Late Period?

Being a woman can be quite complicated when you have to contend with fluctuating hormones and missed periods. It can be scary to discover you have an irregular, missed or absent period. There are so many different health factors that have an effect on your menstrual cycle that it can be hard for you or a doctor to determine the cause. Before you begin to worry, though, consider whether any of these situations might apply to you and learn what you can you do to bring back your period if they do.

First Things First

You must begin by asking yourself a series of questions:

• How long has it been since I missed my period?
• Am I taking birth control?
• Is there a possibility I might be pregnant?
• Do I have bleeding between periods?
• How often do I have heavy menstrual bleeding?

Once you have answered these questions, and any others that come to mind, you should write them down and show them to your doctor during a check-up.

Most women will have between 10 to 13 regular periods every year. It is common for periods to be irregular at the beginning and end of your menstruating years.

Why is it Late?

There can be several explanations as to why you have had a late or missed period that depend on your unique health history and lifestyle. Among the more common reasons, late or missed periods can be caused by variety of factors including:

• Pregnancy
• Eating disorders
• Excessive exercise
• Stress
• Travel
• Medications
• Birth control pills or hormonal drugs
• Illicit drug use
• Breastfeeding
• Menstrual disorders
• Premature ovarian failure

However, there are also several other reproductive disorders that can have a direct effect on menstruation, causing your period to be late or irregular.

Menstrual, Reproductive and Endocrine Disorders

Disorder	Cause	Symptoms
Amenorrhea (menstrual cycle disorder)	Improper nutrition, stress, eating disorders	Absence of period, disruption of sexual drive, deep voice
Anovulation (menstrual cycle disorder)	Hormonal imbalance	Erratic body temperature, irregular periods
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) (reproductive disorder)	unclear, perhaps genetics or an insulin resistence	Irregular periods, weight gain, sporadic ovulation
Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) (endocrine disorder)	Unclear, perhaps exposure to radiation, chromosomal problems	Absent periods, irregular periods, hot flashes
Uterine Fibroids (benign tumors)	Unclear, perhaps due to excess of estrogen	Irregular bleeding, pressure on pelvis

Women using an intrauterine device (IUD) my also experience irregular menstrual bleeding and painful cramps.

Find more information on irregular periods at Menstrual Delay and Skipping.