Missing your period is a scary thought for some mothers who believe their childbearing days are over. However, not all missed periods are due to pregnancy.
Before you freak out, you must know that there are many reasons why women miss their periods.
The most common reasons for a missed period are related to stress, physical illness, excessive exercise, and eating disorders. If you miss your period and aren’t pregnant, you should see a health care professional because some lifestyle changes may be needed. Some women have had irregular and unpredictable periods for years, and for them, irregular is their regular.
You might enjoy a missed period and think it’s not a big deal, but there are a number of reasons why you should make an immediate visit to your doctor.
Here are some possible conditions that can affect your period:
- Eating disorders, extreme weight loss or excessive exercising. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa – extreme weight loss and increased physical activity can disrupt menstruation.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This common hormonal disorder may cause small cysts, fluid-filled sacs or pockets to develop in the ovaries along with irregular periods.
- Premature ovarian failure. Premature ovarian failure refers to the loss of normal ovarian function before age 40. Women who have premature ovarian failure may not have periods or may get them irregularly.
- Endometriosis. This disorder causes tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus to grow outside your uterus. Endometriosis can cause pain, sometimes severe, especially during your period.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This infection of the reproductive organs may cause irregular menstrual bleeding.
- Uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus. They may cause heavy menstrual periods and bleeding between periods.
These are treatable, but should not be ignored. If you are wondering if your period is irregular, missed or not, I suggest keeping a menstrual calendar. A menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of your current period to the first day of your next period.
Be sure to jot down the way you feel and the symptoms you are experiencing throughout the month. If you notice an unusual period pattern, you should share it with your physician or Health Care Provider (HCP). If you experience less than 6 periods a year, you should definitely visit your HCP.
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