Often even mature women do not know what a normal menstruation cycle should be, so it can be even more complicated for teenage girls. The period of the month arrives and you feel no pain and did not see bleeding, you might start to wonder — why is my period late and am I pregnant? What fluctuations in the menstrual cycle are normal and when you should consult a doctor?
Am I really pregnant?
Indeed, the main cause of late periods is pregnancy. If you have an active sex life and your period is more than 10 days late, do a pregnancy test. Always remember that tests are not 100% accurate and reliable, so if you receive a positive answer, it is advisable to consult a gynaecologist.
Another reason why menstruation is late can be divided into several main ones and these reasons are mentioned in this article. Enjoy the reading.
Stress
If you feel tense, you experience stress in your life, and you may not get your period. But when the tension subsides, the cycle resumes. Sources of stress can be very new: exam sessions, work, exotic trips, divorce, etc.
Exercise
Excessive physical activity can disrupt the menstrual cycle. Exercising is healthy because it helps and harmonizes the hormonal system, but you don’t have to exhaust your body.
Being under/overweight
Due to a drastic decrease in body mass or various diets, periods can disappear altogether. When there is too little body fat, the supply of hormones from the brain to the pituitary gland is disrupted. Consequently, the pituitary gland does not send the normal signal to your ovaries to mature an egg. So even if you have a lot of healthy eggs, you won’t be able to get pregnant because you don’t mature them and they don’t leave the ovaries.
On the other hand, a high BMI can harm the menstruation cycle because obese women can ovulate irregularly. Obesity is usually associated with hormonal disorders, so the cycle of obese women is irregular, and periods may disappear altogether.
Hormonal disbalance
Hormonal disorders are also associated with irregular menstruation. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can affect your cycle. The thyroid gland, located in your neck, regulates your metabolism, but it also works with other systems in your body to keep things running smoothly.
Other hormonal causes that can cause an irregular cycle include Cushing’s disease, poorly controlled diabetes, primary ovarian insufficiency, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (a condition that inhibits the production of hormones in the adrenal glands). Some girls experience increased levels of the hormone androgen, which causes more hair on the face, chin, chest, and abdomen, and disrupts the menstrual cycle.
Medicines
Whether you’ve been relieving your daily headaches with easily available medications or you’ve been taking prescription medications for certain health issues, some medications can affect your cycle. For instance, aspirin and ibuprofen can affect your cycle.
Natural fluctuations of menstruation
There are two stages in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle can be erratic: adolescence and about 10 years before menopause.
As for teenage girls, in the third year of menstruation, the cycle settles for 95 per cent of girls. At the beginning of menstruation, in the first one or two years, the menstrual cycle is usually irregular – there can be a gap of 3 months or less between periods, they can last only 2-3 days, and the amount of bleeding can fluctuate. This is because, in the beginning, ovulation does not occur in every cycle, the body needs time to adjust to the hormonal changes.
During perimenopause, the menstrual irregularity occurs due to hormonal changes and the end of ovulation. Some cycles may be short and periods may be very scanty or vice versa – very heavy. In addition, as the number of follicles decreases, estrogen production decreases. When estrogen levels fall below what is needed for ovulation, periods become irregular. When all the follicles are gone, menstruation stops and the menstrual cycle ends.
The bottom line
It is natural for young girls to have irregular periods. It is also natural for adult women who are experiencing perimenopause. In order to ensure a regular cycle, it is recommended to eat healthily, exercise but not overdo it and try not to stress. Of course, it is known that pregnancy, medicine, or various hormonal disorders can be the cause of late menstruation.
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