Can Stress Cause a Missed or Late Period?

Can Stress Affect Your Period?

Is stress behind your irregular or missed period? Here’s how to tell.

Stress and periods go together like peanut butter and jelly.. in the worst way. As if getting your period wasn’t anxiety-inducing enough (time to unwind the heating pad, yet AGAIN — and where is that stash of dark chocolate?), stress can also cause major shifts in your period and menstrual cycle, namely delaying it. A recent study found that high levels of stress can cause irregular periods.

Ironic right?

Stressing about not getting or missing your period can actually make you…not get your period. It’s a real chicken-and-the-egg scenario. Or in this case, stress-about-the-not-fertilized-egg and the not-fertilized-egg scenario.

Stress less and use our period tracker to know when you’re period is scheduled to start and when it is scheduled to stop.

Why does stress cause delayed/missed/late periods?

Even if you rarely have to deal with irregular periods, sometimes stress can throw a wrench in the works and mess up your whole menstrual cycle.

Yup, stress can actually cause your period to be late or delayed when your body is so freaked out by keeping you calm and what’s happening around you, that makes you anxious, that your body’s hormones hold off on critical parts of your menstrual cycle, like ovulation. Think about it from a cavewoman perspective. Stress causes your body to go into fight-or-flight mode, and if you’re running from a giant wooly mammoth, let’s say, it makes sense that your body would be like, “Oh this would be a not-so-great time to have a baby right now” and hit pause on keeping your reproductive systems ready-to-go. While yes, this does introduce a whole new set of stress, your body probably thinks that Cavewoman-you would likely not have time to ask, “Oh crap, why is my period late?” in this scenario.

Ideally you are not so anxious that your body interprets your stress level as running-from-wooly-mammoth-high, but you get it.

How long can stress delay your period? Like, can it stop my period completely?

Stress can delay your period, but the good news is that stress shouldn’t completely stop your period (like, forever). If you’ve gone more than six weeks (the amount of time it takes to classify a period as fully “missed”) since your last period, it may be time to see a doctor and make sure everything is okay.

Can stress cause spotting?

Absolutely. That fight-or-flight response we mentioned above isn’t limited to just shutting your period down or delaying it for a few days. Stress can also cause spotting, aka when you kind of have a little blood coming out (you might notice it when you use the bathroom or wipe), but not enough for you to qualify as a full period. This often happens between periods, leading you to be like, “why is this happening 15 days early?”

Okay, you’re right, I’ve been under a ton of pressure lately. How do I fix my period cycle so that stress doesn’t impact it anymore?

As great as it would be if there were a way to communicate to your body, “Hey, I’m done worrying, you can make my period normal again!” it’s easier said than done. Make sure you’re taking time for yourself to do things you like and enjoy. Yes, doing you might just be exactly what your body (including your entire reproductive systems and menstrual cycle) need right now.

And if worrying about whether your period is late or not is the number one thing that’s bothering you and keeping you up at night, it might be worth it to book an appointment to see the doctor. Ugh yes, you might have to call on the phone and make an appointment, but the peace of mind you’ll feel afterwards if you are able to find a cause and remedy it (or at least be soothed by your doctor and told “It’s no big deal” from someone with a fancy degree) may be worth it.

What are some possible other reasons behind my irregular period? What are some common late period causes besides stress?

There are a lot of factors besides stress that can impact your menstrual cycle and cause a delayed or late period, like pregnancy, birth control (both starting or stopping birth control can shift your system out of whack for a bit), menopause, weight loss, and too much exercise. Hormone changes could also be a cause of why your period is late that you’d wanna chat over with your doctor.

How Long Can Stress Delay Your Period?

Cut back on caffeine and alcohol

Both alcohol and caffeine can increase cortisol levels, so it’s recommended that you reduce your intake of both of these when dealing with major life changes, going through a rough patch, or nearing your menstrual cycle. Instead, you might try decaffeinated beverages or herbal teas that are known to have calming effects, such as chamomile or lavender.

Prioritize healthy sleep

Getting better sleep is often one of the best ways to overcome stress. Often, we focus on the quantity of sleep, but quality is also important. Most people need about 7–9 hours of sleep to really refresh themselves. Sticking to a sleep schedule and routine can help improve your quality of sleep. 

Avoiding screens for a few hours before you go to bed, wearing a sleep mask, and using a white noise machine can all make falling asleep and staying asleep easier. This will allow the body to fall into a proper sleep rhythm which can lower the chance of insomnia.

How to prevent stress from delaying your period

The first step in preventing stress from delaying your period is to understand what’s causing your stress and how much stress you can manage. You may not always be able to avoid stress, but you can develop healthy ways to cope with it. Tracking your cycle and any changes you experience in your moods will make it easier to identify any issues that may arise so you can better understand why your period is late. 

While stress (physical, emotional, or nutritional) is a common cause for a late period, it is just one of many potential reasons for a delay in menstruation. Pregnancy, hormonal birth control, and health problems like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can also make your period late. 

Sometimes the stress of worrying about a potential unintended pregnancy can make your period late. Taking a pregnancy test to find out if you are pregnant can reduce this stress. If your period is late, and you’re experiencing symptoms like unwanted hair growth, headaches, weight gain, and difficulty sleeping, you may want to see a health care provider to rule out PCOS, which is a treatable condition. 

Tracking your mood, life events, and symptoms in an app like Flo can help you gain perspective on your level of stress, and taking simple measures like exercising or making time for meditation can help you get your period back on track.

Stress and The Menstrual Cycle

404 Not Found
– Proof

Underwear Sizing
Bra Sizing

underwear sizing

Your hip and waist measurements are the most important size when finding the perfect fit.

Measure around your body as shown.

Find your waist measure by leaning over to one side. Where your body naturally creases is your where you will place the tape. Measure parallel to the ground.

For your hip measurement, turn to the side and locate the fullest part of your booty. Place the tape around your body, parallel to the floor, around the widest and fullest part of your hips and tush.

If your measurements fall into different size categories, your hip measurement will be most accurate.

Measure around your body as shown.

Find your waist measure by leaning over to one side. Where your body naturally creases is your where you will place the tape. Measure parallel to the ground.

For your hip measurement, turn to the side and locate the fullest part of your booty. Place the tape around your body, parallel to the floor, around the widest and fullest part of your hips and tush.

If your measurements fall into different size categories, your hip measurement will be most accurate.

Measure around your body as shown.

Find your waist measure by leaning over to one side. Where your body naturally creases is your where you will place the tape. Measure parallel to the ground.

For your hip measurement, turn to the side and locate the fullest part of your booty. Place the tape around your body, parallel to the floor, around the widest and fullest part of your hips and tush.

If your measurements fall into different size categories, your hip measurement will be most accurate.

Measure around your body as shown.

Find your waist measure by leaning over to one side. Where your body naturally creases is your where you will place the tape. Measure parallel to the ground.

For your hip measurement, turn to the side and locate the fullest part of your booty. Place the tape around your body, parallel to the floor, around the widest and fullest part of your hips and tush.

If your measurements fall into different size categories, your hip measurement will be most accurate.

Measure around your body as shown.

Find your waist measure by leaning over to one side. Where your body naturally creases is your where you will place the tape. Measure parallel to the ground.

For your hip measurement, turn to the side and locate the fullest part of your booty. Place the tape around your body, parallel to the floor, around the widest and fullest part of your hips and tush.

If your measurements fall into different size categories, your hip measurement will be most accurate.

bra sizing

Your bra measurements are the most important size when finding the perfect fit.

