Why is menstruation delayed? You may think you are pregnant when this happens. What to do when menstruation is delayed? Find out the possible causes and ways to get your period.
Why is menstruation delayed? Are you worried that your period has not yet arrived? Some are happy because it might be the long-awaited pregnancy. But, did you know that pregnancy is not the only reason why your period is delayed or menstruation is delayed?
“Am I pregnant?”
This is always the first fear women have when they haven’t had their period yet.Panic modeimmediately. Wouldn’t it be better to find out the possible causes of menstrual delay?
Before rushing to buy a pregnancy test at the drug store, read these 6 common reasons why your period hasn’t arrived this month.
Why is menstruation delayed?
1. Stress or excessive worry
Why is menstruation delayed? | Photo: Unsplash
One of the reasons why menstruation is delayed is excessive worry or stress . This includes the hypothalamus—the part of the brain that controls the release of hormones.
According to studies, when stress is excessive, the menstrual cycle can be affected, which can be shorter, longer, late, or not coming on time. Some people also experience more painful period cramps.
What to do: Avoid overthinking and stressful situations as much as possible. Exercise, get enough sleep, and find a hobby to help reduce stress levels.
2. Your birth control method
It is common knowledge among women that using birth control pills helps regulate the menstrual cycle.
But according to a medical article by reproductive health expert Dr. George Patounakis, taking extended-cycle birth control pills can sometimes have an impact.
Instead of 21 pills for 21 days, there are pill sets that are for a 28-day cycle, and there are also 3 continuous months. In the 28-pill set, seven are “blank” or hormone-free pills, but they are used to get the woman used to taking them and not forgetting.
Hormonal birth control releases estrogen along with progesterone for 21 days. This is followed by a few hormone-free-pill days. The loss of hormones causes menstruation or bleeding.
These hormones cause the lining of the uterus to thin, sometimes so thin that bleeding or menstruation does not occur. This is the cause of the delay.
The same goes for those who use injectable birth control or patches, including intrauterine devices (IUDs). So if this is the contraceptive method used, expect your menstrual period to be irregular, and sometimes even absent for a month.
What to do: There is no risk of a delay due to contraceptives. Dr. Patounakis still advises, if it has been more than 2 months since you last had a period.
Even if you are using contraceptives, you should still see an OB-GYN to make sure you are pregnant or not. Not all types of contraceptives are 100% effective.
3. Weight loss or gain due to diet
Another reason why menstruation is delayed is weight. Some people intentionally lose weight, which changes their food intake, or they simply exercise.
These two factors are possible causes of a late period. Being underweight or having a low body-fat ratio can affect reproductive hormone levels.
It drops so much that ovulation and menstruation do not occur as expected. The same problem occurs when there is too much weight gain.
Although delayed menstruation is more affected when weight loss is excessive, when the body lacks nutrients, the production of hormones that regulate a woman’s ovaries is affected.
What to do: If your period is late and it is possible that it is due to rapid weight loss or exercise, you should also consult a doctor and dietician immediately to advise on the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to regulate your period again. Gaining even a little weight can also help your menstruation return to regularity.
PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders in women. There are hormones such as prolactin or thyroid hormones that cause menstrual delay.
In a typical menstrual cycle, each woman’s ovary releases 5 follicles, one of which will release an egg for ovulation. When a woman has PCOS, there are extra follicles, so more are competing to release an egg, and the ovulation process takes longer.
Until an egg is released, the menstrual cycle will not begin. When a woman has abnormal hormone levels, it can also cause small cysts to form on the ovaries.
The main symptoms of PCOS are excessive weight gain or obesity. In addition, there is an increase in the level of the hormone androgen, which causes hot flashes, and thick facial and chest hair.
What to do: See a doctor right away to determine whether the problem is PCOS or a hormonal imbalance. Often, medication is all that is needed to restore regular menstruation. If left untreated, it can lead to endometrial cancer.
5. Perimenopause
The average age of menopause is 50-52 years old and above, but some women experience delayed menstrual cycles, or even the absence of menstruation for a few months, then it returns, at age 45 and above.
Instead of being 28 days apart, it becomes 48 days or more, possibly because estrogen levels are fluctuating, or there may also be a problem with the ovaries.
According to Dr. Seema Samath, an OB-GYN at Aster Clinic Dubai, if you are between the ages of 40 and 48 and your periods have stopped for more than a year, it is called early menopause.
What to do: Consult your OB-GYN to learn about the symptoms or signs of perimenopause, how to take care of yourself, and what to drink or eat that will help.
6. It could be a sign of illness
It can also be a sign of a medical condition such as diabetes, thyroid disease, or pituitary tumor. Women with these conditions may have problems with ovulation and have delayed menstruation.
Other symptoms include heavy bleeding, which is sometimes not menstruation, and weakness. If there is a tumor, you may experience headaches, blurred vision, and discharge from the vagina.
What to do: If you notice other symptoms related to diabetes and thyroid disease, see a doctor immediately to determine what the real problem is.
Amenorrhea: Why menstruation is delayed
Amenorrhea occurs when menstruation is delayed, but why? This is called the absence of menstrual bleeding.
On the other hand, it is normal to not have a menstrual period during pregnancy or when you have reached the menopausal period. However, if you have had a chance to miss a period, there may be complications that need to be checked out.
Why menstruation is delayed: Two types of amenorrhea
There are two types of amenorrhea that can describe why menstruation is delayed or absent. For those who have not had a menstrual period by the age of 16, there is what is called primary amenorrhea. This is also the type of amenorrhea that indicates a problem in the reproductive tract that prevents menstrual bleeding.
If your period is delayed or absent for 3 straight months, after a regular cycle of 9 months, you have secondary amenorrhea. This is the most common type of amenorrhea in mommies and women.
