Reasons why skipped period

While working out is good for you, a sudden increase in activity or losing a lot of weight can put a pause on your menstrual cycle. This is often seen in young female athletes or those with poor nutrition and eating disorders. Your thyroid is responsible for controlling your metabolism and menstrual cycle, but thyroid disease can throw a wrench in things.

Problems with thyroid levels can lead to heavy periods, irregular periods, and skipped periods. PCOS can affect your entire life, right down to your menstrual cycle.

Missing, irregular, or heavy periods are a common symptom of PCOS, along with things like weight gain, scalp hair thinning, and facial hair growth. Amenorrhea , which is the absence of periods, can be caused by a number of factors, and we can help diagnose and treat those issues. Have you noticed something is off with your menstrual cycle? Bring your problems to Dr.

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. Treatment for PCOS focuses on relieving symptoms.

Your doctor may prescribe birth control or other medication to help regulate your cycle. You may experience a change in your cycle when you go on or off birth control. Birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, which prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs.

It can take up to six months for your cycle to become consistent again after stopping the pill. Other types of contraceptives that are implanted or injected can cause missed periods as well. Chronic diseases such as diabetes and celiac disease also can affect your menstrual cycle. Celiac disease causes inflammation that can lead to damage in your small intestine , which may prevent your body from absorbing key nutrients. This can cause late or missed periods. Most women begin menopause between ages 45 to Women who develop symptoms around age 40 or earlier are considered to have early peri-menopause.

This means your egg supply is winding down, and the result will be missed periods and eventually the end of menstruation. An overactive or underactive thyroid gland could also be the cause of late or missed periods. Thyroid issues can usually be treated with medication. After treatment, your period will likely return to normal. Your doctor can properly diagnose the reason for your late or missed period and discuss your treatment options. Keep a record of changes in your cycle as well as other health changes to show your doctor.

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. This is due to hormonal changes associated with obesity, such as increased insulin, increased testosterone, and insulin resistance.

Obesity is also associated with polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , which impacts the menstrual cycle and can cause periods to stop or can cause heavy menstrual bleeding. Prolactin is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland, located in the brain, which stimulates breast development and the production of milk.

If you are not pregnant or nursing but have high levels of prolactin, you may not be ovulating, and therefore may not menstruate. This is a very rare condition where scar tissue is present inside the uterus. It typically develops after surgery for example dilatation and curettage , or after an infection of the uterus.

The scar tissue is usually removed surgically. Although it is very rare, there is a rare congenital syndrome called Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome where the uterus and upper vagina are absent at birth, although ovaries and fallopian tubes are present. No menstruation occurs due to the lack of uterus. This condition is marked by the depletion of follicles in the ovaries before the age of It leads to early menopause and the absence of periods, and the loss of fertility.

A pituitary tumour is an abnormal growth of cells that originates in the pituitary gland, located in the brain. It secretes a wide variety of hormones, including growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, luteinizing hormone , follicle-stimulating hormone , and prolactin.