How Stress Can Affect Your Period

The reason stress can alter the menstrual cycle likely has to do with hormones. Nathan says stress causes cortisol levels to go up, which can suppress the hormonal cycle responsible for a person’s ovulation and period. “When your body is in a time of stress, it’s really not the best time to get pregnant, so it’s shutting down,” she says.

In many cases, if you aren’t getting a period, you are also probably not ovulating. But don’t take an irregular period as a sign that you’re not producing eggs or can’t get pregnant. Ovulation usually happens two weeks before a person’s period, so Mahalingaiah says even if you haven’t had a period in a while, there’s always a chance you could be ovulating.

“If you are not having regular periods, your chance of being pregnant may be lowered, but I’d still recommend contraception to prevent pregnancy,” says Nathan.

A delayed or missed period can also be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which Nathan says usually comes with other symptoms, such as increased hair growth. Other health conditions, like thyroid or endocrine disorders, can also impact the menstrual cycle, according to Millheiser.

How can I get my cycle back on track?

For anyone concerned about their missed period, experts recommend ruling out pregnancy first, then talking to your primary care provider or OB-GYN to pin down other possible causes.

Many OB-GYNs, Nathan says, are available for tele-health, so contact your doctor to discuss your symptoms. You may be asked to go into the office for a blood test or ultrasound, which can help diagnose the problem.“Then, we’d arrange a second tele-visit to discuss results and treatment,” Nathan says.

Depending on what’s going on, your doctor may recommend hormonal therapy to regulate your cycle. Nathan says if someone anticipates prolonged stress (like during a pandemic), they can consider hormonal regulation with the birth control pill, especially if infrequent cycles become bothersome.

“Sometimes, when people haven’t had a period for a few months, they can have a really heavy and painful period, and we don’t want them to experience that,” she says.

Millheiser says a period that’s spaced out more than every three months can have health implications. “The reason we get concerned if it’s greater than every three months, even if it’s on a regular frequency, is because you are getting a build up of estrogen which leads to thicker lining of the uterus, which can potentially lead to cancer down the road,” she says.

If your doctor suspects your missed or delayed period is related to stress, focus on reducing cortisol levels. Nathan recommends getting at least six to eight hours of sleep a night, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and practicing meditation, yoga, or mindfulness. “These are all ways to reduce stress and get your body back into its normal cycle,” she says.

Read more about health and wellness:

Now let Molly Burke take you through a day in her life:

Follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.

The Occasional Missed Period – Blog Post By Rebecca Podolsky MD

Having a late or missed period can be a source of stress and anxiety, and is a common reason for visiting the gynecologist. Generally speaking, an isolated late or missed period is not a cause for concern. It is very common, even in women with cycles that are usually regular. There are many possible causes.

What Should I Do?

In women who are sexually active with male partners, it is important to take a home pregnancy test if your period is late. In most cases, a home pregnancy test found at your local drug store is perfectly fine (there are low rates of both false positive and false negative results, but these are unusual). If a home pregnancy test is negative, and your period is more than a few days late, you can usually be reassured that you are not pregnant. If a home pregnancy test is positive, you should always make an appointment with your gynecologist.

Other Reasons for Missed Periods

If your pregnancy test is negative, there are many other possible reasons why your period might be late (or even skip an entire cycle). These are:

• Stress
• Change in body weight
• Increased exercise
• Poor sleep
• Travel across time zones
• Certain medications including birth control pills
• Aging

Stress

Stress can disrupt your menstrual cycle because of the way our bodies are designed to respond to stress, which is to shut down all non-essential bodily functions (like the reproductive system) at least temporarily. Your brain, which makes the first in a series of hormones that regulates your menstrual cycle, diverts this energy to “survival mode” in response to increased stress.

Increased Exercise and Changes in Weight

Frequent rigorous exercise (especially combined with low body fat) can be interpreted by your brain as a “stress” and can disrupt your cycle in a similar way. On a related note, if you lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, you are likely to notice some type of menstrual irregularity.

Being over or underweight can lead to changes in your menstrual by affecting how much estrogen your body produces. Both too much and too little estrogen can cause your cycle to be irregular or stop.

Medication

Taking certain medications can affect your menstrual cycle. For example, may medications work by affecting various hormones in your body including:

• Birth control pills
• Thyroid medication
• Steroids
• Antipsychotics  

Birth control pills prevent pregnancy in a few different ways including stopping ovulation, thickening cervical mucous (so sperm cannot enter the reproductive tract), and thinning the uterine lining (endometrium).

As this lining becomes thinner over the first few months on the pill, many women have irregular spotting or bleeding. Once the uterine lining is thinned out, many women notice that their period is much lighter/shorter and sometimes it stops coming altogether- there is simply nothing building up to shed each month. This is nothing to worry about and is, in fact, a benefit of being on the pill (and reverses once you stop it).

Sleep and Travel

Poor sleep, as well as frequent travel across time zones, can throw off your menstrual cycle by affecting your reproductive hormones as well as your melatonin levels, both of which can impact your ovulation and periods.

Age

Finally, as women enter perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) they can start having late or missed periods as a result of the changes in their hormone levels during this phase.

If you have a late or missed period, don’t panic. In many cases, it’s the result of a temporary disruption and things will go back to normal. If they don’t, you should make an appointment with your gynecologist.

We can help figure out what might be going on, and discuss possible treatments with you. If irregular cycles become a pattern, especially if you frequently skip entire cycles or go 3 or more months without a period, you should be evaluated for underlying medical conditions and discuss treatment with your doctor.

Why Is My Period Late? 11 Reasons for a Missed or Late Period

If your period doesn’t make its monthly appearance, your first emotion may be joy if you’re trying to get pregnant. But while pregnancy is a common cause of a missed period, it’s not the only one: In fact, an irregular or skipped period happens to up to a quarter of all women of childbearing age.

There are a number of reasons why your period may not show up on time — or at all. Missed-period culprits are often as simple as a shift in your schedule or a bout of illness. However, since an irregular or skipped period can also indicate a more serious underlying medical condition, such as thyroid disease or another hormonal imbalance, it’s smart to stay on top of it and, if it persists, get it checked out.

Is it normal to miss a period? 

There are certain times when it’s not uncommon for your period to be irregular or not appear at all, including the first few years after menstruation starts, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

You may also skip a period at the end of your menstrual years as you approach menopause. During this time, it’s not unusual for your period to wax and wane, sometimes disappearing for months, until it stops completely (you’re technically in menopause when you’ve gone over 12 months without a menstrual period). 

Possible causes of a late or missed period

Pregnancy

Sometimes a late period means exactly what you think: You’re pregnant! Because many of the earliest pregnancy symptoms — including cramps, bloating, nausea, spotting, fatigue, breast tenderness and even food aversions — can be similar to what you may experience in the days before menstruation, it can be difficult to tell if your cycle is simply off by a few days or if you’re pregnant. 

The fastest and easiest way to find out if pregnancy is the cause of your missed period is to take an at-home pregnancy test. These tests detect human chorionic gonadotropin (better known as hCG, a hormone released during pregnancy) in your urine. Pregnancy tests are most reliable the day after your missed period, but some brands claim to be able to detect a pregnancy up to five days before your period is due.

Stress

You already know that stress can trigger a number of unpleasant side effects, like headaches, weight gain and acne, so it should come as no surprise that it can also affect your menstrual cycle. When you’re under physical or emotional stress, your body produces the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Elevated levels of these stress hormones force the brain to decide which bodily functions are essential and which are nonessential until the anxiety-inducing event is over.

Stress won’t typically cause problems with your cycle, but occasionally too much stress can lead to fluctuations in hormone levels, which could in turn mess with your body’s timing of ovulation and delay your period.

Illness

Certain illnesses, such as a cold or the flu, can also stress the body and impact ovulation, and, as a result, your period. If illness around the time of ovulation caused you to skip a period, it will likely reappear as normal next cycle.

