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When my period is late, the question arises - why am I not having a period? Usually, if your menstruation is delayed for several days, you think you are pregnant. But the pregnancy test does not confirm this. What to do if your period does not come and you are not pregnant? Find out what are the most common causes of a missed period.

Your period is late ,your period is not coming . Until now you have had regular periods, but this time the days are passing and there are no periods. Why?Amenorrheadoes not always have to be related to pregnancy, hormonal disorders or illness. Paradoxically, this condition is most often caused by physiological reasons, leading to the silencing of the cyclic activity of the ovaries - pregnancy, puerperium, breastfeeding or menopause.

If neither of these situations apply to you, you may have secondary amenorrhoea (amenorrhoea secundaria), which affects 3 to 4 percent of people. sexually mature women. If your menstruation has not started for 3 months or this is the time between your periods, you should consider seeing your doctor. The list of causes of this disorder is long, so we only mention some of them.

Your period is late because you weigh too much or too little

Contrary to what you think, this may be related to the stopping of menstruation, so your gynecologist will probably ask about your height, weight and calculate your body mass index (BMI). You can also calculate your body mass index (BMI) using the weight calculator. With a BMI of less than 18.5 or greater than 35, cyclic bleeding stops. The endocrine function of the ovaries is modified not only by the pituitary gland hormones (FSH - follicle-stimulating hormone, LH - luteinizing hormone), but also by hormone-like substances released by adipose tissue. Its large loss - as a result of anorexia, bulimia or a drastic slimming diet - may therefore cause a secondary amenorrhea.

Overweight and obesity can also be associated with hormonal imbalances. Adipose tissue cells produce and release insulin-like growth factor (IGF). Its excessive production by adipose tissue leads not only to the body's insensitivity to insulin, i.e. to insulin resistance, but also disturbs the development of the ovarian follicle. The consequence is lack of ovulation,overproduction of androgens (male sex hormones) by the ovaries and disturbances in the rhythm of the menstrual cycle.

Important

What disrupts the menstrual cycle

Amenorrhea requires careful diagnosis because it has many causes, not only related to hormone fluctuations and lifestyle. They can be, among others :

  • hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism,
  • hormonally active tumors of the ovaries or adrenal glands,
  • corpuscular failure,
  • hypothalamic-pituitary failure caused by stress, intense exercise or weight loss,
  • Asherman syndrome (intrauterine adhesions),
  • diabetes,
  • some medications, e.g. antidepressants, hypertension drugs, sleeping pills, corticosteroids, hormonal drugs.
See the gallery of 7 photos

There are cysts on the ovaries

If you have hirsutism, androgen-dependent alopecia, acne, seborrhea, gain weight, although you eat little, the cause of amenorrhea or very scanty and infrequent bleeding may be polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) ).

A characteristic feature of this condition is the lack of ovulation. The Graaf's follicle does not grow and the egg is not released. It dies, turning into a cyst, a tiny cyst. There are more and more such cysts every month. The consequences of anovulation are: excessive production of male hormones by the ovaries and menstrual disorders. PCOS can (but does not have to) cause infertility.

However, it is not only for this reason that it is worth treating this condition. It increases the likelihood of endometrial cancer.

Menstrual calculator

Do you want to know which phase of your menstrual cycle you are in? Calculate your fertile, infertile and period.

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Select the average cycle length:

You have too much prolactin

When you are struggling with acne, hirsutism, complaints of breast pain (sometimes milky secretions leak out of them) or headaches and visual disturbances, hyperprolactinemia may be the cause of amenorrhea. Prolactin is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, which corresponds, inter alia, to for the production of milk. It can also modify the function of hormone-producing glands such as the thyroid gland and ovaries.

Its concentration in blood is constantly changing (eg there is more of it in the second phase of the menstrual cycle). When it is too high, it can inhibit ovulation or upset the menstrual cycle. Overproduction of prolactin can be caused by a pituitary tumor known as an adenoma orstress. It has been observed that hyperprolactinaemia often occurs in women who have lived under great nervous tension for a long time, are naturally sensitive, strongly emotionally react to adversity. Why, however, the pituitary gland increases the production of prolactin in response to stress - we cannot fully explain this.

Important

Complicated Hormone Game

The menstrual cycle is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovaries system. A major role in this triad is played by the hypothalamus, which stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete FSH and LH. The first hormone controls the maturation of the Graaf follicle, which produces estrogen and releases the egg. On the other hand, the LH surge signals ovulation and the production of the progesterone-releasing corpus luteum. Imbalances in this system, as well as the overproduction of prolactin by the pituitary gland, can lead to secondary amenorrhea.

Too early for menopause

You are ready for symptoms of ovarian loss (hot flushes, sweat, irritability, palpitations) when you reach fifty. But at the age of thirty you don't expect them at all. Meanwhile, this disorder occurs in 1 in 100 women under 40!

The premature loss of ovarian function may be determined by genetic, autoimmune, infectious or iatrogenic factors. In the latter case, it is a consequence of, for example, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or surgery within the sexual organ. Most often, however, the cause of premature menopause remains unknown. Unfortunately, we are unable to reactivate the ovaries. Only in individual cases their functions return spontaneously (usually for a short time) and then the woman has a chance of becoming pregnant.

Good interview

Makes it easier for the doctor to decide on the scope of additional tests and enables him to make a proper diagnosis. So try to give your gynecologist comprehensive answers to questions about not only the menstrual cycle, but also the medications you take, he alth and beauty problems (such as constant fatigue, sleepiness, acne, stretch marks) that seemingly have nothing to do with a lack of menstruation.

The next stage of diagnostics is a gynecological examination, vaginal ultrasound, and hormonal tests. It works, among others levels of progesterone, prolactin, thyroid hormones, FSH, LH, testosterone, androstenedione, estradiol. Treatment of amenorrhea varies according to the nature of the disorder and the woman's life plans. Sometimes it is enough to normalize the weight, move more and de-stress. In general, however, drug treatment is needed.

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Female diseases