A delayed period could be really scary, especially if you are worried about a possible pregnancy or a health condition. A period is considered to be late when it doesn’t show up for up to five days after the expected date. It is said to be missed if it does not occur six weeks or more after the expected date. If you are late, it is best to call your gynaecologist and talk to them about it.
However, not all delayed periods are caused by serious health conditions or pregnancy. There are various lifestyle factors, that determine how timely or irregular your periods are. And then there is the age factor ? teenagers and perimenopausal women often experience infrequent periods. The former due to the fact that their body is still not releasing one ova every month and the latter because of a reduction in estrogen levels.
Here are five reasons, other than pregnancy, that your periods may be late:
1. Stress
Chronic stress is one of the major causes of late periods in women. It can even cause missed periods at times. Experts say that excessive stress affects the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that is responsible for releasing hormones that promote the production of estrogen and the process of ovulation. When ovulation does not occur on time, your period is bound to be late or even missed.
2. Weight loss
If you have suddenly lost a large amount of weight, chances are that it is the culprit behind your late period. Studies show that major weight loss acts as physical stress and imbalances the luteinising and follicle-stimulating hormones in the body, which are needed for maturation and release of ovarian follicles at the time of ovulation. Just like in chronic mental stress, this can lead to delayed or even missed periods.
3. Exercise
Missed or late periods is pretty common in young athletes and ballet dancers. However, it should never be taken too lightly. Experts say that when you exercise too much, your body is burning a lot of calories. If you do not eat enough to make up for all those calories, your body will go into a starvation state and starts to run on survival mode. Since pregnancy is not something needed for an individual’s survival, your body stops ovulating too.
Exercise also has the same effect as stress on the menstrual cycle and can hence delay your periods.
4. Changes in sleep schedule
If you have travelled to a different time zone, tend to work night shifts or generally have a messed up sleep-wake cycle then it is bound to affect your periods sooner or later.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, women who have delayed sleep-wake-phase ? who sleep and wake up 2 hours later than the conventional bedtime (what is desired or socially acceptable) ? tend to have menstrual irregularities.
Another study published in the peer-reviewed, open-access journal Frontiers in Endocrinology indicated that the circadian rhythm has a direct correlation with a woman’s reproductive hormones and her menstrual cycle.
5. Birth control pills
If you have just stopped taking birth control pills, it is normal to have missed or late periods. Birth control pills keep your body from making hormones for ovulation or pregnancy. When you stop taking the pills, your body takes a while to regain or rebalance its normal functioning.
It may take a few weeks to a few months to return to your normal cycle. However, if you are concerned for some reason, it is best to talk to your doctor to know more about it.
For more information, read our article on Missed Periods
Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
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