Weight

Your weight can affect your hypothalamus, a gland in the brain responsible for regulating various processes in the body — including your menstrual cycle.

Extreme weight loss, low caloric intake or being very underweight can stress the hypothalamus. This could inhibit your body from producing the estrogen needed to build the lining of the uterus.

On the other hand, being overweight or gaining a lot of weight in a short amount of time can cause your body to produce too much estrogen. An overload may result in a few months without ovulation or cause the endometrial lining to overgrow and become unstable, resulting in heavy, irregular or missed periods.

Usually, consulting your doctor and gaining a healthy amount of weight if you’re underweight or losing if you’re overweight should help your periods to return to normal.

Excessive exercise

Of course, working out is good for you. However, when you overdo it (and possibly also restrict meals to lose weight), your body may not produce enough estrogen to complete the menstrual cycle.

Some women — such as ballet dancers, gymnasts and professional athletes — are at greater risk for amenorrhea (missing a period for three or more months in a row). But you don’t have to be a pro for exercise to mess with your system. Working out excessively without taking in enough calories can also cause disruptions.

Some possible signs that you’re overdoing it? Extreme or rapid weight loss, decreased physical performance, or forcing yourself to work out through injury, illness or severe weather. Slowing down a bit and gaining a little weight if needed should get things back on track. 

Change in schedule

Believe it or not, switching things up — for instance, working the night shift instead of the day, or traveling across the country — can throw off your internal body clock, which helps regulate your hormones. Sometimes this results in a missed or late period, but it should return when your body gets used to the change or your schedule goes back to normal.

Breastfeeding

If you’re breastfeeding, you may not get your period for some time, since prolactin — the hormone responsible for breast milk production — also suppresses ovulation.

Many moms don’t have a period for months (or at all) while breastfeeding. But a lapse in your cycle doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant. Remember, ovulation occurs before you get your period. It’s possible for you to ovulate and then get pregnant before you ever see your period. Most moms should see their periods return within six to eight weeks after weaning. If you haven’t gotten your period three months after you stop breastfeeding, talk to your doctor. 

Medication

Probably the most common medication to cause menstrual changes is birth control. Hormonal contraceptives such as the pill or patch work by stopping the body from ovulating — and no ovulation means no period. But what about that monthly bleeding you have while using one of these methods? What you’re really experiencing is withdrawal bleeding, a “fake” period caused by the drop in hormones when you take the placebo pills in your pack or go patch-free during the fourth week of your cycle.

Sometimes, though, birth control suppresses hormones so much that you have very light bleeding or no period at all during that week off. And some pills are even designed to stop your period for a longer amount of time (three months or more). Other hormonal birth controls, such as the Depo-Provera shot or the IUD, thin the lining of the uterus to such a degree that there may be no lining to shed monthly.

Emergency contraception, or the “morning after pill,” can also affect when or if you ovulate, so if you’ve taken it recently you may experience a late or skipped period (bring this up with your doctor).

Some other medications that can cause your period to be irregular include antidepressants, some antipsychotics, corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs.

If you’ve recently gone off the pill in the hopes of getting pregnant, you may notice that it takes a month or so for your cycle to regulate itself — in which case a skipped period might just be your system getting back on track. If you’re not sure whether you might be pregnant, however, visit your doctor.

Hormonal imbalance

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition where the female sex hormones are out of balance. PCOS can cause cysts on the ovaries and prevent ovulation from occurring regularly. In addition to missed or irregular periods, PCOS can also contribute to excess hair growth, acne, weight gain and possibly infertility.

Your doctor can do a blood test to check your hormone levels if you think PCOS may be the reason for your menstruation problems. If PCOS is the cause, your doctor may recommend birth control to regulate your periods.

Thyroid disorder

When the thyroid, the gland responsible for your body’s metabolism, doesn’t function properly, it can cause abnormal menstrual changes. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can cause periods to be lighter and less frequent. Additional symptoms include weight loss, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating and trouble sleeping.

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) may also cause periods to be less frequent but heavier. Hypothyroidism can also cause weight gain, fatigue, dry skin and hair loss. A blood test can help your doctor determine if you have a thyroid disorder.

Perimenopause

The average age of menopause is 51. Anywhere from two to eight years before that, a woman experiences what’s known as perimenopause, a period when the body gradually produces less estrogen. During this time, it’s not uncommon to experiences changes in your menstrual cycle — periods may come more or less frequently, be shorter or longer, or be lighter or heavier. But you’ll also likely experience hot flashes and night sweats, sleeping difficulties, vaginal dryness and mood swings. If you’re concerned about your symptoms, your doctor can check your hormone levels with a blood test.

Though a missed period can be emotional, try not to jump to conclusions until you find out what’s really going on. A visit to your doctor can help pinpoint the cause, and if you’re not pregnant, coax your next period along and get things back to normal.

How late can a period be? 

A typical menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but depending on the woman, a healthy cycle can be a short as 21 or as long as 35 days. Track your period over several months to look for cycle patterns and changes (there are some smartphone apps that make tracking easier). This will help you figure out what a “normal” menstrual cycle usually looks like for you.

A period is usually considered late if it hasn’t started within seven days of when you expect it (most pregnancy tests will also be able to give you accurate results by this time). 

What to do when your period is late 

If your period is more than a week late and you got a negative pregnancy test, you may want to schedule an appointment with your health care provider to be safe. Your doctor can do a blood test to confirm that you’re not pregnant.

If the blood test is also negative and your practitioner rules out any other possible concerns, it’s fine to sit back and go with the flow (pardon the pun). Every woman skips a period now and then, especially if she’s under stress or has been sick. Relax and do what you can to ease anxiety by eating right, getting enough sleep and exercising.

But if you go more than 90 days without a period, or you miss a period more than three times a year, your doctor should do more in-depth testing to rule out an underlying medical condition.90,000 How does stress affect women’s health? – Ministry of Health of the PMR

The proverb “all diseases are from the nerves” in a conversation with a doctor takes on new meanings. The specialist will confirm that prolonged stay in a state of stress, excitement, tension or fear leads to physiological disturbances. What are they for women’s health, says the district obstetrician-gynecologist of the capital’s polyclinic №2 Olga Kolin.

– What gynecological problems can result from stress?
– First of all, this is a violation of the menstrual cycle.There may be a delay in menstruation for more than 10 days, and its onset 10-14 days earlier than usual. A complete absence of menstruation, the so-called amenorrhea, is also possible. Another likely consequence is profuse uterine bleeding. This is the reason for visiting a gynecologist.

– How soon after suffering stress can these problems arise?

– Violation of the menstrual function can occur immediately after the acute condition, i.e.That is, literally in the next month, menstruation may already be absent or give some kind of disruption. Our body and hormonal background immediately react to an acute stressful situation.

– What do your patients complain about in connection with psychoemotional states?

– As a rule, women of three categories apply. These are students who seem to be doing well, but when they do not pass the exam or get poor grades, they immediately start having problems with the menstrual cycle.Also, women of reproductive age who have experienced the loss of a loved one or another difficult situation, they may have bleeding against this background for 10-14 days. The third category is patients with exacerbations of some gynecological diseases due to stress. For example, the myoma was of the smallest size, but after a strong experience of the woman, the growth of myomatous nodes begins.

– In case of hormone malfunction, should you contact a gynecologist-endocrinologist?

– Yes, this doctor will determine the list of tests that a woman needs to take and prescribe treatment to balance the hormonal background.

– Is it enough to take sedatives to improve the situation?

