Consider Taking A Home Pregnancy Test
If your period is more than two weeks late, then you can consider taking an at-home pregnancy test. These can be purchased from most drug stores , and usually arent too expensive. Make sure to read and follow the directions when you take the test. If it comes back negative, then you may not be pregnant. If it comes back positive, then
How To Prevent Stress From Delaying Your Period
The first step in preventing stress from delaying your period is to understand whats causing your stress and how much stress you can manage. You may not always be able to avoid stress, but you can develop healthy ways to cope with it. Tracking your cycle and any changes you experience in your moods will make it easier to identify any issues that may arise so you can better understand why your period is late.
While stress is a common cause for a late period, it is just one of many potential reasons for a delay in menstruation. Pregnancy, hormonal birth control, and health problems like polycystic ovary syndrome can also make your period late.
Sometimes the stress of worrying about a potential unintended pregnancy can make your period late. Taking a pregnancy test to find out if you are pregnant can reduce this stress. If your period is late, and youre experiencing symptoms like unwanted hair growth, headaches, weight gain, and difficulty sleeping, you may want to see a health care provider to rule out PCOS, which is a treatable condition.
Tracking your mood, life events, and symptoms in an app like Flo can help you gain perspective on your level of stress, and taking simple measures like exercising or making time for meditation can help you get your period back on track.
- Analysis of period and cycle length
- Chances of getting pregnant and ovulation forecast
- Predictions of next period
You Have Another Chronic Condition
Certain chronic health problems, especially celiac disease and diabetes, are sometimes associated with menstrual irregularities.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects your digestive system. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their immune system reacts by attacking the lining of the small intestine.
When the small intestine is damaged, it impairs the bodys ability to absorb nutrients from food. Subsequent malnourishment affects normal hormone production and leads to missed periods and other menstrual irregularities.
Those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes might also experience a missed period in rare cases. This tends to only happen when blood sugar levels arent managed at ideal levels.
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How Irregular Periods Change During Aging
Its very common to have irregular periods before the age of 20 and after the age of 40. During the first few years after your first period, its normal to have irregular periods because the bodys system that regulates periods is still maturing. By age 20, most women will have regular menstrual cycles.
Women usually go through the perimenopausal transition in their 40s, which causes irregular periods. As you approach menopause, periods get further apart until they stop for good. A woman is in menopause when she hasnt had a period for a year.
What Is The Menopause
The menopause is when you have no periods and you will not be able to get pregnant naturally. This happens to women in their late forties to mid-fifties. Many women will notice that their periods completely stop, however others will see their periods become less frequents in the years and months leading up to the menopause.
References
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Referral To A Specialist
If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a specialist.
Depending on what your GP thinks is causing the problem, you may be referred to:
- a gynaecologist â a specialist in treating conditions affecting the female reproductive system
- an endocrinologist â a specialist in treating hormonal conditions
You may have a gynaecological examination and various tests, including:
- blood tests â to see if you have abnormal levels of certain hormones
- an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan â to identify any problems with your reproductive system or the pituitary gland in your brain
What Is Considered A Missed Period
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Why Would I Have A Late Period
Having a late menstrual period is among the first signs and symptoms of pregnancy. Other early pregnancy signs include breast tenderness, nausea, fatigue, and frequent urination.
Just enter the first day of your last menstrual period and the average number of days of your menstrual cycle above to calculate whether your next menstrual period is late or see if you might be pregnant!
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How Many Days After My Period Can I Get Pregnant
Ovulation or the fertile window occurs between days 12 and 20 of your cycle, and studies have reported that you are more likely to become pregnant during this time because an egg is released from your ovary.
The exact time depends on the length of your cycle.
- If your menstrual cycle is of 28 days, you will ovulate near the 14th day, and your most fertile days are probably days 12, 13, and 14.
- If your menstrual cycle is around 35 days, ovulation will happen near the 21st day, and your fertile days are days 19, 20, and 21.
- Regardless of how long your cycle is, most women ovulate 10 to 16 days before the start of their next menstrual cycle.
- You can become pregnant if you have intercourse five days before ovulation and one day after ovulation.
- If there is live sperm in the fallopian tubes during ovulation, you are much more likely to become pregnant.
