Without a doubt, pregnancy would be the first thing to come to mind when we speak of missed periods. Other than being pregnant, could there be any other reasons why a woman’s menstrual cycle may go haywire? Let’s find out!

Missing a period is found to be tied to different emotions – joy, hopefulness, fear, worry, angst, etc. The main reason for the emotions mentioned above is the assumption of pregnancy, whereby in some cases, a pregnancy is welcomed prospect, and in others, it is not. If a woman is trying to conceive, a missed period could indicate success in her efforts, and she may feel hopeful in anticipation of motherhood. If a woman is not looking forward to a pregnancy for any reason, then a missed period may bring out a string of negative emotions such as worry, regret, fear, etc.

The fact is, there are a number of other factors that can cause a missed period in a woman’s menstrual cycle. If you have missed a period and are experiencing some early symptoms such as morning sickness, you should first consult your doctor. If you use a home pregnancy test kit, keep in mind that it’s highly possible that you could be pregnant and still get a negative pregnancy test because of low sensitivity pregnancy kit. (Another test may be needed in a week or so to confirm). If the second test is negative too, then it’s time to look out for the reasons behind the late period. The commonly found causes of irregular menstrual period and possible ways of treating them are as follows.

An Undetected Illness
As mind-boggling as this sounds, if you happen to have a serious health issue, it may cause your period to go missing too. Diseases that can delay the periods are tuberculosis, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, liver disease and so on. A full check up at your doctor’s office will help determine if you are ill in any way, and if you are, steps will be taken to help you recover from it. Your regular periods should resume when the illness is cured.

Not Being At Your Ideal Weight
For some women, not having the ideal body weight may cause changes in their menstrual cycles. This may also be the case when women gain weight or lose weight too much, too quickly! Either way, it affects the body’s hormones, causing a shift in the body’s normal hormone-related functions, which includes our menstrual cycles. As a result, you may get periods irregularly or it may temporarily stop for some time. Your doctor will be able to tell you if you need to lose weight to get your menstrual cycle back on track, or, if you are underweight and need to put on some weight for that same purpose.

Plain ol’ stress
Stress is capable of causing serious harm to your body, which in turn leads to all sorts of illnesses that compromise the quality of your life. In many cases, missing periods are also linked back to mental stress, which can affect the hormones related to our reproductive systems. This hormonal imbalance not only causes a woman’s period to halt, but it may also wreak havoc to her emotional wellbeing as well. If you think your missing period is due to stress, talk to your doctor at once. He may be able to help with medication, and also by referring you to a mental health professional.

Menopause
When a woman reaches a certain age in her life, she will begin to go through what’s called the perimenopausal period. During this time, she’ll either have missed periods, light flow or heavier than normal flow for some time. This period may last a few years for some women. It happens as the body gets ready to stop the menstrual flow. The levels of reproductive hormones start going down and the menstruation schedule becomes irregular. It is an absolutely normal condition and it usually does not require any treatment. If you worry about your extremely heavy flow however, do consult your doctor. The perimenopausal period will go on till such a time when a woman will no longer have her period.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
This condition is usually caused by a hormonal disorder, resulting in the formation of small cysts inside the ovaries, triggering menstrual abnormality. Sometimes, women with PCOS get prolonged periods and at other times, they do not get periods for few months. During the time of their cycle, they may experience premenstrual syndrome such as cramps but there is no period. Doctors treat ovarian cysts with birth control pills and other medicines that contain a synthetic form of estrogen and progesterone hormones.

Other Possible Causes
There may be other reasons too, why a woman may miss her period for the month. Breastfeeding her baby, for example, is one of them. Other reasons may include eating disorders, (or a radical change in a woman’s diet), or even a sudden increase in physical exercise. Missed periods can also be triggered by irregular use of birth control pills. In many cases, women may experience some spotting after they missed the pills for a few days in between. Any abnormal changes in a woman’s daily schedule may also have an adverse impact on her menstrual cycle.

In conclusion, there are many reasons why a woman may suddenly miss her periods. If the reason is a medical one, then it’s best to seek the help of a doctor. If the reason is not related to health, some lifestyle changes will probably help sort it out.