– When these processes are started, sedatives by themselves will no longer have an effect. The help of several specialists is required: a psychologist, a gynecologist-endocrinologist, and in some situations the participation of a general endocrinologist is needed, because the thyroid gland is also very susceptible to stress. And already the district gynecologist carries out general observation in dynamics, weighs the pros and cons of treatment, for example, the use of hormonal drugs.

– Against the background of stress, immunity decreases, in terms of gynecology, what can this lead to?

– Acute and chronic stress are fundamentally related to the immune system. When it is at a high level, the body copes with daily unpleasant and emotional situations. When the internal defense mechanisms are weakened, then under the influence of stress, menstrual dysfunction occurs. For example, the disappearance of menstrual function at the age of 35-38 years. It seems that the woman is young, of reproductive age, but she has such a problem.Moreover, after a month or two, such a patient may experience hot flashes, weakness, decreased performance, heart pain, headaches. All this is due to estrogen deficiency and leads to a urogenital disorder – urinary incontinence, dryness in the vagina and inflammation in it. If we send such a woman for an ultrasound of the pelvic organs, we see a decrease in the size of the uterus itself or the ovaries, this leads to the depletion of the endometrium (the inner mucous membrane of the body of the uterus). If usually the endometrium rejects a layer at each cycle and menstruation occurs, then here, along the accumulative system, the layers are layered, there is no menstruation and the level of the hormone FSH and LSH increases, and prolactin and estrogen, on the contrary, decrease.In the future, this can lead either to depletion of the ovaries, to premature menopause (up to 40 years) or early menopause (up to 45 years).

– How does stress affect the ability to get pregnant?

– Stress has been shown to affect female fertility. Against the background of experiences, the cycle is disrupted, its duration and intensity change, which affects the ability to become pregnant.

Women become more sensitive, irritable, aggressive, there is misunderstanding with her husband and problems in the family.Patients complain that they cannot get pregnant for six months and think that something is wrong with them. First of all, we recommend not to despair, because 6 months is not an indicator. We offer such couples the help of psychologists, we advise them to build their lives in such a way as to get more positive emotions. If it was the consequences of stress that interfered with pregnancy, and not gynecological pathologies, then the problem goes away over time. We prescribe vitamin complexes to a woman before planning a pregnancy; together with her husband, she takes folic acid.If, within two years, she does not manage to become pregnant, then she becomes registered for infertility, monitored by a gynecologist-endocrinologist and a specialist in the office of reproductive health.

– Can stress lead to cancer?

– Scientifically proven that people who are most susceptible to emotional and nervous reactions are prone to cancer. Every body produces altered cells on a daily basis, but a strong immune system recognizes and destroys them.But a violent emotional outburst and chronic stress lead to a malfunction of the organs of the immune system. In strong emotion, the endocrine glands produce hormones adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol, dopamine – their emergency release helps to adapt to stress. However, against the background of these hormones, immune processes slow down, the body stops responding to malignant cells and destroys them, which leads to the risk of precancerous and cancerous diseases.

– You mentioned vitamin complexes, which can improve a woman’s well-being in stressful situations?

– In case of irritability, stress instability, hormonal disruptions, we prescribe magnesium.Also, the female body loves group B. For example, B6 is a female vitamin that normalizes our menstrual function, restores strength and energy after some excitement, a difficult situation. We also prescribe vitamins of group C and E, which help to restore energy functions and strength, help to maintain them. Now vitamin D is also relevant. For women who want to enter pregnancy, we recommend folic acid – it has a fruitful effect on the development of the pregnancy itself.

– How can women minimize the impact of stress on their health, What else would you recommend?

– The past difficult year influenced everyone, stress resistance decreased in many people, but women, due to their sensitivity and emotionality, felt it more sharply. I would recommend that they focus on the pleasant sides of their life, get new impressions, walk, breathe air, play sports, and work through all problems and unpleasant situations with a psychologist, and not accumulate them in themselves or bring them home.

90,000 How stress can affect the menstrual cycle

In addition to insomnia, headaches, anxiety and depression, stress can also affect the stability of the menstrual cycle in women, which can lead to a delay of menstrual periods , or their absence.

“It is well known that with chronic stress you are more likely to see some change in your menstrual cycle,” said Leah Millheiser, director of the Female Sexual Medicine Program at Stanford Health Care.“Under the current circumstances, during a pandemic, I receive letters from patients who suffer from hormonal changes and, as a result, face menstrual irregularities.”

Although experts say temporary menstrual changes caused by stress are common, it is important to get a check-up with a doctor, especially if the problems are long-term.

“Your menstrual cycle is an indicator of your overall body health,” says Shruti Mahalingaya, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Boston Medical Center.

What is a “normal” cycle?

According to Leah Millheiser, the normal length of menstrual cycle can vary and depend on the individual characteristics of each girl, but it usually ranges from 21 to 35 days.

For some people, according to Mahalingaya, there is little variation from month to month, and anything that lasts up to seven days can be considered normal. Other people have longer menstrual cycles, which in themselves are not a problem if they are stable.

“You may have your period for up to seven days, but you will have regular periods,” says the doctor.

According to Millhaiser, doctors are more concerned about a woman having normal, stable periods, but suddenly starts menstruating every six weeks or three months: “When there is a significant change outside this normal range, then you need to talk to a doctor ”.

How does stress affect the menstrual cycle?

According to Lina Nathan, an obstetrician-gynecologist at UCLA Health, people may notice that they have delayed cycles or bleeding between periods.Emotional stress such as a pandemic, physical stress factors such as recent weight loss or increased physical exertion can trigger these changes.

The reason stress can change the menstrual cycle is most likely hormone-related. Nathan says stress causes cortisol levels to rise , which can suppress the production of hormones responsible for ovulation and menstruation.

“When your body is under stress, it really isn’t the best time to get pregnant, so it shuts down,” explains the doctor.

In most cases, if you are not menstruating, you are probably not ovulating. But don’t take irregular periods as a sign that you don’t have eggs or can’t get pregnant. Ovulation usually occurs two weeks before your period. Mahalingaya says that even if you haven’t had your period for a long time, there is always the possibility of ovulation.

“If you have irregular periods, your chances of getting pregnant may be reduced, but I still recommend contraception if you are not planning a pregnancy,” says Nathan.

Delayed or missed periods can also be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which Nathan says is usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as increased body hair growth. According to Millheiser, other diseases, such as thyroid gland and endocrine diseases, can also affect the menstrual cycle.

How do I normalize my cycle?

For anyone concerned about a missed period, experts recommend first ruling out pregnancy and then talking to your doctor or obstetrician-gynecologist to determine other possible causes.

Depending on what is the cause, your doctor may recommend hormonal therapy to regulate your cycle. If your doctor suspects that your missed or delayed cycle is stress-related, focus on lowering your cortisol levels. Nathan recommends sleeping at least six to eight hours a night, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and practicing meditation or yoga.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel and do not miss the most useful materials from Beauty HUB !

read also

Stress as a cause of menstrual irregularities :: ACMD

The female hormonal system, one of the main functions of which is the regulation of the menstrual cycle, is extremely sensitive to various stressful influences.Not surprisingly, against the background of changes in the quality of life in our country, an abnormal cycle is becoming common. We propose to consider the main symptoms that accompany menstrual irregularities and identify the role of stress as the cause of their occurrence.

In practice, every gynecologist has more than once encountered patients who accept menstrual irregularities as normal. As an example, bleeding that occurs in the middle of a cycle is often regarded by patients as normal menstruation.Let’s take a look at the main symptoms, having noticed which, it is strongly recommended to visit a doctor:

• Menstruation lasts more than a week.
• The menstrual cycle (from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the next bleeding) is less than 21 days or more than 35 days.
• The bleeding has increased and the time between pad or tampon changes is less than 2 hours.
• Severe, sudden menstrual pain is noted. It is clear that most women, especially those who have not given birth, may experience moderate pain, especially in the first 3 days.
• Menstrual bleeding in menopause.

