When you have a missed period, the first thing that comes to mind is the arrival of pregnancy. However, it is not necessarily a future pregnancy; it could be a health disorder that causes you to be late for your period and require immediate medical action.
Although the menstrual cycle in women is different, generally, women experience menstruation within 21-35 days. If you haven’t had a period within 35 days or more from your last period, you can be sure that your period is late.
Some of the causes of late menstruation you can feel and do without realizing it. What are the causes of your missed period and future solutions? Let’s find out!
Reasons for Late Menstruation
There are many causes of late menstruation that you may experience, but because it does not come with other signs of pregnancy, you underestimate it; it could slow down your period. The following are causes of late menstruation.
1. Stress
The first cause that makes you late for your period is stress. When you are stressed, the hormone cortisol in the body will increase. These excessive hormones will disrupt your menstrual cycle, which was initially smooth to be early, late, or not.
2. Weight Loss
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can be one of the reasons why you are late for your period. These disorders will make your body have a low body weight so body functions will be disrupted, and the ovulation process will be hampered.
3. Obesity
In addition to low body weight, having excess weight is also one of the causes of late menstruation. So, you must regulate your weight so that it is not too low or too much so that menstruation can run smoothly as usual.
4. Excess exercise
Exercise is good for your body and must be done, but excessive exercise without consuming sufficient calorie intake can prevent menstruation from coming. When you exercise excessively, your body doesn’t produce enough estrogen, so your menstrual cycle is disrupted.
5. Disease
Certain diseases can also be a factor in your missed period, such as celiac and diabetes. In diabetes, changes in blood sugar can change hormones in the body and cause irregular menstrual cycles.
Celiac disease can cause inflammation of the small intestine, which will make it difficult for the small intestine to absorb essential nutrients, causing missed periods.
6. Perimenopause
Although still relatively young, women under the age of 51 can experience premature menopause or perimenopause. Your body will gradually produce less estrogen and get closer to menopause.
Perimenopause which is the cause of your late menstruation, can delay menstruation for 1 month and will return to normal in the next menstrual cycle for 2-3 months. So, if you don’t have your period in 1 month, you could be in a premature menopause phase, not in the early stages of pregnancy.
7. Thyroid
One of the causes of late menstruation is the presence of thyroid disorders, which are more common in women. The thyroid is a gland that produces endocrine hormones that regulate the number of body tissue cells.
Thyroid hormones can also regulate menstrual cycles in women. If the amount is too much (hyperthyroid) or too little (hypothyroid) can make the blood that comes out to be minor, too much, and irregular and can make your periods stop for several months, aka amenorrhea.
Thyroid disease can have the following symptoms:
- Changes in Appetite
- Nervous and anxious
- Tremors in hands
- Difficulty sleeping
- Tired easily
- Changes to hair
- Weight change
- Heart beats faster
8. Taking Drugs
Those who take antidepressants, antipsychotics, corticosteroids, and chemotherapy drugs are more likely to experience irregular menstrual cycles.
In addition to taking the drugs above, hormonal contraceptives, such as pills, injections, and implants, can also stop the ovulation process in the body, causing delayed menstruation and stopping menstruation.
9. Changes in Sleep Schedule
Chaotic body metabolism is one of the factors that cause you to experience late menstruation. Lack of sleep or changes in sleep schedule is a significant factor disrupting your body’s metabolism.
This cause is often experienced by women who usually work the day shift and then change it to a night shift or vice versa, so the sleep schedule changes and disrupts the body’s metabolism.
10. Breastfeeding
In the breastfeeding phase, you can be sure to stop menstruating for some time. The hormone prolactin, or lactogen, which functions to produce breast milk, will suppress the ovulation process.
11. Polycystic Ovary Symptom (PCOS)
PCOS is when a woman’s body produces more androgens, also known as male hormones. A body that has a hormonal imbalance can cause cysts in the ovaries, and the menstrual cycle can be disrupted or even stopped.
The causes above you can overcome or reduce through treatment that you can do at home or the hospital or doctor. What are the safe solutions? Let’s find out.
Solution for Late Menstruation
You can do some of the solutions below; if the cause of your irregular menstruation is related to the health of your internal organs, you can immediately go to the hospital. Here’s a solution for those who are late for your period.
1. Change Your Lifestyle
One of the leading causes of late menstruation is stress. Stress can be suppressed by doing things you love or hobbies you haven’t done in a long time. If you are a smoker and like to drink alcohol, you can quit or reduce smoking and drinking alcohol.
2. Take care of your diet
A good diet will affect what happens to your body. Fast food, processed foods, and foods that contain preservatives and artificial sweeteners will trigger irregular menstruation.
Expand the consumption of fruits with a high vitamin C content and vegetables and nuts containing omega-3 fatty acids, which are suitable for the smoothness of your menstruation.
3. Exercise regularly
Light exercises routinely done daily can make your body fitter and make the menstrual cycle smoother. Sports such as meditation or yoga can be your choice to reduce stress and improve blood circulation in the body.
That’s the cause and how to deal with late menstruation that young women to adult women can suffer. Check with the nearest doctor if your menstrual problems aren’t resolved at home.