You can use fertility awareness as a natural birth control method. This means that if you have a period that lasts between 26 and 32 days, the days 8 through 19 will be the most fertile days. This method, however, works best if you have regular menstrual cycles. There is a one to five percent chance of getting pregnant.
Though the fertile window is when you have the best chance of becoming pregnant, you can become pregnant outside of it. Not every woman’s cycle is the same number of days and neither is their window.
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What Happens To Your Brain When You Take Drugs
While the specific effects of drugs on the brain can vary somewhat depending on the drug that people abuse, virtually every drug that is abused has an effect on what professionals often call the executive functioning areas of the brain. The functions of those areas can be remembered by thinking about the tasks of the chief executive officer in any company: planning, organizing, prioritizing, acting when it is time to act, as well as delaying or preventing action when appropriate.
The parts of the brain that tend to harbor the executive brain functions are the front-most parts of the brain, called the frontal lobes, including the frontal cortex and prefrontal cortex. When a person takes drugs, the inhibitory functions of the brain are particularly impaired, causing the person to have trouble stopping him or herself from acting on impulses that the brain would otherwise delay or prevent. This disinhibition can lead to the substance abuser engaging in aggressive, sexual, criminal, dangerous, or other activities that can have devastating consequences for the addicted person or those around him or her.
- Given that the brain of individuals below about the age of 25 years is in the process of actively and rapidly developing and is therefore not fully mature, drug use that takes place during the childhood or teenage years can have particularly negative effects on the younger person’s ability to perform all these essential executive functions.
When To See A Doctor
Missing a period does not always indicate pregnancy or a health issue. Speak with a doctor if periods do not arrive by age 16 or if they stop for more than 3 months in a row.
Tracking periods can help a person recognize any irregularity. Anyone who notices a change in the length of time between periods should speak with a doctor. Also, it is a good idea to consult a doctor if periods come more often than every 21 days or less often than every 45 days.
Amenorrhea is not life-threatening . However, the hormonal imbalances that can cause it can also lead to harmful complications, such as hip and wrist fractures. A doctor can help identify the cause of menstrual irregularity and recommend an effective treatment or management plan.
Also, anyone who suspects that they are pregnant, even after taking Plan B, should speak with a doctor.
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So How Late Can My Period Be Before I Should Worry
If your period is late and you have recently had unprotected sex, it can be an early sign of pregnancy. Whilst that is a fact, itâs not always the case. Only a pregnancy test will give you the answer. How late your period is, depends on your cycle. Only you know what is normal for you, and what isnât.
Home pregnancy tests are available from pharmacies and some supermarkets. Results tend to be accurate if you follow the instructions correctly. If you take the test too early, the results may not be reliable. The best time to take a pregnancy test is the week after your missed period. Your body takes a week or so to develop levels of HCG , which is what the test relies on.
A positive test result is almost certainly correct, with most tests claiming 99% accuracy. By the same token, a negative result is also likely to be correct. Only 5% of pregnancy tests give a false negative result. If you test negative and you still think that you’re pregnant, you should wait a few days and try again. If you have a negative test result and you are experiencing other early pregnancy symptoms, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have a positive pregnancy test, you should see your doctor to confirm your pregnancy. If your pregnancy test results are positive but you are worried or experiencing any warning signs that something is wrong with your pregnancy, such as bleeding or cramping, you should call your doctor right away.
What Is Drug Abuse And Addiction Disorder
Formerly separately called substance or drug abuse and addiction, drug use disorder, also called substance use or chemical use disorder, is an illness characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress, including tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance, as well as other problems that use of the substance can cause for the sufferer, either socially or in terms of their work or school performance. The effects of drug use disorders on society are substantial. The economic cost, including everything from lost wages to medical, legal, and mental health implications is about $215 billion. The cultivation of and the production of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine have a negative impact on soil and water supplies. Drug law infractions are a highly common reason for arrests in the United States, with more than 1.5 million occurring in 2016.
Teens are increasingly engaging in prescription drug abuse, particularly narcotics, also called opioids , and stimulant medications, which treat conditions like attention-deficit disorder and narcolepsy.
The term dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a drug use disorder and a serious mental health problem in a person. Substance use disorders, unfortunately, occur quite commonly in people who also have a severe mental illness. Individuals with dual diagnoses are also at higher risk of being non-compliant with treatment.
