5 Reasons for Late or Missed Period – Other Than Pregnancy

If wondering “Why is my period late? Can you miss a period and not be pregnant?”, find out the reasons for late or missed period. Pregnancy is the first thing  that comes to mind when your period is late but delayed or missed periods happen for many reasons other than pregnancy.

Missing your monthly period can either be a good or a bad thing. Missing your period without the plan of building a family can be scary. On the other hand, missing a period when you’re expecting a child can be very exciting.

What causes delayed menstruation?  Pregnancy is not the sole reason for missed or delayed periods. Here are five other reasons why you are delayed but not pregnant:

High levels of stress

Too much stress can disrupt the normal production of hormones. This disruption can lead to a missed or delayed monthly period. A significant event in your life, such as a death of a loved one, marital issues, among others, can be the cause of your missed periods. During a stressful phase, the body finds it hard to release an egg from your ovary and prolongs the start of your period.

Detach yourself from stress and your cycles will be back to normal in no time. Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but you can try to manage it well.

Drastic weight loss and too much exercise

As with stress, drastic weight changes can significantly affect normal hormone production, which often leads to irregularities in your normal menstrual cycle. Fat cells play a critical role in estrogen production. In fact, when your BMI drops below 18 or 19, you are most likely to miss your menstrual periods.

Don’t overexercise your body as too much loss of body fat can lead to ovulation problems that may cause missed periods.

Poor eating habits

Unhealthy eating habits, that lead to undernourishment, anorexia, or bulimia, influence the onset of menstruation. Cessation of the normal menstruation cycle happens as the body perceives that you’re incapable of sustaining a pregnancy. However, obesity can also lead to irregular cycles.

Make it your goal to stay healthy and fit and don’t go overboard with your diet. Moreover, supply your body with the essential nutrients by eating healthy.

Chronic diseases

Diabetes and celiac disease are two of the chronic diseases that may affect your periods. Changes in your blood sugar levels are associated with significant hormonal changes in your body. That is why uncontrolled diabetes can lead to irregular and missed periods.

With celiac disease, your body becomes gluten intolerant leading you to deficiencies in essential minerals such as folic acid, zinc, selenium, and iron. Untreated celiac disease can cause you to have late periods and earlier menopause.

Set up a consultation with your personal doctor if you suspect having either diabetes or celiac disease. After right diagnoses and treatments, your periods will be back to the way they used to be.

Hormone imbalances

Hormones are very minute but essential parts of your body function. Any imbalance such as an overproduction or underproduction of either one or more of your hormones may lead to serious issues besides missed periods. Hormone imbalances in women can come in different forms:

• Thyroid disorder. When your thyroid gland is either underactive or overactive, hormone levels can be greatly affected. Any type of thyroid imbalance can have adverse effects on your menstrual cycle resulting in missed periods or amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It is most common among women in their reproductive age. However, it can also occur in adolescent women. PCOS causes women to be incapable of ovulation while it enables excess secretion of other hormones. This endocrine system disorder leads to infrequent or absent periods.
• Premature or early menopause. Menopause typically happens to women who are between 40-50 years old. However, for some it can happen even before age 40. Premature or early menopause has the same symptoms of normal menopause such as missed periods. Low estrogen levels and ovarian failure can be its primary cause.

Hormone imbalance can be affected by different factors. However, it can still be treated when properly diagnosed by hormone specialists. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is one of the natural ways to help correct and restore any kind of hormone imbalance. Consult with a hormone expert right away for prevention.

Your doctor is the best person to go to for an accurate diagnosis. So, before you fret or get too excited due to your missed period, consult your doctor first.

Author Bio: Sanford Harvey is a researcher and writer at Genemedics Health Institute, a bioidentical hormone replacement therapy clinic in the different states of the USA .