The reasons for the onset of cycle disorders can be an imbalance of sex hormones, lack of ovulation, cystic changes in the ovaries, thyroid pathology, oncopathology, medical interventions on the uterus and its appendages, as well as changes in hormonal levels due to impaired nervous regulation, which include emotional and physical stress.

Chronic overstrain of the nervous system, arising, as an example, against the background of loss or change of work, moving, fear for the life or loss of a dear person, depressive worries about the future – adversely affect the hormonal system of a woman, manifesting itself in a violation of the regularity of the menstrual cycle.

Physical stress, which is no less detrimental to the body, include aggressive diets, a sharp decrease or excessive weight gain, exhausting work regime and inadequate physical activity.

To reduce stress, it is important to adhere to a healthy diet, follow the daily routine. Hardening procedures, regular, with a gradual increase in the load, playing sports, have a positive effect. It is recommended to take medications to strengthen and restore the nervous system.

Do not underestimate and postpone a visit to a specialist in the manifestation of the above symptoms of a cycle disorder.

In the clinic ATsMD-Medox professional gynecologists will help you deal with “female” problems, if necessary, they will conduct an examination (ultrasound, laboratory examination) and individually select an effective treatment for you.

Remember! It is important to establish the root cause in the early stages, since long-term persistent changes in the hormonal system of a woman can lead to organic pathological changes.

Be healthy and beautiful!

The article was prepared by specialists of the gynecological department of ATsMD-MEDOX

Can stress cause a cycle disorder, provoke vaginal bleeding or bloody / brown discharge?

When you are already suffering from stress and anxiety, the last thing you want to worry about is prolonged periods or unexplained bloody (red or brown) discharge. Stress can significantly affect menstruation, delay or cause unexpected bleeding, or even stop menstruation altogether.Changes in your menstrual cycle are one of the first indicators that you may be suffering from an underlying problem, so it is important to keep an eye on any changes that may occur.

Stress and spotting

Although the sudden appearance of blood on underwear can be alarming, spotting and bleeding is quite common. Spotting can happen for a variety of reasons, from serious illness to minor changes in your life.Stress and anxiety have been shown to disrupt the menstrual cycle in a variety of ways, including spotting and unexpected bleeding.

While it is still unclear how and why stress and anxiety can affect your cycle, if you experience spotting and irregular bleeding under high stress conditions, there is a good chance that the two are related. The good news is that reducing stress and anxiety can get your cycle back on track!

Other ways an alarm can affect your cycle

Anxiety can be even more damaging than spotting, especially when combined with other stresses.If you are experiencing changes in your menstrual cycle due to stress, it is always helpful to get a second opinion from your healthcare professional.

Late or missed periods

If you are having a missed period and are unsure why, there is a good chance that stress may have had something to do with it. When you are under a lot of stress and anxiety, you may have delayed periods or even no periods. Stress can also make your cycle longer or irregular, often due to one or more missed periods.

Absence of menstruation.

While missing your periods is definitely a concern, stopping your periods, also called amenorrhea, can be another side effect of stress and anxiety. If you are missing your period at all or have missed your last few periods, you should check with your doctor to make sure nothing more serious is happening.

Severe bleeding

Even if you have your period and your cycle is regular, you can still experience the side effects of stress and anxiety during your period, as well as more bleeding and more pain, fatigue and soreness.Your period may also be longer.

Other symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety has many other physical side effects in addition to affecting the menstrual cycle. While everyone experiences anxiety differently, there are a few general symptoms to watch out for. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms along with spotting or other changes in your menstrual cycle, this is a good sign that you are suffering from higher than normal levels of stress and anxiety.

Excessive worry

Excessive anxiety is one of the most common signs of stress and anxiety. You may feel that your mind is working rapidly and you cannot control your thoughts. You may also experience intrusive thoughts about specific worries or stressors, even when trying to focus on other things. If you can’t stop thinking about the things that bother you, it could be a sign that something more serious is going on in addition to minor stress.Always see a professional if you are struggling with your mental health.

Fatigue and lethargy

If you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and struggle to stay awake during the day, this may be a symptom of stress and anxiety. Fatigue and lethargy are very common symptoms, whether you are under temporary stress or constant anxiety.

Feeling hopeless

Feelings of hopelessness are common symptoms of stress and anxiety.You may feel like there is no point in trying anymore, or that bad things will happen no matter what you do. Feelings of hopelessness can often be rooted in real stressors such as financial insecurity, political unrest, and personal and professional frustrations. You may feel that nothing you do matters and that you are powerless to make any real change in the world.

Anger and irritability

If you feel angry and irritated, even if you don’t know why, it can be a symptom of stress and anxiety.Stress can cause you to become impatient more quickly, become overwhelmed by even small things, and start lashing out at people around you. Stress can also cause you to transfer anger about other things to people and things around you. Even if you’re not normally an angry person, stress can make you feel your emotions and anger reactions get out of hand.

Muscle tension and soreness

Stress and anxiety often cause muscle tension, resulting in tension, soreness and pain.If you have a tendency to clench your jaw or grit your teeth during stress, it can cause headaches throughout the day. Stress and anxiety can also drain your body, leading to physical exhaustion at the end of the day, even if you haven’t done anything special.

Changes in appetite

If you eat more than usual, or struggle to eat during the day, it may be a symptom of stress or anxiety. Stress can cause a sudden decrease in appetite, anxiety or upset stomach, and reduce food cravings.If you are suffering from stress and anxiety, you can also try to comfort yourself with food and start overeating, if you notice that your appetite has recently changed and you are not sure why, it could be due to stress.

Changes in sleep mode

Stress and anxiety can also have a significant impact on sleep. Some people find it difficult to fall asleep on time and may struggle with anxiety and even insomnia. Other people find it difficult to get up in the morning. Stress can also cause intermittent sleep.

Guilt

If you suffer from stress and anxiety, you may feel lingering feelings of guilt, even if you have done nothing wrong. This feeling of guilt can significantly affect your quality of life and lead to obsessive thoughts, even when you’re trying to focus on other things.

Other causes of bleeding

In addition to stress and anxiety, spotting can occur for a variety of reasons.If you are worried about spotting, it is always a good idea to seek the help of a healthcare professional to make sure something more serious is not happening.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is another common symptom of bleeding. After implantation of an egg into the uterus, implantation bleeding may occur that looks and feels like spotting. If you suspect you are pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test and seek help right away.

Excessive physical activity

Excessive physical activity can disrupt the cycle, cause spotting, or even completely stop the menstrual cycle. When your body is under too much stress from exercise, changes in your menstrual cycle can be one of the first signs that something is wrong. While exercise is generally beneficial, you should avoid stressing your body to the point that serious health side effects occur.

Sharp weight gain or loss

If you have recently gained or lost a significant amount of weight, it may affect your period. Significant weight gain or loss can disrupt the cycle, causing spotting, delayed or even missing menstrual periods. Whether you are trying to gain or lose weight, do it gradually and use healthy methods.

Other health problems

In addition to the reasons listed above, your cycle can be disrupted by many other health problems, including birth control, thyroid problems, PCOS, and other health problems.Changes in your cycle can be one of the first signs that something is wrong, so it’s important to listen to your body and ask for help if you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why does stress cause bleeding?