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Can Period Be Delayed By 10 Days
Missing the menstrual cycle by a day or two is normal, but there are cases of women missing their periods by 10 days or even weeks. A delayed period is not always a cause for alarm, however experts state that in some, it might be a case of chemical pregnancy.
How Do Health Care Professionals Diagnose Drug Addiction
Similar to many mental health diagnoses, there is no one test that definitively determines that someone has a chemical use disorder. Therefore, health care professionals diagnose these conditions by thoroughly gathering medical, family, and mental health information. The practitioner will also either conduct a physical examination or ask that the person’s primary care doctor perform one. The medical assessment will usually include lab tests to evaluate the person’s general medical health and to explore whether or not the individual currently has drugs in their system or has a medical problem that might mimic symptoms of drug addiction.
In addition to providing treatment that is appropriate to the diagnosis, determining the history or presence of mental illnesses that may co-occur with substance abuse or dependence is important in promoting the best possible outcome for the person. As previously described, the dual diagnosis of substance abusing or addicted individuals dictates the need for treatment that addresses both issues in a coordinated way by professionals who are trained and experienced with helping this specific population.
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How Soon Can You Tell If You Are Pregnant
Most health care providers recommend that you wait until the first day of your missed period to take a pregnancy test, because taking a test too soon after conception can lead to a false-negative result. However, some tests are more sensitive than others and can be taken as soon as 7 to 12 days after conception. The most precise way to determine pregnancy is to take a blood test to measure your level of hCG.
How Do You Self Check Your Stomach For Pregnancy
Walk your fingers up the side of her abdomen until you feel the top of her abdomen under the skin. It will feel like a hard ball. You can feel the top by curving your fingers gently into the abdomen. Figure 10.1 With the woman lying on her back, begin by finding the top of the uterus with your fingers.
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How Early Can I Know My Symptoms Of Pregnancy
Each woman’s early pregnancy symptoms are usually unique. You may notice the first signs of pregnancy within a week or two of conception, whereas others may not notice anything for months.
It depends on your ability to detect changes in the body and how sensitive you are to those.
A blood test, which can detect pregnancy as early as one week after conception, is always an option.
During studies, women trying to conceive kept daily records of their symptoms from the time they stopped using birth control until they were eight weeks pregnant. This was based on the first day of their last menstrual period. The outcomes were:
- By the time they were five weeks pregnant, half of them had some pregnancy symptoms
- A missed period is usually the first sign of pregnancy
- Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, and breast tenderness and swelling are the most common symptoms these symptoms can range from mild to severe
Some pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, can appear as early as a few days after conception, even before a positive pregnancy test.
Spotting or cramping
- Implementation spotting and cramping may occur 6 to 12 days after sexual intercourse according to the American Pregnancy Association.
- It is the process by which the embryo implants on the uterine wall.
- Implementation bleeding can appear to be a lighter or shorter period. This symptom, however, is not common in all women.
Hormonal changes
Morning sickness and tiredness
Raised basal temperature
Im Not Pregnant So Why Have I Missed My Period
The most common assumption for a missed period is pregnancy. But if there’s no way you’re pregnant or your pregnancy test is negative, what else could be the cause of your missed period? There are a number of other reasons that could explain why youâve missed your period.
Other reasons for a late period if you are not pregnant include:
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What If I Can’t Tell Whether My Pregnancy Test Is Positive Or Negative
Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether the test is positive or negative. The line may be faint, or you may worry whether you peed too much or too little on the stick.
No matter how faint the line or plus sign, if you see it, you are most likely pregnant. The faintness of the line can mean you are early in your pregnancy and your hCG levels are still low.
Also, the pregnancy test should have a control line that tells you whether the test was done correctly. If the control line is blank, then the test did not work and you should take another test.
Learn Fertility Awareness And Chart Your Fertility
In my opinion, this is the most reliable method. Not only is it the most accurate in determining your day of ovulation and luteal phase length, but it also provides you with a wealth of invaluable information about your menstrual and reproductive health.
In my Fast Track to Pregnancy Program Ill teach you step by step, how to chart your fertility the right way. Youll learn how to pinpoint your day of ovulation and work out your individual luteal phase length, so that you can easily recognise if youve had one or more early miscarriages.
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