Reasons for Late Period Other Than Pregnancy

One of the most common questions a gynecologist is generally asked by his /her female patients is ‘why is my period late’? Even though it is common knowledge that women do not have menstruation during pregnancy, what many ladies do not know is that there can be others factors as well that can hold up / delay their period. This condition is also known by the term amenorrhea. A woman having late periods do not ovulate on the 14^th day of the menstrual cycle, instead it would come after the 20^th day. If you have missed a period or if it is late, then it might also be a symptom for something serious. Regular periods is a sign of a healthy woman’s body. Any change in a woman’s menstrual cycle can indicate a change in the body’s overall health. Read below what (other than pregnancy) can cause an absence of menstruation or missed period.

Possible Causes For Missed Period

Breastfeeding mothers are known to experience amenorrhea or absence of menstruation sometimes.
Excess mental stress can be another significant reason for the absence of menstruation in women. When the body is completely stressed out, there is a reduction in the hormones produced in the body, which stops ovulation and menstruation for a temporary period. It is normally seen that the eradication of stress results in the resumption of menstruation again.
It is important that women consult a doctor prior adhering to a particular type of contraceptive. This is because some oral, implanted and injected contraceptives and other medications like antidepressants and certain chemotherapy drugs cause amenorrhea. Constantly changing the medications will have an effect on menstruation.
A female experiencing amenorrhea could also be suffering from a hormonal imbalance.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a common type of hormonal imbalance in women, which is known to result in absence of menstruation. This condition occurs when there is an imbalance in the female sex hormones. Periods will become normal again once this condition is properly cured with proper medication and treatment
A healthy and balanced diet plays an important role in normal menstruation. As such, malnourished or underweight women too are known to experience late or delay in menstruation.
Even overweight women experience late periods. This is because when the body carries too much of weight, it can shift the menstrual cycles, which could result in late periods.
Women suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia usually have irregular and abnormal periods. If this condition is treated, periods will become regular and normal.
Late periods are also caused by hormonal changes. Hormonal problems arise after the body undergoes emotional trauma or suffers from physical diseases.
The amount of workout, dance or sports a female engages in also affects her menstruation pattern. It is learnt that energetic rigorous exercise or athletic training causes absence of periods in such women. The estrogen hormone level is affected by intense sessions of exercises, thus causing late periods.
There are millions of women the world over who suffer from undiagnosed thyroid disease, which could be one more reason for the absence of periods. Thyroid disorders are quite common in women. Women with this disorder have weaker ovulation and menstruation.
Is the lady suffering from some acute illness? If so, then this too can be one reason for temporarily delay of periods. Once her body gets well, her periods too will resume as before.
Fluctuating working schedules and long working hours cause serious damage to the body. When it comes to changing work timings, where there are irregular night shifts and day shifts, the body will not be able to cope with that. Long working hours will have a negative impact on the body and that increases the risk for the development of serious diseases. As a result, a woman will experience late periods or even miss her periods.
Traveling can also affect the menstrual cycle. Change of diet and physical activity could have an influence on a woman’s body, which could also result in late periods.
Peri-menopause could also be the reason for a late period. The peri-menopausal stage occurs when the body is slowly shifting from the reproductive to un-reproductive age. Periods can be irregular and abnormal at this stage and late periods are common.

The female reproductive system is extremely complex. As given in this article, there are many possible reasons that could result in late periods. Make sure to consult with your doctor if your periods are often late.

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