You Lost Weight Too Quickly
Weighing too much or too little are both known causes of amenorrhea, but losing weight very quickly can also lead to a missed period, even if your ending weight isnt too low. Extreme weight loss is a shock to your metabolic system, which is closely tied to your reproductive system, according to the Mayo Clinic. Losing weight at a slower rate rather than trying to emulate the big results seen on some TV shows can fix this issue.
Types Of Pregnancy Tests
As recently as the 1970s, you had to miss your period before you took a pregnancy test, and the results could take up to two hours. Today, you can find out that youre pregnant much earlier, faster, and with better accuracy using home pregnancy tests.
At-home pregnancy tests are easy to use and almost as accurate as those given at the healthcare providers office. However, there are some things to consider when deciding what kind of pregnancy test is right for you.
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Other Reasons For A Missed Period Besides Pregnancy
If you are not trying for a pregnancy and still end up getting a delayed period, chances are that it could point to an underlying health condition or something as simple as stress
Yes, we know that the first sign of being pregnant is a missed period, which is medically known as amenorrhea. But if you are not trying for a pregnancy and still end up getting a delayed period, chances are it could be pointing to an underlying health condition or something as simple as stress, which we tend to ignore on our daily lives.
Here are 5 other reasons for a missed period besides a pregnancy:
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Late Period Reason #20 Miscalculation
How do you calculate your period? Do you count 28 days from your start day? Or 3 weeks from the time you finish? Or just calculate approximately one month down the line? Have you considered the possibility that you may have miscalculated? Thats why we have period calculators, dummy! The average menstrual cycle is 28 days but some women have a 31-day cycle, and some a 27-day cycle This can also change in each woman as the years go by. Some women even have permanent irregular cycles 3 weeks till one period then 5 weeks for the next. Get yourself an app and start tracking your periods.
Youre Under A Crazy Amount Of Stress
You may have written this one off as an old wives tale but its true. Stress can definitely cause irregular or missing periods in a premenopausal woman, Darko says, as being under a lot of pressure can mess with your hormone levels. Your body figures: If youre this stressed out, then now is not the best time to have a baby, and temporarily shuts the fertility factory down, causing a missed period. These are other symptoms stress is making you sick.
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Sohow Much Of A Delay In Your Period Is Still Considered Normal
âIf you have one or two irregular periods it is definitely something to pay attention to,â says Sherry Ross, MD, an ob-gyn at Providence Saint Johnâs Health Center in Santa Monica, California. A period is considered late if it hasnât started five or more days after the day you expected it to begin, according to Summit Medical Group. So if your period is, say, 10 days late, definitely take a pregnancy test and check in with your ob-gyn regardless of the results. In general, if your flow has been MIA for a week or more, that’s a sign you should take the test and also check in with your gyno to see what might be going on.
But again, you can miss a period and *not* be pregnant. If there’s no way you’re pregnant and/or your test comes back negative , one of these factors, including all the stress you might be under right now, may be to blame for your late period problems. Then, your next step is definitely calling your doc so they can help you suss out the best solution or treatment for your situation.
You Have An Underlying Illness
Any condition that affects your ovaries, uterus, hypothalamus, or pituitary glands can mess up your monthly cycle. This can include illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis, hypothyroidism, and sexually transmitted diseases. Its that last one you need to be particularly worried about, says David Diaz, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. STDs like chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea can fly under the radar, showing almost no symptoms at first while doing irreparable harm to your fertility. Dont miss these other period problems you should never ignore.
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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.
Late Period Reason #15 Birth Control
Various contraception types can mess up your flow. Being on the pill can notoriously give you many side effects like a light flow or sometimes none at all, as can hormonal IUDs, implants, or contraceptive injections. It can also take a while for your period to come back to normal when you first stop using contraceptives.
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Reasons For Late Periods Other Than Pregnancy
In this article I am going to tell you about some of the common reasons for late periods other than pregnancy. Hey, suffering from delayed periods, is you periods later, than usual, have you skipped your periods for more than 2-3 months and afraid, what the reasons could be if not pregnancy, though you havent tried to get pregnant, here are the common reasons for your periods being later than usual, and the reasons are other than pregnancy, so have a look, to gain a wider dimension of conclusion to your problem.
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Is It Normal To Miss A Period
There are several times in a persons life when irregular periods are expected: when a person first starts having periods , during breastfeeding, and at the beginning of perimenopause . On average, most people get their periods every 28 days. But a healthy persons menstrual cycle can last from 21 to 35 days. Apart from puberty, menopause, and pregnancy, a missed period may indicate a health issue.
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Besides Pregnancy What Can Cause A Late Period
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How Early Can U Detect Pregnancy
Detecting pregnancy early is important to ensure that you receive the necessary prenatal care. However, different women will experience different symptoms at different times. The earliest signs of pregnancy are often missed because they can be mistaken for normal pre-menstrual symptoms.
The earliest sign of pregnancy is often a missed period. However, not all women will experience a missed period when they are pregnant. Other common symptoms of early pregnancy include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and frequent urination. Some women will also experience breast tenderness and a metallic taste in their mouths.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you may want to take a home pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are accurate as long as they are taken on the correct day of your cycle. If the home pregnancy test is positive, you should make an appointment with your doctor to ensure that you are receiving the necessary prenatal care.
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Causes Of A Missed Period
Often there is nothing to worry about when periods stop, and no serious cause. There are certain times when it is normal not to have periods. These include:
- Before puberty. Girls start to go through puberty from around the age of 9 years and their periods start a year or two later. Up until that point girls do not have periods.
- During pregnancy. If you are pregnant, your periods will normally stop until after the baby is born.
