Dr Maxwell Adeyemi
Are you worried about a late period, but know you’re not pregnant? Missed or late periods happen for many reasons other than pregnancy.
While pregnancy is usually the most obvious cause of a missed or delayed period, there are other medical and lifestyle factors that can affect your menstrual cycle making your period late. Common causes can range from hormonal imbalances to serious medical conditions. There are also two times when it’s typical for your period to be irregular – when it first begins and when the menopause transition starts. As your body goes through the transition, your cycle can become irregular.
Most people who haven’t reached menopause usually have a period approximately every 28 days. However, a healthy menstrual cycle can range from every 21 to 40 days. If your period doesn’t fall within these ranges, it could be because of one of the following reasons.
Stress
Chronic stress can throw off your hormones, change your daily routine, and even affect the part of your brain responsible for regulating your period, your hypothalamus. Intense stress interrupts the production of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone – a hormone that regulates ovulation and menstrual cycle.
Over time, stress can lead to illness or sudden weight gain or loss, all of which can impact your cycle. If you think stress might be throwing off your period, try practising relaxation techniques and making lifestyle changes.
Chronic stress can also affect other health conditions you’re living with, so addressing it, with the help of a medical professional, is an important part of taking care of your overall well-being.
Low body weight
People who have eating disorders may experience irregularities in their cycle. Losing too much weight can cause irregular periods, and may even stop your cycle altogether. This is because not having enough body fat can pause ovulation.
Being severely underweight or rapid weight loss may interfere with hormone production and release of hormones that can result in menstrual disruption.
Getting treatment for your eating disorder and getting to the point where your body fat is optimal again can return your cycle to its original length.
Obesity
In the same way that living with low body weight can cause hormonal changes, living with high body weight can also cause irregularities. Obesity influences oestrogen and progesterone regulation and can cause period changes or even infertility. Obesity can cause the body to produce an overabundance of oestrogen, which is a key reproductive hormone. Too much oestrogen can cause irregularities in your cycle, and may even stop your periods altogether.
If obesity is a factor in your late or missed periods, it may be advisable for you to lose weight through lifestyle changes.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes your body to produce more of the male hormone androgen. Cysts form on the ovaries as a result of this hormone imbalance. This can make ovulation irregular or st