See your doctor immediately even if your menstruation is normal.
Reasons why menstruation is delayed
Why is menstruation delayed? There are possible reasons for a delay in your menstruation or the condition amenorrhea.
For example, primary amenorrhea can result from structural problems in your vagina. This can be a sign of underdeveloped or malfunctioning ovaries.
3 to 4 months delay but not pregnant: Some of the reasons why menstruation is delayed
Conditions such as issues with the pituitary or thyroid glands can cause secondary amenorrhea. When these glands are functioning properly, they produce the hormones needed to produce the hormones for menstruation.
This is also the situation why you are 3 to 4 months late but you are not pregnant. Also, just because your period is late does not mean you are pregnant immediately.
Some other possible causes of primary or secondary amenorrhea or why menstruation is delayed by 3 to 4 months but not pregnant are the following:
- obesity
- malnutrition
- anorexia nervosa
- severe weight loss
- excessive exercise
- PCOS
- ovarian cancer
- non-cancerous ovarian lump or cyst
- uterine scattering due to D and C, or dilation and curettage
- removal or undergoing surgery of the ovary or uterus
- hormonal imbalance
- depression
- using or taking certain drugs, such as antipsychotics
3 to 4 months delay but not pregnant: Natural causes of delayed menstruation
- When you are breastfeeding
- if you have reached the age of the menopausal period
- Starting, stopping, or changing birth control also affects your menstrual cycle.
A 3 to 4 month delay but not pregnant is no joke for women who think they are pregnant. If this is your condition, see a doctor or OB-GYN immediately.
Menstrual effective medicine for delaying menstruation
There are ways a woman can manipulate her menstrual cycle, according to Dr. Newman. But she says this should be done in consultation with your doctor so that it can be done correctly and you can be guided.
Is there an effective menstrual medicine for delaying menstruation?
Except for the article published byMarie Clairemagazine, Bustle.com first recommended parsley as a menstrual herb in 2015.
It stimulates blood flow to a woman’s pelvis and uterus. Which can sometimes also bring on the onset of menstruation. The recommended dosage of parsley is 2 to 4 cups a day. This is by drinking it as a tea.
Apart from parsley, there are other herbs that are effective in delaying menstruation or in treating menstrual cramps. But keep in mind that if you are pregnant, it can cause miscarriage or harm your pregnancy. The following herbs have not yet been thoroughly researched for their effectiveness.
This is the following:
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Ginger | Menstrual effective medicine for delaying menstruation
Ginger is an effective herbal remedy for menstruation, especially if your periods are irregular. It also helps relieve menstrual pain and uterine contractions.
To use it, boil half a teaspoon of grated ginger . Put it in a glass of water for five to seven minutes. You can add sugar to sweeten it. Drink it three times a day after meals for a month or more.
Turmeric is also an emmenagogue like parsley. Consuming turmeric balances hormones in a woman’s body, which helps to regularize her menstrual cycle.
It is also believed to strengthen menstruation and reduce menstrual pain. This is due to its ability to relieve inflammation.
To use turmeric, mix it with milk or honey. Drink it daily for a week. You can also add it to curry, rice, and other vegetable dishes.
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Raw papaya | Menstrual effective medicine for delaying menstruation
Raw and green papaya is also a menstrual food. It is also a good remedy for irregular menstruation because it dilates the uterus of a woman in a good way. To use, make its juice and drink it once a day.
These are just a few of the foods and plants that can be consumed to stimulate menstruation. But as experts advise, before drinking or using things or foods that can stimulate menstruation, you should talk to your doctor first. This is to find out the appropriate method for you.
Remember, if you think there is a possibility that you are pregnant, it is best to avoid taking these herbs and consult an OB-GYN first.
Menstrual pills – are they effective?
Have you ever heard the belief that drinking pito-pito can help you get your period? Pito-pito is not a single plant, but a mixture of leaves from various plants such as guava, mango, alagaw, pandan, banaba , and anise seeds, all of which have various health benefits.
Although many people say that drinking pito-pito helps relieve the symptoms of menstrual cramps and make monthly periods regular, there is not enough evidence or studies to prove that it is an effective menstrual medicine.
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Menstrual pills are effective medicine for delaying menstruation.
Taking oral contraceptive pills can help regulate your period. According to Medical News Today, you can stop taking your pills early to bring your period on time.
But because using pills has its fair share of side effects , it’s best to consult your OB-GYN before trying this method.
Having sex and having an orgasm are also said to help speed up the arrival of your period. If you don’t want to take any medication, try these ways to get your period first.
Why is menstruation delayed? | Photo: Freepik
Finally, the possibility that pregnancy is the cause of late menstruation should not be ruled out . Even if you are using contraceptives, you can still get pregnant. The suspicion of pregnancy can only be ruled out if you have been examined by an OB GYN and the pregnancy test is negative.
In all likelihood, it would be a good idea for a woman to list the dates of the first and last days of her menstruation, to be aware of her own cycle. When seeing a doctor, this is the first question asked: the first and last day of her most recent menstruation.
If you still feel strange, have regular check-ups with your OB GYN. Include the necessary tests like pap smear. Knowledge of reproductive health and self-care can help prevent or treat any serious complications.
Warning on using natural menstrual remedies
Although herbs like parsley, ginger, and papaya are known as natural remedies for delayed menstruation, it is important to be careful about using them without adequate advice from experts. Although they are natural, there are risks associated with them, especially for women who want to get pregnant or have hormonal conditions like PCOS.
Improper use of natural remedies can affect hormone balance and cause more serious complications. Before trying any natural remedy, it is best to seek advice from a doctor first to ensure safety and proper use.
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Philippines
