Reasons for Delayed Period Other Than Pregnancy

The delayed period can cause unseen panic or unimaginable happiness. Women who are trying to become mothers would gladly accept the delay of the menstrual period, but all the others would not be thrilled at all.

Pregnancy is not the only reason for delayed menstrual bleeding. Many factors affect the cycle and can put menstruation off, which is important for female reproductive health. Here’s what can lead to a delayed menstrual period:

Stress. Stress affects the normal level of hormones in the body and may delay ovulation, and therefore menstruation. Big changes in lifestyle and stressful events (moving, divorce, problems at work, death or illness in the family) increase levels of cortisol, a stress hormone in the body, which affects the secretion of the estrogen and The change in hormone levels may delay menstruation.

Drastic changes in body weight. If you have recently introduced strict dietary restrictions and have quickly lost weight or you ate excessively and quickly gained weight, it is likely to deal with irregular menstruation. Rapid and significant changes in weight can cause hormonal imbalance in the body and affect the regularity of menstrual periods. Chances for delayed menstruation increases if you have extremely low weight or obesity.

Eating disorder. Certain conditions associated with eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia, seriously affect the regularity of menstrual periods.

Too strenuous exercise. Doing exercise brings heaps of health benefits, but if you’re a woman, moderation is crucial. The physical stress caused by intense and strenuous exercise often causes disruption of hormone balance. Irregular periods are very common among athletes.

Age. There are two periods in women’s lives characterized by irregular periods:

– Puberty. Irregular cycles are characteristic of adolescence. The first menses for most teenage girls are irregular – they sometimes start earlier, sometimes later; sometimes last longer, sometimes shorter. In some cases it takes several years for the hormones that control menstruation to achieve balance.

–Perimenopause and menopause. Changes in the regularity of menstruation is often a sign that menopause is in sight. The transition to menopause, called perimenopause, is characterized by unpredictable periods. Menopause occurs after 12 months from the last menstrual period.

Certain medical conditions such as:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome;
• Endometriosis;
• Problemswith the thyroid

Disease, surgery and receiving medications or contraceptive pills. Some medications and contraceptive pills cause delayed menstruation or changes in the duration of the bleeding. In rare cases it may lead to complete termination of the cycle. The emergence of more serious illness, chronic disease, or certain surgical intervention can cause irregular menstruation.

Breast feeding or high levels of prolactin. Abnormal high levels of prolactin in the body can lead to irregular menses or absence of menstrual bleeding. Many nursing mothers do not have regular periods until they stop.







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Source: What to Expect