregnant, as for the lifestyle issues, just try to avoid them and route your life with healthy habits. Yet, medical conditions should be treated timely and properly. Consultation with the physician is necessary if you observe the following conditions:

  • There is a constant pain in lower belly
  • Two consecutive periods are missed with no significant reason
  • Two periods missed while using birth controlling pills without skipping pills
  • The periods have not started until 16 years old
  • No sign of pubic hair or not developed breasts is observed by the age of 14

Why Am I Not Getting My Period At All

The medical term for absent periods is amenorrhea, and is considered to occur when a woman who has previously had normal periods stops menstruating for six months or more. Many of the causes of amenorrhea are the same as those for a skipped period. Your period can be absent for a number of reasons:

Pregnancy

The most common reason to not get your period is because you are pregnant. A home pregnancy test can quickly tell you if that is the reason.

Menopause

Most women stop getting their periods in their late 40s or early 50s. The average age is 51 years old.

Breastfeeding

If you breastfeed frequently, including at night-time, you may not get a period for many months. Be aware that you will ovulate prior to getting your period back, so birth control is important if you are not ready to be pregnant again.

Stress

While a sudden stressful life event can result in a single missed period, ongoing, high level stress and anxiety can cause your period to stop altogether. Managing stress though self-care, counselling, changing your life circumstances, medication, or other strategies can help you return to having normal periods.

Weight loss

Ongoing, dramatic weight loss, from low intake, excessive exercise, gastric bypass surgery, or eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can stop your period. This happens because the hormones required for ovulation are not produced.

Underweight

Obesity

High levels of prolactin

Ashermans syndrome

Absent uterus

Premature ovarian failure

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Should I Use A Pad Tampon Or Menstrual Cup

You have many choices about how to deal with period blood. You may need to experiment a bit to find which works best for you. Some girls use only one method and others switch between different methods.

  • Most girls use pads when they first get their period. Pads are made of cotton and come in lots of different sizes and shapes. They have sticky strips that attach to the underwear.
  • Many girls find tampons more convenient than pads, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl puts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place. The tampon absorbs the blood. Don’t leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours because this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.
  • Some girls prefer a menstrual cup. Most menstrual cups are made of silicone. To use a menstrual cup, a girl inserts it into her vagina. It holds the blood until she empties it.

Diagnosis And Tests For A Late Period And Pregnancy

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There are both at-home tests and blood tests available to determine if pregnancy has occurred. Both are considered safe methods of detecting pregnancy.

  • At-home tests: These test your urine for a pregnancy hormone called hCG. At-home tests are easy, quick, and convenient. However, they are not able to detect pregnancy as early as blood tests. They are most accurate if you wait one week after a missed period to use them.
  • Blood tests: Blood tests require a visit to your doctor. But they can detect pregnancy much earlier than at-home tests.

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When To Call Your Healthcare Provider

Missing a period every once in a while is usually not cause for concern. That said, you should see a healthcare provider if you miss more than one period, or your missed period is accompanied by new or unusual symptoms.

Seek medical attention right away if you also experience any of the following:

  • New or worsening headaches

Why Did I Miss A Period

Missing a period is not uncommon, and most of the time, it is not a cause for concern. Some of the reasons you might miss a period include:

Normal lifecycle changes

There are a number of changes that happen in the female lifecycle that can result in a skipped period. All of these are normal reasons to miss a period and are not cause for concern.

For example:

Pregnancy

The most common reason for a missed period is pregnancy. If this is a possibility, take a home pregnancy test to see if this is the cause of your missed period. If you skip a period and then have one the next month at the expected time, its possible that a non-viable pregnancy occurred, and the period is actually an early miscarriage.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can suppress your period, depending on how frequently you are nursing. You may get a period while breastfeeding, and then not have another one for several months or more, particularly if your baby is nursing exclusively. You can ovulate before you get your period, so its important to use birth control during this time, if you dont want to get pregnant.

Menopause

A skipped period may be a sign that you are entering menopause and your periods are beginning to become less regular, especially if you are experiencing other symptoms of menopause . If you are 45 or older, there is a good chance this is the cause of a missed period.

Stress

Weight loss

Birth control

Hormonal changes

Medications

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How Many Days Late Can A Period Be Before Worrying About Pregnancy

Everyones cycle is different. Healthy cycles can range in length from 21 to 35 days, and how long a cycle lasts can vary from cycle to cycle. Unless you have irregular cycles due to a medical condition, you probably have at least a rough idea of when to expect your next period.

A period is considered late if it hasnt started within seven days of when you expect it. Most pregnancy tests will be able to give you accurate results by the time your period is late. If you get a negative pregnancy test after missing a period, and your period is more than a week late, you may want to see your health care provider to figure out whats going on.

If you get a negative pregnancy test result, still havent gotten your period, and start to experience early pregnancy symptoms, consider taking another test. Sometimes, home pregnancy tests can give a false-negative result if its taken too early in the pregnancy to detect human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. In these cases, it can take a bit longer to know youre pregnant after a late period. The earliest hCG detection can be done with an hCG serum test performed by a doctor as early as 8 to 10 days after ovulation.

When To See Your Gp

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See your GP if you’re not pregnant you’ve had a negative pregnancy test and you’ve missed more than 3 periods in a row.

If you’re sexually active and you have not taken a pregnancy test, your GP may advise you to take one.

They may also ask you about:

  • your medical history
  • any emotional issues you’re having
  • any recent changes in your weight
  • the amount of exercise you do

Your GP may recommend waiting to see whether your periods return on their own. In some cases you may need treatment for your periods to return.

