Why is my period late?
Most women have probably experienced a late or skipped period before. While the first thing that comes to mind is a potential pregnancy, there are several other reasons why you could be late or skipping your period this month.
Reason #1: Major Weight Loss or Excessive Exercise
Losing weight extremely fast can cause your body to delay or stop ovulation for a while. This is nature’s way of preventing pregnancy when your body is not ready and seems to be a protection mechanism until your body is strong enough and hormone levels have been restored. Once your body weight is stable, periods should return to their previous cycle. Excessive exercising can be another reason why your cycles may change. If you are training for a marathon or anoter major athletic event that requires you to exercise more than usual, this may cause your body to delay or skip a period. This added stress on your body may prevent ovulation, which leads to lower estrogen levels, which in turn prevents the uterine build-up. Hence, you skip a period.
Reason #2: Stress
Every woman has experienced stress at some point in her life. This can be a work, personal or other related issue. Regardless, stress can affect a section in the brain that plays a big role in hormone production, the hypothalamus. Whether you are experiencing stress at work, or in your personal life, it could be the explanation why your period is late/skipped.
Reason #3: Thyroid Irregularity
Located in your neck, the thyroid gland regulates your metabolism. Besides regulating metabolism, it also affects other parts of the body to keep things going. If you are suffering from any kind of thyroid irregularity, that can have implications on your cycle. If you suspect a thyroid disorder, you should check with your healthcare professional for further examination to confirm that this is the reason for your missed period.
Reason #4: Illness
Have you been under the weather lately? Common illnesses such as the flu and cold can cause your body to postpone ovulation, which is why your period could also be late. Depending on how long you have been ill, this delay can be anywhere from a couple days to a few weeks.
Reason #5: Taking new medication
Certain medication can interfere with your hormone levels, and could be the reason for a delayed or missed period. You should ask your healthcare provider if you have recently started or switched to new medication. When first coming off hormonal birth control, it may also take some time for your regular periods to return.
It can still be considered 'normal' to miss 1-2 periods per year. However, if you experience a late or missed period for more than 2 months in a row and you have previously had regular cycles, you should seek advice from you healthcare professional.
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