Emotional stress can cause spotting. Women who are under severe stress may experience vaginal bleeding between periods as a result of the high stress on the body.This is due to an increase in cortisol levels, which can disrupt the balance of estrogen and progesterone in your body (hormones associated with menstruation), causing you to bleed, skip your period, or other changes in your cycle. If you have spotting or abnormal vaginal bleeding and are experiencing severe stress, immediately find ways to reduce your stress levels. Talk to your PCP or mental health provider for support.

What does bleeding mean, but not during menstruation?

If you are bleeding and do not have your period, it is most likely breakthrough bleeding or spotting. Spotting is bleeding between periods and can be caused by elevated levels of the stress hormone.

Can stress cause spotting and bleeding ?

Yes. Women under severe stress may experience bleeding outside of the normal menstrual cycle.This is often referred to as breakthrough bleeding. Breakthrough bleeding is usually light or intermittent bleeding that occurs in response to high levels of stress.

Can spotting mean pregnancy?

In some cases, spotting may indicate pregnancy. Implantation bleeding that occurs when an egg is implanted into the uterus can often look like spotting. If you have spotting between your periods and you suspect you are pregnant, take a pregnancy test and seek medical advice.

What does spotting look like during pregnancy?

Pregnancy bleeding often looks like regular spotting. This can be confusing for a woman who is not sure if she is pregnant. If you are trying to get pregnant or suspect you are pregnant, talk to your doctor.

Why does spotting last a month?

If you’ve had spotting spotting for a month and are under stress, consider reducing stress (as much as possible).Bloody discharge over a long period of time can indicate high stress levels, pregnancy, or other changes in the body. It is recommended that you speak with a healthcare professional.

Spotting within 2 weeks – is it normal?

It depends on your cycle. If spotting between periods is a normal part of your cycle, this may be normal for you. However, if you are not prone to spotting and have been spotting spotting for two or more weeks, this may indicate a more serious problem.Talk to your healthcare professional about your concerns.

Is the cycle fluctuation normal after taking the pills?

For many women, the menstrual cycle fluctuates after taking the pills. If you experience regular bleeding after taking the pill, it is recommended that you see your doctor about your concerns.

Why do I get spotting while taking birth control pills?

The hormones affected by the pill can cause changes in your body.These changes include spotting in some women. If you have recently started taking pills and now have problems with bleeding, talk to your doctor about the possible side effects of the pill.

Bleeding while taking pills?

Some women often have spotting and bleeding while taking the pills. This is one of the reactions of the body when taking pills. Although bleeding after taking the pill is not a concern for some women, if you have this problem (which is unusual for you), see your doctor.

Can spotting be considered monthly?

In most cases, spotting is not considered monthly. Spotting is what usually happens between periods. However, if you are a woman who usually has very light or irregular periods, you may confuse spotting with a normal menstrual cycle.

What does breakthrough bleeding look like?

Breakthrough bleeding may look like spotting or normal vaginal bleeding, although it will be less severe than normal menstrual flow as it is a type of bleeding between periods.Basically, this is light bleeding that may be normal. However, if you are concerned about this, you can talk to your doctor. Be aware that there is often some bleeding between periods when taking oral contraceptives, especially those containing estrogen and progesterone.

90,000 Delayed periods: when and why you need to worry

What is a delayed period

A delayed period is a situation when menstruation does not start as expected.Every woman has her own. To determine it, that is, to understand if there is a delay, two parameters are taken into account.

• Individual cycle time. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology ^{, a typical menstrual cycle (the so-called interval between the first day of these and the previous or subsequent periods) lasts 28 days. However, cycles of 21-40 days are also normal variants.}
• Cycle regularity. In healthy adult women, menstruation, as a rule, occurs after a strictly defined number of days. For example, every 28 or every 35. Young girls who had their period no more than 6 years ago may have an irregular cycle. In one month the blood on the pad will be, let’s say, 25 days after the previous time, and in another – after 29. Such fluctuations are normal.

Now for a simple example. Your last period began on March 3. Today is April 4th. Is there a delay? There may be several answers.

If your cycle is, say, 28 days, your period is 4 days late. But if 35, there is still no delay: according to your individual schedule, menstruation is expected only on April 7th. And in the event that you are a young girl with an unsteady, floating cycle, the delay is questionable.

If there is no period for a long time, more than three months, doctors talk about amenorrhea ^{. This condition is normal for pregnant, lactating and menopausal women. Everyone else needs to be examined to find out for what reasons menstruation does not start.}

But, suppose, the thought of amenorrhea has not yet reached. And when you find a delay of several days, you just want to find out what it means. Lifehacker has collected several options.

Why there is a delay in menstruation and what to do about it

Here are some of the most common reasons ^.

1. You are pregnant

This is perhaps the most popular cause of delay in healthy women who are sexually active.

If you do not have sex, pregnancy can be ruled out.Otherwise, wait another couple of days (or better 5-7, if you have enough patience) and take a pregnancy test. In order not to wait, you can go to the laboratory and donate blood for hCG – human chorionic gonadotropin. Such an analysis is able to detect pregnancy as early as 11 days ^{after conception.}

What to do

If the result is positive, visit your gynecologist as soon as possible. Pregnancy can also be ectopic, and this is a serious threat to your health and even life.

2. You are under stress

Acute or chronic stress significantly affects hormonal levels, so the monthly cycle may become longer or shorter. And in some cases, menstruation stops altogether.

What to do

The most obvious and simple advice is to try to calm down. Learn to breathe deeply, abstract, rest more, think good – there are many relaxation techniques. If you understand that you can’t pull yourself together on your own, contact a psychologist or psychotherapist.

But the important thing to remember is this. It’s not at all a fact that the delay in menstruation is associated with stress. Other reasons cannot be ruled out (the same pregnancy). Therefore, if your period does not return for several weeks, still consult with your gynecologist.

3. You’ve lost too much weight

If there are not enough calories, the production of hormones that are responsible for ovulation and start menstruation stops.

What to do

A delay in menstruation against the background of insufficient weight (this can be determined by calculating the body mass index) is a serious reason to consult a therapist as soon as possible.After the examination, your doctor may refer you to a dietitian to help you normalize your weight. Or a psychotherapist if you have an eating disorder.

4. You have gained too much weight

The accumulated adipose tissue in the body increases the production of estrogen, a hormone that, among other things, regulates the monthly cycle. Too much estrogen can make your period less frequent or stop it altogether.

What to do

Go to a therapist. Your doctor will advise you on how to lose weight faster and safer.Perhaps you will get a referral to a more narrow specialist – a nutritionist.

5. You have overtrained

Overtraining is also stressful. And stress, in turn, affects hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle.

What to do

If you suspect the delay may be related to intense training, reduce your activity. Professional athletes should consult a doctor who specializes in sports medicine. An expert will advise on how to keep fit without disturbing your menstrual cycle.

6. You are taking contraceptives

Certain oral contraceptives, contraceptive injections, and even the insertion of an intrauterine device can lead to complete cessation of menstruation.

In addition, menstruation is sometimes delayed while taking conventional hormonal contraceptives. And after the abolition of such pills, it will take time for the cycle to stabilize.

What to do

If you are on birth control pills or have recently had a contraceptive, talk about the delay with your gynecologist.Follow his recommendations.

7. Menopause is approaching

Menopause is a natural part of aging in women. These are hormonal changes in which the ovaries stop producing eggs, and periods are delayed, become irregular, and then stop altogether.

Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. However, in about 1 in 100 women it occurs before the age of 40.

What to do

Consult your gynecologist.Menopause, in addition to the cessation of menstruation, may have other unpleasant signs: vaginal dryness, sweating, problems with sleep and libido, regular sensations, as if throwing into a fever. A doctor can help reduce symptoms.

8. You have polycystic ovary syndrome

This is a condition in which cysts (cavities with unreleased eggs) form on the ovaries and the level of the androgen hormone rises in the body. As a result, polycystic ovary syndrome can cause menstrual disruptions.Including a delay in menstruation.

