Categories: HEALTH & WELLNESS

Reasons Why Your Period is Late Other Than Pregnancy

Is your period late? Are you wondering why your menstruation cycle is delayed or off? Do you know you are not pregnant but want to know why your period is late? Here are some reasons for a late period.

Stress

One of the biggest and most common reasons for a late (or early) menstrual cycle is stress. If you are facing a stressful time right now, it can affect your health in many ways, including delaying your period. A large amount of stress is your body can affect your hormones, thus delaying your period. So if you’re facing a lot of stress – say you’ve had a big project at work, or you’ve been very busy with school and finals, then your menstrual cycle may be off. Read “Stress Relief Tips for Moms” for some advice on handling stress. (Even if you are not a mom, it has some great advice.)

Soy Consumption

Have you been eating a lot of soy products? This can affect your menstrual cycle. Search for “soy and menstrual cycle” to read more about how it affects your periods.

Weight Loss or Being Underweight

lf you are underweight, you will have a lower percentage of fat and it can affect your period. In some severe cases of anorexia, women will stop menstruating all together.

Weight Gain or Being Overweight

Being severely overweight can affect your menstrual cycles as well. Your hormones may be improperly balanced, but returning to a healthy weight can help your periods become regular again. Ask your doctor for more information.

Exercise

Did you recently start exercising frequently? If so, it can have an affect on your periods. Some very athletic women may go months without a regular period. This is addition to weight loss can have an big effect on your menstrual cycle.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can cause irregular periods. This is a disorder where the ovaries contain many small cysts. For more information on this condition, or if you suspect you might have it, speak with your doctor.

Illness

Are you getting over a recent illness? Illness can cause to a disruption in your menstrual cycle. This is temporarily,and hopefully your cycles will be regular again soon.

Menopause or Early-Menopause

Another reason for a late or irregular period is if you are in the beginning stages of menopause. Signs of early menopause (also known as per-menopause) includes late periods and irregular cycles, heavy and light periods.

Breastfeeding

It is very common for breastfeeding mothers to have late periods and irregular cycles. Some women will not menstruate at all while breastfeeding. Cycles will usually be normal once you stop nursing your baby.

Schedule Changes

A tenth reason for a late period is a significant change in your schedule. If you have been staying up later at night, and/or not getting enough sleep, your menstrual cycle may be delayed or affected.

If you think that you might be pregnant but have a negative pregnancy test, there is still a chance that you could be pregnant. Pregnancy tests are not 100% accurate, and some women will not get a positive pregnancy test on an at-home test. A blood test (done at your doctor’s or a clinic’s office) is more more accurate and can confirm if you are pregnant.