11 common causes and what to do

Delayed menstruation is quite common, and is not always a sign of pregnancy.. In fact, a series of everyday factors can contribute to a delay in menstruation. For example, hormonal disorders, stress, and medication use. All of this can interfere with a woman’s menstrual cycle.

In fact, the Irregularity of the menstrual cycle is one of the most common complaints of women in the reproductive phase. To give you an idea, in the case of women with infertility, the irregular menstrual cycle with lack of ovulation accounts for 32% of the causes of problems getting pregnant.

Thenif menstruation is delayed by 3 to 5 days, it is considered normal, and if the delay is regularized in the next cycle. However, depending on the cause of the delay, this could occur for months at a time. Therefore, it is necessary to see a doctor if it is something that recurs. Furthermore, if there is even a slight possibility of pregnancy, the ideal is to take a test first.

Therefore, below we will understand more about the subject and learn about the most common causes of late menstruation.

Main causes of late menstruation

1. Stress

Stress, as well as anxiety, are one of the most common causes of delayed menstruation. Excessive responsibilities, which leads to stress, can result in a change in hormones. However, most of the time, this situation resolves on its own, when the stress peak passes.

2. Obesity or underweight

Women with obesity, that is, who have a greater amount of body fat, commonly produce more estrogen. Therefore, when this hormone is at a high level, it can result in irregular cases and also anovoluntary, that is, when the woman does not menstruate.

In contrast, Underweight women, that is, with a body weight well below what is considered healthy, may also have irregular cycles, due to a lack of estrogen.. Since the lack of fatty tissue decreases the body’s ability to produce this hormone.

3. Incorrect use of contraceptives causes late menstruation

Generally, oral contraceptives are intended to imitate a woman’s natural cycle. Then, After long periods of using the medication, the body may have difficulty returning to normal. In other words, resuming the natural cycle, which can result in delayed menstruation. Therefore, it is very important to know how to stop taking contraceptives and what happens to the body.

4. Excessive physical activity

It is common in High-performance athletes suffer from hormonal changes, which end up affecting the menstrual cycle. However, this does not affect all women who practice physical activities. This is more common in the case of high-level athletes, such as professional competitors.

5. Thyroid changes cause late menstruation

Dysfunctions in the thyroid gland, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, are also one of the causes of late menstruation. This is because it directly affects hormonal production and causes changes in cycles. In these cases, it is essential to seek medical help to begin appropriate treatment.

6. Polycystic ovary syndrome

Women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, have menstrual delays and even absence of menstruation at certain times. This is a result of excessive production of the hormone androgen, which directly affects the menstrual cycle.

In fact, check out 5 signs that you may have polycystic ovary syndrome.

7. Breastfeeding

For women who have just given birth and are still breastfeeding, it is normal to not have a period. In fact, this condition is called transient amenorrhea. This happens due to prolactin, which regulates milk production and also interferes with a woman’s ovulation.

8. Pre-menopause

Menopause usually occurs for most women around the age of 50. However, in the phase leading up to menopause, About 1 to 5 years before menstruation stops, many women suffer from menstrual irregularities.

9. Dietary restrictions

Dieting with many restrictions can also be one of the causes of late menstruation. This is because this type of diet can result in hormonal fluctuations, as well as reducing the body’s nutrient levels. Therefore, it can cause not only a delay, but even the absence of menstruation.

10. Changes in the hypothalamus and pituitary

These two glands are located in the brain and are responsible for regulating sexual hormones. Therefore, any disease or change that affects these glands can result in an irregular menstrual cycle, and cause a delay or anticipation of the cycle.

11. Hormonal changes in adolescence

For girls in adolescence, hormonal changes are quite common, as the endocrine system is not yet completely mature. Therefore, it is normal not to ovulate in some cycles, which can also result in irregularities, as well as a delay in menstruation.

How long is a missed period normal?

This is a fundamental question. So, to do this we need to understand how the menstrual cycle works. On average, the normal menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. However, in the case of cycles with an interval of 21 to 35 days, with anticipation or delay of up to 3 days is completely normal. However, this does not mean that longer periods need to be a problem, as long as the cycle has a regular pattern.

Now in the case of women with irregular menstrual cycle, like those who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, for example, assessing menstrual delay is a little more difficult. Therefore, in these cases, it is common for a woman to ovulate without having frequent menstrual cycles.

Therefore, the possibility of pregnancy must first be ruled out. And to confirm ovulation, it must be through an ultrasound or through hormone measurement in the blood.

How long of a missed period can it be pregnancy?

The first symptoms of pregnancy can be very particular and vary for each woman. However, the first symptoms may appear even before the missed period. So, generally, they appear from the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy, that is, between 7 and 14 days after the day your period is supposed to come.

However, the intensity and regularity of the signs also vary between women. For example, for some women the symptoms are very evident leaving no doubts for mothers. In other cases, go unnoticedand confused as just a common illness.

Negative pharmacy test, but menstruation is still late

Normally, pharmacy tests are very reliable, however, depending on the stage of pregnancy, it can give a false negative because it was done too early. Furthermore, in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, it can also give a wrong result.

However, it is most likely that the woman suffers from some type of hormonal imbalance, which is why her period continues to be late, even when she has a regular cycle. Therefore, the delay cannot always be seen as a symptom of pregnancy.

When to seek medical help?

It is not enough for menstruation to be a month late to determine that this is a case of menstrual irregularity. Therefore, reaching this conclusion takes time, as the assessment cannot be based on a single menstrual cycle.

For women who menstruate regularly, the first step after being late is to take a pregnancy test. If you are not pregnant, and the menstruation is delayed for three cycles or more, the ideal is to see a doctor to analyze and look for the causes related to late menstruation.

In the case of women who do not have a regular menstrual cycle, the recommended evaluate the menstrual calendar for at least six months. So, if the irregularity is confirmed, the woman should go to a specialist doctor.

READ MORE:

Irregular menstruation – Causes, symptoms and treatments

Postpartum menstruation: when it returns to normal and possible changes

9 teas to reduce late menstruation

How to make your period go away? Most used methods

How to regulate menstruation? Easy tips and teas to help with the problem

Menstruation: the most common doubts and 22 myths and truths

Sources: Ceferp Saúde Bem EstarTua Saúde

Bibliography

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• FERRIES-ROWE, Elizabeth; COREY, Elizabeth; ARCHER, Johanna S. Primary Dysmenorrhea: Diagnosis and Therapy. Obstet Gynecol. Vol.136, n.5. 1047–1058, 2020
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• BRAZILIAN FEDERATION OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS ASSOCIATIONS. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. 2018. Available at: . Accessed on September 26, 2022
• HEIDI, Felix M; CERVONKA, Daniel. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding from the primary care perspective. JAPA. Vol.25, n.4. 47-49, 2012