If getting pregnant is not on your current to-do list, missing a period can be a big cause of anxiety. But pregnancy is not the only reason your period might be late.
Check out these 10 other reasons you might be having a late period.
1) Age
For most women, periods started happening between the ages of 11 and 13. But those first few years can be hit or miss until your body gets into a regular rhythm, and your hormone levels even out. So if you've only had your period for a short time, don’t be surprised if it comes late some months.
At the other end of the age spectrum, women who are approaching menopause may start have irregular periods that are harder to plan for. Menopause officially arrives when you have 12 consecutive months without a period.
Some women experience menopause as early as age 40 if they are running out of eggs and their child-bearing years are coming to a close. Early menopause can also be triggered by medical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatments to the abdomen.
2) Stress
When you are under stress, your brain may go into alert mode, which can change your hormone levels, as well as affecting when you ovulate.
Ovulation is the time when your ovaries release a mature egg that is ready to be fertilized. If the egg is not fertilized, and does not implant in the wall of your uterus, your hormone levels change, and your uterus cleans itself out to get ready for a new cycle for the next month. That cleansing process is your period.
If you are stressed, you may ovulate later than normal, or not at all one month, which can delay or cancel your period for that month.
3) Hormone issues
Hormones are chemical messengers sent out by your brain to regulate many different functions in your body, including your period. Hormones need to be in proper balance for your body to function correctly.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition that causes your body to produce too much of the male hormone androgen. PCOS can cause cysts to form on your ovaries, which can prevent ovulation and keep you from having your period on time, or at all.
Problems with your thyroid can cause the gland to release too much or too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid imbalance can also affect when you have your period. In this case, medicine to help your body have the right amount of thyroid hormone can get your periods back to normal.
Tumors that affect the pituitary gland, which produces hormones, may also cause changes to your period. While some tumors are cancerous, other tumors are benign or non-cancerous. Either type of tumor can affect your hormone production.
4) Weight issues
If your weight is either significantly lower than normal for your height, or if you are very overweight or obese, you may not have normal periods, as well.
Eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, can also keep your periods from being regular. If you have an eating disorder, or are concerned about your weight, talk to your health care provider.
5) Exercise
If you recently made a big change to your exercise routine so you are exercising more, that can make your period irregular. Endurance athletes often miss periods when they are in training.
6) Birth Control
Some types of birth control pills control your ovulation cycle to make you skip periods for several months or even a year. Birth control devices that are implanted in your uterus, and birth control that is injected, can also make you miss periods.
Even if you stopped using birth control medication, your periods may be irregular for up to six months after you stop taking the pill.
7) Breast feeding
The hormone that helps your body produce milk to feed your baby interacts with the hormone that controls your period. So if you are breastfeeding, you may not have a period, because your body won’t ovulate until your hormone levels are back to normal.
But as you begin feeding your baby other foods, your hormone levels will fluctuate and you may experience irregular periods. It is considered normal for a woman to have irregular periods the first few months of her period after having a baby.
8) Medical conditions
Some medical conditions can also affect your period. Diabetes that is poorly controlled can make your period irregular. Celiac disease, which causes inflammation in the intestine, can affect your nutrition and can also make your period late.
Other diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, tuberculosis and liver disease can affect your period.
9) Medications
Some medications can make your period late or cause you to miss periods entirely. These include antidepressants, antipsychotics, oral corticosteroids and chemotherapy cancer treatments.
10) Traveling
A significant change in your routine, such as taking a big trip, can disrupt your body’s normal functions. Traveling can cause significant stress. It can also lead to changes in your exercise and diet routine. And if you travel very far, you may end up with jet lag as your body tries to catch up with changes in your sleep cycle. All of these things can result in irregular or late periods.
If you are concerned because your period is late, try to stay calm and reduce your stress. The first step in finding the reason you are late is to take a pregnancy test. Some over-the-counter tests can accurately indicate whether or not you are pregnant as soon as your period is due.
If the test is negative, evaluate other changes in your life and talk to your health care provider to determine the reason.
Sources:
Healthline. Why Is My Period Late? Web. September 11, 2015.
http://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/why-is-my-period-late#3
Web MD. Missed or Irregular Periods – Topic Overview. Web. September 11, 2015.
http://www.webmd.com/women/tc/missed-or-irregular-periods-topic-overview
Hip Chick’s Guide to PMS, Pregnancy & Babies. Reasons for Missed Period When You’re Not Pregnant. DP Nguyen. Web. September 11, 2015.
http://www.mypregnancybaby.com/reasons-missed-period
Reviewed September 14, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith