Is it normal to miss your period

Excessive exercise and rapid weight loss can result in a missed period. If your caloric intake is very low, the hormones that cause ovulation to happen are suppressed. If you are underweight, a dietitian can help you plan your dietary intake to promote weight gain. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, there is help out there. Counseling, support groups, self-help strategies, and support from a team of health care providers such as a dietitian, psychiatrist, and your family doctor can all be part of recovery.

There are also medications that can help. Contact your doctor or the Canadian Mental Health Association to find resources in your area. Similarly, if you are using the birth control shot, patch, vaginal ring without removal for the seven day break or have a progestin IUD, you will likely have few or absent periods.

Hormonal changes can also result in missing periods. The most common causes of hormone changes are polycystic ovarian syndrome, pituitary tumours , and thyroid disorders. Some medications that can cause a missed period include antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, chemotherapy agents, and steroids.

Many of the causes of amenorrhea are the same as those for a skipped period. Your period can be absent for a number of reasons:. The most common reason to not get your period is because you are pregnant. A home pregnancy test can quickly tell you if that is the reason. Most women stop getting their periods in their late 40s or early 50s. The average age is 51 years old. If you breastfeed frequently, including at night-time, you may not get a period for many months.

Be aware that you will ovulate prior to getting your period back, so birth control is important if you are not ready to be pregnant again. While a sudden stressful life event can result in a single missed period, ongoing, high level stress and anxiety can cause your period to stop altogether.

Managing stress though self-care, counselling, changing your life circumstances, medication, or other strategies can help you return to having normal periods. Ongoing, dramatic weight loss, from low intake, excessive exercise, gastric bypass surgery, or eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can stop your period. This happens because the hormones required for ovulation are not produced.

At a BMI of less than 18, you may experience the absence of periods. The exact weight and body fat levels that result in amenorrhea differs from person to person. Obese women are more likely to have absent periods or infrequent periods. Visit your physician if your missed periods persist. Media contact: Dee Dee Grays , Facebook 0 Tweet 0. You may also like. New kind of health care center opens in Bryan. Protecting against falls in the bedroom, bathroom.

Recognizing women in science, aging, public health. How often should I wash my linens? Subscribe Today Stay up-to-date on the latest heath care topics. In the news. Race to save the world: Stopping the next pandemic means we need equity in public health MSN. Many women believe that breastfeeding is a form of birth control, but it's not. Even if you don't have periods when you are breastfeeding, you can get pregnant. If you are not ready for another child, you should still use a contraceptive.

If you think that you can't be pregnant because you have an IUD, there is a small chance that your missed period could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy can sometimes happen due to the shape of the IUD, and you may not test positive on a pregnancy test, either. Your healthcare provider can check for it with a pelvic examination or an ultrasound.

Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include cramping in your lower abdomen, shoulder pain, weakness or dizziness, nausea, and breast tenderness. Some women have missed periods, while others have vaginal bleeding or spotting. In addition to the use of an IUD, other factors that are associated with ectopic pregnancy include:. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition. Seek medical attention right away if you miss your period and think you might be at risk.

Missing a period every once in a while is usually not cause for concern. That said, you should see a healthcare provider if you miss more than one period, or your missed period is accompanied by new or unusual symptoms. Seek medical attention right away if you also experience any of the following:. There are many reasons for late periods, and while most are not cause for alarm, you do need an evaluation and treatment if you have completely missed more than one period.

How your missed periods are treated depends on why you aren't having your period. The treatment can include lifestyle changes, such as diet or stress reduction, or may involve hormone replacement therapy. Healthcare providers usually ask women when they had their last period.

However, many women simply don't keep track of their period, and in some cases, they may be too busy to notice they missed a period at all. If this sounds like you, consider placing a red dot on period days in your calendar. You can also download a "period tracker" app for your smartphone to make tracking your menstrual cycle much easier.

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Factors associated with menstrual cycle irregularity and menopause. BMC Womens Health. Berz K, Mccambridge T. Amenorrhea in the female athlete: What to do and when to worry. Pediatr Ann. Blood biomarker profiling and monitoring for high-performance physiology and nutrition: Current perspectives, limitations, and recommendations.

Sports Medicine. Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea—an update. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Evaluation and management of amenorrhea related to congenital sex hormonal disorders. Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. Night shift among women: Is it associated with difficulty conceiving a first birth? Front Public Health. Medical complications of anorexia nervosa. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. Rosenfield RL. Clinical review: Adolescent anovulation: maturational mechanisms and implications.

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