- During breastfeeding. If you are fully breastfeeding, you will normally not have a period until you stop. You may find you have a bleed if you drop a feed, or start to breastfeed less.
- After menopause. The menopause is the time in your life when your ovaries stop producing eggs and you stop having periods. The average menopause is around the age of 51. You will be classed as having gone through the menopause a year after your last period. However, it is extremely common for your periods to become less regular in the years leading up to the menopause. See the separate leaflet called Menopause for more details.
- If you are using certain types of contraception. Some types of contraception may stop periods. They do not do so in all women however, it is normal not to have periods if you are using:
How Late Can A Period Be Without Being Pregnant
Some people have their period every 28 days like clockwork. But most people will experience a late or missed period at least once without being pregnant, and thats perfectly normal.
For many, a late period can trigger thoughts of potential pregnancy. But a late period doesnt necessarily mean that youre pregnant.
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There Are Many Reasons That Periods Can Be Irregular Or Absent Some Require Treatment And Some Do Not
It is not uncommon to occasionally miss a period, or for periods to become irregular from time to time. Under some circumstances, periods can even stop altogether. Sometimes these irregularities are due to normal changes, and are not cause for concern. Other times, they are a sign that something is going on, and a call to your doctor is warranted.
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When To Talk To Your Doctor About A Late Or Missing Period
Most people who menstruate dont have a perfectly regular cycle. A couple days off here or there generally isnt cause for concern . However, you should speak with your doctor if youve ruled out a pregnancy and:
- You havent had a period in over three months
- Your periods are suddenly irregular
- You notice there are more than 35 days between your periods
- Your period lasts for more than seven days
- You bleed between periods
- Your periods are extremely heavy
- Your periods are extremely painful
Any of the above could indicate a more serious underlying condition and, regardless, you should always bring up worrying menstrual cycle changes to your healthcare provider or ObGyn.12
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Other Ways To Skip Your Period
Taking birth control pills arent the only way to skip your period. Other options include the progestin-releasing intrauterine device , progestin injection , progestin implant , and the combination NuvaRing or contraceptive patches.
The Mirena IUD works even better than pills to reduce overall bleeding, Dabney says. Many women on the Mirena IUD either get very light periods or no periods at all.
If you arent sure about the pill, speak with your doctor about your other options. Make sure you speak with your doctor before using a birth control patch to skip your period. Compared to birth controls pills, the patch has a slightly increased risk for blood clotting. However, the patch is the same general formulation as combination pills.
Doing Too Much Exercise
The stress that intense physical activity places on your body can affect the hormones responsible for your periods. Losing too much body fat through intense exercise can also stop you ovulating.
You’ll be advised to reduce your level of activity if excessive exercise has caused your periods to stop.
If you’re a professional athlete, you may benefit from seeing a doctor who specialises in sports medicine. They’ll be able to give you advice about how to maintain your performance without disrupting your periods.
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Late Period Negative Pregnancy Test: Causes And Is It Common
Many people who miss a period will take a test to check for pregnancy. If the pregnancy test is negative, various conditions and factors may be responsible for the lack of menstruation.
The ovaries release an egg during ovulation, approximately every 28 days. If no sperm fertilizes the egg, a persons period will usually start about 14 days later.
While a missed period is one of the first signs of pregnancy, there are various other reasons why it can occur.
Menstrual irregularities, such as missed or late periods, occur in of women of childbearing age. They can result from a range of conditions besides pregnancy, including hormonal imbalances, hormonal birth control, stress, weight loss, trauma, and certain health conditions.
This article discusses what can cause a person to miss their period and how common this is.
Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation during a persons reproductive years. Someone may have this condition if they miss their period for 3 months in a row or have not had their first period by the age of 15.
This condition affects 34% of women.
Amenorrhea usually happens when the ovaries stop making enough of the hormone estrogen. A range of factors can cause a lack of estrogen.
Several health factors and conditions can cause a person to miss their period.
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- Home pregnancy test is positive
- You want a pregnancy test done in the office
- Sexual intercourse within the last 3 months
- Recent breast swelling, weight gain or nausea
- Has missed 2 or more periods and prior periods were regular
- Recent weight loss
Recent Stress Causing Late Period
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What Is An Irregular Period
Though we typically think of regular menstruation as a 28-day cycle â counted from the first day of period bleeding until the day before the next period begins â it does vary for each person. A normal cycle with regular periods should at least have the following components:â´
- The cycle lasts between 21 and 35 days
- The bleeding lasts two to seven days
- The heaviest bleeding occurs within the first three days
Irregular cycles will include constantly changing cycle lengths, brief or extended periods, irregular menstrual bleeding and bleeding between periods.
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How To Induce Your Period
Whether or not you can jump start your period or encourage it to happen depends on the root cause of the delay. In the long-term, Dr. Speichinger says that addressing some of the issues that can cause late or missed periods can help get your cycle back on track. Reducing your stress levels, getting adequate rest, cutting back on excessive exercise if youre an athlete, and normalizing your weight can reset your cycle if those things have caused the disruption in the first place.
There are also medication options that may be available to you, especially if your late period is because of a hormone imbalance. Typically, we can start with a progesterone challenge to a withdrawal period, Dr. Speichinger explains.
A progesterone challenge test involves taking progesterone orally for about 10 days, then stopping the progesterone to see if withdrawal bleeding occurs. If it does, there may be an issue with ovulation if it doesnt, the problem may be related to estrogen levels. Dr. Speichinger notes that sometimes there is a second step to the progesterone challenge, where estrogen is given first and followed by progesterone, to cause the withdrawal period.
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This test can tell your womens health provider a lot about your hormonal levels, as well as the health of the lining of your uterus. It can make the next steps clearer for you and your provider as you look for the source of your late or missed periods.
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