Why do periods get delayed

See your GP if you're not pregnant — you've had a negative pregnancy test — and you've missed more than 3 periods in a row. If you're sexually active and you have not taken a pregnancy test, your GP may advise you to take one.

Your GP may recommend waiting to see whether your periods return on their own. In some cases you may need treatment for your periods to return. You should also see your GP if your periods stop before you're 45 or if you're still bleeding when you're over If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a consultant who specialises in the condition.

If test results show a medical condition has caused your periods to stop, you may be offered treatment for your condition. For example, if the cause is PCOS, you may be advised to take the contraceptive pill or tablets containing a hormone called progesterone. Read more about the treatment of PCOS.

If the cause is early menopause premature ovarian failure , this means the ovaries no longer function normally. Hormone medicine is usually recommended. Treatments may include the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy HRT. If you have an overactive thyroid gland, you may be given medication to stop your thyroid producing too many hormones. Read more about treating an overactive thyroid gland. Page last reviewed: 02 August Next review due: 02 August Stopped or missed periods.

Why your periods might stop There are a number of reasons why your periods can stop. The most common reasons are: pregnancy stress sudden weight loss being overweight doing too much exercise taking the contraceptive pill the menopause polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS Periods can also sometimes stop as a result of a medical condition, such as heart disease , uncontrolled diabetes , an overactive thyroid , or premature menopause.

Pregnancy You might be pregnant if you're sexually active and your period is late. Stress If you're stressed, your menstrual cycle can become longer or shorter, your periods may stop altogether, or they might become more painful.

This is known as perimenopause and indicates that estrogen levels are beginning to fluctuate. Once a woman has gone a full year without a period, she is said to have gone through menopause.

Significant weight loss or intense exercise can cause a woman to miss her period. Being underweight or having a low body-fat ratio can alter reproductive hormone levels, lowering them to levels where ovulation and menstruation do not occur. A woman who has missed one or several periods after losing a significant amount of weight should consult a doctor or dietician about getting the appropriate amount of vitamins , minerals, and nutrients that her body needs.

Obesity and missed periods can sometimes signal that a woman has a medical condition, such as polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , so it is important for a woman to be correctly diagnosed by a doctor. The doctor may recommend blood tests or an ultrasound to look at the ovaries to make sure that no underlying medical conditions are causing missed periods. Typically, hormonal birth control provides a form of estrogen combined with progesterone for a set amount of time, followed by several hormone-free days.

The withdrawal of these hormones triggers a period. Sometimes, these hormones keep the lining of the uterus so thin that there is not enough of the lining to cause a period. This applies to all forms of hormonal birth control, including pills, patches, shots, implants, and rings. In most cases, this is not harmful, but women should speak to a doctor with any concerns about their birth control method.

If a hormonal imbalance is responsible for a missed or late period, it can easily be detected with a blood test. Jay M. Berman, M. Make an appointment with your doctor if you can't pinpoint the reasons for a late period; they may want to check for various conditions. It's also important to note that vaginal bleeding after a late period may not be the monthly visitor you were expecting. Missing periods at the right time can cause a serious problem for girls. At the same time, if the periods are not coming at the right time for a long time, then girls can also have a serious health problem.

Also, they may have to endure unbearable pain during this time. What are the Cause. By Maria Carter Updated March 08, Save Pin FB More. What to say and not say to women who struggle to conceive.

By Maria Carter. Comments 1. Chronic conditions that can affect your menstrual cycle include:. Certain conditions that are present at birth, such as Turner syndrome and androgen insensitivity , typically cause menstrual and fertility problems.

These congenital conditions are often associated with amenorrhea. Acute illness, such as pneumonia , a heart attack, kidney failure, or meningitis, can result in rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiency, or hormone dysfunction.

These conditions can also result in a missed period. Many illnesses and disorders can interfere with your cycle until they are treated. Once the underlying condition is resolved, it might take a few months before your period returns again.

Changing schedules can throw off your body clock. If you frequently change work shifts from days to nights, or if your schedule is generally all over the place, your period can be fairly unpredictable. A change in your schedule shouldn't cause you to completely miss your period, but it can cause your period to start earlier or later than expected.

Your cycle can also change by a few days if you experience jet lag. Some medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, thyroid medications, anticonvulsants, and some chemotherapy medications, may cause your period to be absent or delayed.

Different types of contraceptives can affect your menstrual cycle in different ways. Some contraceptives are associated with heavy periods, some with light periods, and some with amenorrhea.

Being overweight, underweight, or experiencing drastic changes in weight all impact your cycle. Obesity influences estrogen and progesterone regulation and may even lead to issues with fertility. Very high body mass index BMI is associated with missed periods, and weight loss can help regulate the menstrual cycle for women who are obese.

Being severely underweight interferes with regular menstrual cycles as well. When the body lacks fat and other nutrients, it cannot produce hormones the way it should. Women who have anorexia very low caloric intake or who burn far more calories with exercise than what they consume may experience amenorrhea. Typically, weight gain will help your periods to return. Rapid weight changes due to illness, medication, or dietary changes may interfere with hormone production or release.

In turn, this may cause you to miss one period or more. A normal menstrual cycle lasts from 21 to 35 days in healthy women, but it can vary. This is especially true for young women who are just starting to get their periods, or for women who have not had periods for several years and are starting again. A young woman who has only had a few cycles may go months without another one until a regular pattern begins.

And women who have not had a period due to contraceptive use, hormonal therapy, or illness may not resume regular, monthly periods right away. Perimenopause is the period of transition between reproductive age to non-reproductive age. Your periods may be lighter, heavier, more frequent, or less frequent during this time.

In most cases, they'll just be different than what you're used to. Menopause is when you have reached the point in your life where you will no longer ovulate or menstruate.

The average age of menopause is 51 years old. You may have light periods, infrequent periods, or amenorrhea when breastfeeding, particularly if breastfeeding provides your baby with all or almost all of their calories. Many women believe that breastfeeding is a form of birth control, but it's not. Even if you don't have periods when you are breastfeeding, you can get pregnant.