You should also see your GP if your periods stop before you’re 45 or if you’re still bleeding when you’re over 55.

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Reasons For A Late Period That Don’t Mean You’re Pregnant

A menstrual cycle that’s off schedule doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. Here are seven other reasons your period could be late.

If you’re waiting for a late period, there’s one thought that’s likely going through your mind: Am I pregnant? “Everybody thinks they’re pregnant when their period is late,” says Wendy Goodall McDonald, M.D., aka Dr. Every Woman of Women’s Health Consulting in Chicago and the author of It Smells Just Like Popcorn: The Modern Woman’s A to V Guide to Her Vagina and Beyond.

But mensuration could be late for a variety of reasons, and it doesn’t always point to pregnancy. This could be disappointing to learn if you’re TTC or a huge sigh of relief if you’re not ready for a baby. Before you run to the local pharmacy to pick up an at-home pregnancy test, read about these external factors and conditions that could cause delayed periods.

Missed Period And Not Pregnant: What Could Be The Reason

Ah yes, the familiar stress that most women can related to over a missed period. Nothing quite provokes a flurry of questions like: does it mean Im pregnant? Could it be something else? Should I worry?

Heres the thing: a missed period doesnt always mean youre pregnant. In fact, knowing when to expect your period versus when its missed can give you a major clue into your overall health. But, the key to decoding these clues is knowing your cycle.

To help you know what to look for, this post will cover:

  • What are the major causes of a missed period?
  • Does it mean youre pregnant?
  • How can you track your cycle?

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Things Men Should Know When Girls Are Having Their Period

Its easy for a woman to make excuses when shes angry or hungry. Her menstruation is the best excuse to be constantly angry all day without any valid or logical explanation. Some men get it but some dont.

Men always believe that women can always control your emotions, that its up to them to think rationally. Well, its not always the case and every girl knows that.

And for dudes out there, please educate yourselves. Here are some basic things to know when girls are on their period:

Common Causes Of Missed Periods

Pregnancy symptoms before a missed period

The most common cause of a missed period is pregnancy. However, if youre not sexually active, havent had sex in a few months, or got a negative result on your pregnancy test, you already know thats not the issue.

That leads us to other possibilities. While one late or missing period isnt worth fretting about, you shouldnt let it become a common occurrence. Here are the five most common causes of irregular periods, and what you can do about them.

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What The Doctor Does

Doctors first ask about the medical history, including the menstrual history. Doctors then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause of amenorrhea and the tests that may need to be done .

For the menstrual history, doctors determine whether amenorrhea is primary or secondary by asking the girl or woman whether she has ever had a menstrual period. If she has, she is asked how old she was when the periods started and when the last period occurred. She is also asked to describe the periods:

  • How long they lasted

  • Whether they were ever regular

  • How heavy they were

  • Whether her breasts were tender or she had mood changes related to periods

If a girl has never had a period, doctors ask

  • Whether breasts have started to develop

  • Whether she has had a growth spurt

  • Whether pubic and underarm hair has appeared

  • Whether any other family member has had abnormal periods

This information enables doctors to rule out some causes. Information about delayed puberty and genetic disorders in family members can help doctors determine whether the cause is a genetic disorder.

Doctors ask about other symptoms that may suggest a cause and about use of drugs, exercise, eating habits, and other conditions that can cause amenorrhea.

Doctors also check for symptoms that may suggest a cause such as

In girls or women of childbearing age, the first test is

  • A pregnancy test

What Causes A Period

A period happens because of changes in in the body. Hormones are chemical messengers. The ovaries release the female hormones and . These hormones cause the lining of the uterus to build up. The built-up lining is ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing. If there is no fertilized egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds. Then the same process happens all over again.

It usually takes about a month for the lining to build up, then break down. That is why most girls and women get their periods around once a month.

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Referral To A Consultant

If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a consultant who specialises in the condition.

Depending on what your GP suspects is causing the problem, you may be referred to:

  • a gynaecologist a specialist in treating conditions that affect the female reproductive system
  • an endocrinologist a specialist in treating hormonal conditions

You may have a full gynaecological examination and various tests, including:

  • blood tests to see whether you have abnormal levels of certain hormones
  • an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan to identify any problems with your reproductive system or the pituitary gland in your brain

Reasons Your Period Is Late

Is it possible to know if a woman is pregnant during the first week?

During your usual morning routine, you open your cabinet, spot a box of tampons in the back, and you suddenly realize youre late. When was my last period? you think as you try to remember the last time you needed to reach for that box. Panic then takes over as your mind shoots straight to pregnancy.

While being pregnant is a possible reason for a missed period, there may be factors related to your health or lifestyle that are causing the delay, notes Shelley White-Corey, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A& M Health Science Center College of Nursing and a womens health nurse practitioner.

Breastfeeding

Your period may not make an appearance after your baby is born, but dont be alarmed! If you are breastfeeding your little one, a lack of periods is completely normal. Referred to as lactational amenorrhea, this is a phase that disrupts the rhythm of your menstrual cycle. After a few months, your monthly period should be right back on track.

Weight loss or weight gain

Whether youre overweight or underweight, any change in pounds can affect your monthly cycle. Common health problems linked to weight and irregular menstruation include eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, and uncontrolled diabetes. If you suspect this might be an issue for you, see your health care provider right away.

Increased exercise
Stress
Sleep schedule changes
Medication
Thyroid dysfunction
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Perimenopause

Suzannah Smith

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