Why period is late

However, a healthy menstrual cycle can range from every 21 to 35 days. Stress can throw off your hormones, change your daily routine, and even affect the part of your brain responsible for regulating your period — your hypothalamus.

Over time, stress can lead to illness or sudden weight gain or loss, all of which can impact your cycle. If you think stress might be throwing off your period, try practicing relaxation techniques and making lifestyle changes. Adding more exercise to your regimen may help get you back on track. Learn more: 10 simple ways to relieve stress ». Women with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia , may experience missed periods. Getting treatment for your eating disorder and putting on weight in a healthy way can return your cycle to normal.

Women who participate in extreme exercise such as marathons may stop their periods as well. Just as low body weight can cause hormonal changes, so can being overweight. Your doctor will recommend a diet and exercise plan if they determine that obesity is a factor in your late or missed periods.

Polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS is a condition that causes your body to produce more of the male hormone androgen. Cysts form on the ovaries as a result of this hormone imbalance. This can make ovulation irregular or stop it altogether. Other hormones, such as insulin , can also get out of balance. This is due to insulin resistance , which is associated with PCOS. See your GP if you're not pregnant — you've had a negative pregnancy test — and you've missed more than 3 periods in a row.

If you're sexually active and you have not taken a pregnancy test, your GP may advise you to take one. Your GP may recommend waiting to see whether your periods return on their own. In some cases you may need treatment for your periods to return. You should also see your GP if your periods stop before you're 45 or if you're still bleeding when you're over If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a consultant who specialises in the condition.

If test results show a medical condition has caused your periods to stop, you may be offered treatment for your condition. For example, if the cause is PCOS, you may be advised to take the contraceptive pill or tablets containing a hormone called progesterone. Read more about the treatment of PCOS. If the cause is early menopause premature ovarian failure , this means the ovaries no longer function normally.

Hormone medicine is usually recommended. Treatments may include the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy HRT. If you have an overactive thyroid gland, you may be given medication to stop your thyroid producing too many hormones. Read more about treating an overactive thyroid gland. Page last reviewed: 02 August Next review due: 02 August Stopped or missed periods. Why your periods might stop There are a number of reasons why your periods can stop. The most common reasons are: pregnancy stress sudden weight loss being overweight doing too much exercise taking the contraceptive pill the menopause polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS Periods can also sometimes stop as a result of a medical condition, such as heart disease , uncontrolled diabetes , an overactive thyroid , or premature menopause.

Pregnancy You might be pregnant if you're sexually active and your period is late. Stress If you're stressed, your menstrual cycle can become longer or shorter, your periods may stop altogether, or they might become more painful.

Perimenopause is the time leading up to your menopausal transition. It typically starts in your mid- to late 40s. Perimenopause can last for several years before your period stops completely. For many, missed periods are the first sign of perimenopause. You may skip a period 1 month and be back on track for the following 3 months. Early menopause, also known as premature ovarian insufficiency , happens when your ovaries stop working before you turn When your ovaries are not working the way they should, they stop producing multiple hormones, including estrogen.

As your estrogen levels drop to all-time lows, you will begin to experience the symptoms of menopause. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that produces hormones that help regulate many activities in your body, including your menstrual cycle. There are several common thyroid conditions, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can affect your menstrual cycle and cause irregularity, but hyperthyroidism is more likely to cause late or missed periods.

Sometimes, your period may disappear for several months. Certain chronic health problems, especially celiac disease and diabetes , are sometimes associated with menstrual irregularities. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects your digestive system.

When people with celiac disease eat gluten , their immune system reacts by attacking the lining of the small intestine. This can lead to malnourishment, which affects normal hormone production and leads to missed periods and other menstrual irregularities. Those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes might also experience a missed period in rare cases.

Working exercise into your schedule on a daily basis is great, but excessive exercising could lead to lower levels of estrogen , which is the hormone that regulates the female reproductive process. A little stress in your life is fine, but chronic stress can throw your body out of balance. Stress activates the hormone cortisol and pushes your body into survival mode. If you are experiencing prolonged stress, your body can induce amenorrhea and will prevent menstruation.

Switching to the night shift or traveling to another time zone may prevent your menstrual cycle from starting. According to a study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology , any disruptions to your circadian rhythm —the internal clock that regulates important cellular processes —can cause you to experience irregular periods. A study on the effect of antipsychotics on menstruation found that amenorrhea occurred because prolactin levels were imbalanced.

Additionally, some birth control medications, such as an IUD, implant or shot, may cease your periods while on them.