Is it OK to Miss Your Period?

Missed periods don’t always lead to pregnancy. The good news is that missed periods can also be a sign of stress. According to Medical News Today, stress is one of the leading causes of a missed period. “Research shows that stress can interfere with your menstrual cycle by temporarily interfering with the part of the brain that controls the hormones that regulate your cycle” states Medical News Today. Due to stress interfering with the part of the brain that controls a woman’s cycle, it makes sense why stress can cause a missed period. It’s totally normal for a period to be missed especially if you’re a college student worried about exams, assignments and maybe managing a part-time job. The beauty of a missed period is there are many other causes rather than just coming to the conclusion of being pregnant.

Another reason for a missed period is a fluctuation in weight. If a woman loses or gains weight, this can affect her menstrual cycle. Weight loss/gain can affect a woman’s hormones, leading to a hormonal imbalance.  Due to these imbalances, it can cause a woman to miss her periods. Not to mention, if a woman has lost weight due to excessive exercise, the exercise itself can be a reason for a missed period. Performing exercise has the same effect as weight loss since it leads to hormonal imbalances, which can “interfere with a woman’s cyclic buildup and shedding of her uterine lining.” So if you recently started doing exercise, then that could be your reason for a missed period. Not to mention, if your body is going through weight-related issues, then it could be the reason for a delayed period.

Don’t be alarmed if you’re taking a birth control pill and you haven’t had your period because a side effect is missed periods. Typically, if a woman who’s on the pill normally has lighter periods, then the side effect of birth control can be skipped periods altogether. According to Mayo Clinic, “the pill prevents your body from making hormones involved in ovulation and menstruation. When you stop taking the pill, it can take some time for your body to return to normal production of these hormones.” Weird side effect for a pill that is meant to avoid a potential pregnancy, but hey, that’s science for you.

Considering genetics can affect when a woman will get her first period, it makes sense genetics can also impact if a woman has a delayed or missed period. Besides these common causes for missed periods, medical issues can also be a reason behind a missed period. According to WebMD, some other causes of irregular or late periods can be a side effect and signal a medical issue such as polycystic ovary syndrome, over/underactive thyroid and uterine fibroids.

“Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder that affects millions of women. Sometimes it’s called Stein-Leventhal syndrome. You might have irregular periods or no periods, and you could get cysts in a “string of pearls” pattern,” WebMD states. PCOS is also a common cause of infertility. As for the other medical problems missed periods can be a sign of, it’s best to see a doctor if there are multiple missed periods in a row, positive pregnancy test, having gained or lost weight and feeling overly stressed. Perhaps the positive pregnancy test may not be the case for most women, but it’s vital to see a doctor if missed periods still occur to make sure everything is healthy.

While some people assume missed periods are the result of pregnancy, there are multiple causes for missed periods. So it is important to check with a doctor if the case continues to make sure there are no medical problems occurring. Most of the time, stress is the cause for a late period as well as genetics but it never hurts to check with your doctor to make sure to catch the potential medical issue early on.

 

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