What to do

Only a gynecologist can deal with polycystic disease. The doctor will listen to your complaints, conduct an examination and offer to do an ultrasound scan and a blood test. All this is necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis.

If the syndrome is confirmed, you will be prescribed medication. Sometimes, surgery is needed to restore ovulation and a disturbed monthly cycle.

9. You have another disease

A delay in menstruation can be caused by ^:

• Inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs.Inflammation can appear due to both sexually transmitted infections and those that are not related to sexually transmitted diseases.
• Uterine fibroids and other neoplasms. Various tumors sometimes lead to cycle disorders. These may be benign processes, but you still need to be checked.
• Premature ovarian failure. This is a disease in which menopause is, in theory, still far away, but the ovaries already cease to produce eggs normally.
• Diseases of the endocrine system. For example, diabetes or thyroid disorders.
• Celiac disease. It is an autoimmune disease in which the gut responds inadequately to gluten (gluten), a protein found in the seeds of cereal plants. Celiac disease causes the intestinal walls to become inflamed, making it difficult for the body to absorb essential nutrients. Deficiency of vitamins and minerals can also lead to disruption of the monthly cycle.

What to do

If it seems to you that you have eliminated almost all the reasons for a possible delay, but there is still no monthly period, go to the gynecologist.The doctor will conduct an examination and examination to rule out possible illnesses. If necessary, he will refer you to another specialist, such as an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, or oncologist.

10. You are taking certain medications

Any hormonal medication can affect your menstrual cycle.

What to do

If you are prescribed such medications and against their background, menstruation delays have begun, talk about it with your doctor. Perhaps he will offer you an alternative – a drug that will not disrupt the menstrual cycle.

This material was first published in March 2018. In February 2021, we updated the text.

Read also 🩸🩸🩸

Eight reasons for a failure in the menstrual cycle :: Clinician

eighteen
03.2018

1. Increased stress levels
2. Incorrect power supply
3. Excessive weight loss and low weight
4. Increased physical activity
5. Thyroid disorders
6. Cessation of oral hormonal drugs
7. Chronic hormonal imbalance and other hormonal disorders
8. Food allergies and food sensitivities

According to a 2017 study on the absence of menstruation, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, frequent delay in menstruation for a long time is relatively common for 5% of women of childbearing age, it happens in them at one time or another period of life.Even more women have menstrual irregularities from time to time.

The hypothalamus and brain, pituitary, ovarian, adrenal and thyroid glands help regulate the menstrual cycle and naturally normalize hormone levels, so it is so important to monitor your bad habits, which can negatively affect hormone levels.

Danger of delayed or irregular menstrual cycles

In women with a regular menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs every 25-28 days.Although the interval between periods is individual for each woman and may differ, especially during puberty and premenopause, in any case, menstruation occurs once a month, if the woman is healthy.

If a woman’s periods stop, which is called “amenorrhea”, then this is a clear sign that you have some kind of health problem. Primary amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation in girls, when they have never had a period, which will begin when they reach puberty.Secondary amenorrhea is when a woman has already had her period, but suddenly stopped and has been absent for three or more months.

The presence of regular moderately painful or painless menstruation every month is a sure sign that the hormonal background is normal, and the reproductive system is in order. The opposite picture is observed if irregular menstruation is recorded, a delay in menstruation, or very painful and intense menstruation. They indicate that the level of one or more hormones is too high, or one or another hormone is absent at all.If you have any health problems, chronic stress, poor nutrition, heavy physical exertion, frequent delays in menstruation, then such problems should never be left to chance (if you are sure that you are not pregnant).

Unfortunately, according to the latest data, many women prefer not to talk to their doctor about frequent delays or irregular periods, which is a rather high risk, since hormonal imbalance and amenorrhea are associated with a number of serious diseases, and also increase the risks of developing osteoporosis, diseases heart, infertility and other hormonal complications.

According to research by the Department of Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic, “amenorrhea can indicate a wide range of anatomical and endocrine disorders. Amenorrhea can lead to impaired reproduction. When estrogen levels are low, amenorrhea is often accompanied by imbalances in minerals, blood glucose, and fat metabolism. These metabolic changes affect bones and the cardiovascular system, including an increased risk of osteoporosis and coronary heart disease later in life. ”

What is the menstrual cycle. Natural ways to protect the body from irregular menstruation

Anovulation is a violation of the ovulation cycle, as a result of which the egg (or “ovium”) does not mature and does not leave the follicle. Usually, the disease is recognized if the phenomenon continues for a certain period of time, usually more than three months in a row. One of the main signs of anovulation is delayed or irregular periods.For a non-pregnant woman of reproductive age (between 15-40 years), anovulation is abnormal and is considered the main cause of infertility in about 30% of patients of childbearing age. Oligomenorrhea is another name for irregular, but completely incessant periods. It is characterized by a long interval between periods, which is more than 36 days, or when menstruation occurs less often than eight times a year.

This predictable pattern of the ovulation and menstrual cycle is caused by a specific set of changes in a number of sex hormones, especially estrogens.In a woman’s body, there is a fairly large variety of estrogens, the three main ones of which are estradiol, estriol and estrone.

Estradiol is produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands. It is considered the most active of the three main estrogens and is closely related to the menstrual cycle, while other types of estrogens are more responsible for pregnancy. Upon reaching the age of 50, the ovaries begin to produce fewer estrogens, and the main load for their production or the biochemical substance of their precursor used for the synthesis of estrogens is assigned to the adrenal gland.For this reason, women naturally stop menstruating when they reach menopause.

In many women of reproductive age, low estrogen levels can cause delayed or irregular periods. So, amenorrhea in young women is one of the sure clinical signs of estrogen deficiency. With today’s sources of abnormal estrogen dominance such as toxins and unhealthy diets, it’s hard to imagine that anyone might be deficient, but women do.

It is believed that low estrogen levels can be caused not only by an inability to produce enough sex hormones due to hereditary hormonal problems, but in many cases due to the effect on the body of elevated stress hormone levels. If you often have irregular periods, then you should try to avoid stress, because the sex hormones are negatively influenced by metabolic, physical and psychological stressors.

Stress hormones can be dominant due to many factors, with unhealthy diet and chronic emotional stress being the main causes. We need a surge in stress hormones in life-threatening situations in order to find a way out of them, but modern women experience constant tension, which is considered low-level stress, and for this reason it is often overlooked, although in reality the stress is strong enough to affect our health.

Most common causes of delayed or irregular periods

Unlike pregnancy and the onset of menopause, which naturally stop menstruation, the causes of amenorrhea and irregular menstruation presented below are highly undesirable and negatively affect our health, but they can be tried to be eliminated.

1. Increased stress level

If a woman experiences severe stress for a long time, then her body begins to conserve energy, not producing ovulation.If a woman experiences a sudden traumatic event, it can put an increased stress on the adrenal glands, which leads to the cessation of the production of estrogens and other reproductive hormones (a condition called hypothalamic amenorrhea). When a woman has an insufficient amount of estrogen, then her uterine mucosa cannot be maintained in a normal state, as a result, a delay in menstruation occurs.

Why is this happening? Your body responds to emergencies.Convenience is very good, and fertility is very important, but still secondary from a survival point of view. The innate natural mechanism of survival in all of us involves the constant production of vital stress hormones, otherwise called the response “fight or flight”, such as cortisol and adrenaline. Adrenaline and cortisol are the two main hormones responsible for the body’s response to stress, helping us to escape threats (whether they are real, sudden or perceived threats). These hormones are vital and sometimes very beneficial as they help us run, climb, add strength, make us sweat and regulate our heart rate, but too many of them can lead to health problems.

