Missed Menstrual Periods And Amenorrhea

On average, women have between 11 and 13 menstrual cycles, or periods, each year. For some women, 11 is far too many and others would love to have only 13 periods. Every woman is different, which means gauging irregular periods on a person-to-person basis. Missed periods, however, are scary across the board. When a woman misses her period, there is a likely reason in most cases.

Medical Reasons to Miss a Period

Pregnancy is the first medical condition that comes to mind when a woman misses her period. Pregnancy causes the cervix to seal shut for the entire length of the pregnancy. During this time, she will not suffer from periods. Pregnancy is not the only medical condition that can cause missed periods.

The next reason for missing a period is anovulation, not ovulating. Women who do not ovulate do not usually get a regular menstrual period, or they have just spotting.

menopause is another situation when you miss your period, and that's because you stopped ovulating

Imperforate hymen, Asherman’s syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, Perimenopause, early menopause, and prescription medication can all cause missed periods, but so can personal choices and stress.

Lifestyle Choices and Missed Periods

Travel, illegal drug use, and weight gain or loss can be the root cause of missed periods. While weight gain and loss may be associated with other illnesses or medications, it can be caused by overeating or undereating. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia, often associated with over and undereating, are two additional causes of missed periods. Excessive or increased exercise associated with sports and athletics or eating disorders may contribute to amenorrhea, or missed periods.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Missed Periods

When suffering from missed periods, take a home pregnancy test. If the
test is negative, wait a week or more and test again. A second negative
test could mean there is a bigger problem causing the cessation of your
menstrual cycle and professional help should be sought. Some women have
only a few periods a year and are completely healthy while others have
two or more short periods a month.

Regular gynecological exams and discussions with your doctor can help make diagnosis a bit easier. Informed doctors can go through medical records and performed a variety of tests in office more quickly than doctors who have little information on a patient. Regular check-ups are just as important for today’s care as they are for tomorrows.

Treatment for missed periods can include birth control medical to regulate menstrual cycles, weight gain, weight loss, and relaxation techniques. Periods missed due to pregnancy will return after the pregnancy ends.

It is important to remember that menstrual cycles are not needed to become pregnant. Some women believe missing a period gives them free reign to have unprotected sex. Semen can reach and fertilize a mature egg even if the endometrial lining is not shedding.