The body has always prioritized the production of stress hormones that help to cope with critical situations, considering sex hormones as secondary during periods it considers difficult. With chronic stress, there is a lack of nutrients, such as amino acids that contribute to the normal functioning of neurotransmitters, and they are not enough to produce enough hormones, so the body has to choose between stress hormones and sex hormones, and preference is always given to the former.Under high stress conditions, such as dieting, strenuous exercise, or emotionally charged events, all such situations can trigger amenorrhea with or without weight loss.

2. Incorrect power supply

Foods that are low in nutrients, antioxidants and probiotics and are high in stimulants can put an increased strain on the thyroid and adrenal glands.For example, cortisol levels can rise when the following factors are present:

• high consumption of sugar, hydrogenated fats and artificial additives or pesticides;
• Thyroid problems;
• adrenal fatigue.

Elevated cortisol levels interfere with the optimal production of many other important hormones, including sex hormones. If elevated cortisol levels persist for a long time, it can lead to skin problems, damage to bone, muscle, and brain tissue.This high cortisol cycle can lead to protein deficiencies, resulting in muscle loss and osteoporosis.

If you have menstrual problems, check how well you are eating. Choose foods that are high in antioxidants and nutrients, especially those that are high in fat (even saturated fat, these are good for your situation) and protein. You can also use high-calorie food supplements if you are underweight, lack of adipose tissue, and you are actively involved in sports.

3. Excessive weight loss and low weight

When the body mass index (BMI) falls below the 18-19 mark, menstruation may be delayed due to too little adipose tissue. Body fat is important for the production of enough estrogen, for this reason women who are too thin or who have a serious medical condition such as anorexia and bulimia may suffer from missing or delayed periods. Increased physical activity and therefore a high need for nutrients due to intense exercise can sometimes lead to weight loss and put you at risk of developing hormonal imbalances.

Low-calorie, low-fat foods can also cause nutritional deficiencies and fat loss and contribute to irregular menstruation and bone loss. There is some evidence that very thin vegans, including those who consume exclusively raw food without cooking, and vegetarians who do not eat only meat, are also at risk, most likely because they are more likely to be underweight and lack of vital useful substances.

4. Increased physical activity

Although moderate exercise is very important for heart health, mood control, sleep, and maintaining a stable body weight, increased physical activity increases the stress on the adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary glands. Therefore, women who abruptly start intense physical training, for example, preparing for a marathon or similar important event that requires high physical excretion, may suddenly stop menstruating.

Like other stress hormones, a surge in cortisol occurs in response to any real or anticipated stress. The latter can be physical (including sports) or emotional. Such stressors include overwork and physical exhaustion from increased physical exertion, which can be accompanied by lack of sleep, constant rush, infectious diseases and emotional exhaustion. In our time, with a constant desire to be slim and maintain good physical shape, some women believe that they need to exercise intensively, they think that profuse sweating is beneficial, and so they exhaust themselves constantly.

This physical overload can exacerbate stress and drain the body’s energy needed to regulate sex hormones. Thus, in one of the reports from the University of Michigan, it is reported that running and ballet are among the physical activities where the largest number of women suffering from amenorrhea are found. Nearly 66% of women running long distances or ballet dancers experience amenorrhea at some point in their lives.The situation is even worse in women who are involved in bodybuilding. Nearly 81% of them suffer from amenorrhea from time to time, while they eat a diet low in nutrients.

“Exercise-induced amenorrhea” may indicate a general depletion of the body, a decrease in vitality and is more characteristic of young girls. Thus, the number of women involved in athletics in childhood and adolescence has increased by 800% over the past 30 years, at the same time, the number of those suffering from hormonal disorders has increased.Other problems that often accompany amenorrhea include decreased bone density and eating disorders. Therefore, doctors are concerned about the susceptibility of this category of patients to heart complications, bone problems and nutrient deficiencies.

5. Thyroid disorders

You may not even suspect that the thyroid gland may be the cause of hormonal disorders.

According to recent studies, thyroid problems are one of the main causes of delayed menstruation, almost 15% of patients with amenorrhea suffer from abnormalities in the thyroid gland.

The thyroid gland, considered the main regulatory mechanism of the endocrine system, is responsible for metabolism and affects many sex hormones.

Thyroid problems, including hypofunctional or endemic goiter and hyperfunction, can cause a wide range of health problems such as changes in estrogen and cortisol levels, and delayed periods. Increased cortisol levels can lead to general hormonal insensitivity, including thyroid insensitivity.This means that the body becomes desentized for estrogens and cortisol, which can cause them to be overproduced.

6. Cessation of oral hormonal drugs

Some women intentionally interrupt their menstrual cycle to prevent pregnancy, but when they stop taking birth control pills, their periods do not start. Although some doctors say that menstruation should resume and return to normal within a few months after stopping hormone pills, many women have delayed or irregular periods for several years afterwards.

A woman’s natural menstrual cycle consists of rising and falling levels of estrogen and progesterone, but the use of birth control pills keeps estrogen at a high enough level that it confuses the body, making it feel like you are pregnant, thus causing the menstrual cycle to malfunction. It takes the body many months and even years to correct this situation and regain homeostasis.

So, in a report published in one of the American journals on obstetrics and gynecology, it is reported that about 29% of women suffer from a delay in menstruation for more than three months after using contraception.Hence our advice: Stop using contraceptives if there are signs of menstrual irregularities.

7. Chronic hormonal imbalance and other hormonal disorders

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an imbalance of hormones in women that negatively affects ovulation. When a woman suffers from polycystic ovary disease, this means that her hormone levels, including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, are disrupted, which can be expressed in different ways:

• Abnormal growth of body or facial hair;
• problems with sugar levels;
• overweight;

90 150 acne;

90 150 irregular menstrual cycle.

A gynecologist can diagnose polycystic ovary disease, who must check the woman’s hormone levels, analyze the symptoms and check your genetic predisposition to the disease, as well as examine the ovaries and find out if cysts are growing or not.

Also, women with polycystic disease often experience premature menopause before the age of 40, which can be accompanied not only by the absence of menstruation, but also by hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.Although this is the most rare cause of irregular periods.

8. Food allergy and sensitivity to a certain type of food

Undiagnosed gluten sensitivity, or celiac disease, can also affect hormone levels. Since such problems can cause nutritional deficiencies, negatively affect digestion and contribute to increased stress on the adrenal gland, they, of course, affect the production of sex hormones.

90,000 Can there be delays in menstruation after stress?

In a healthy woman, the menstrual cycle should be regular and stable. He is responsible for the normal functioning of the reproductive system. The cycle should last about 28 days, but doctors allow slight deviations from the norm. Throughout life, it must have the same duration. However, often, in the majority of the fair sex, you can observe that the cycle does not correspond to the norms.

This can be influenced by a variety of reasons that adversely affect the female body. The most common cause of an unstable cycle is stress. It is considered a mental illness that affects the entire body as a whole.

Every day a person is exposed to various stressful situations, such as problems at work or in relationships with loved ones. Therefore, it is extremely important for every girl to know whether a delay in her period after stress is possible.

Stress is a kind of defense mechanism of the body, protecting it from any external stimuli. The reasons for its appearance can be:

• strong voltage;
• unpleasant emotions;
• physical stress;
• any problems.

In the presence of a stressful state, changes occur in the body, both at the mental and physiological levels. The person becomes irritable, a feeling of depression may appear.And along with this there are problems with sleep, there may be a lack of appetite. It is believed that all internal organs are affected by this ailment.

Therefore, it is important to understand whether stress can affect your period. The reproductive system at this point becomes very vulnerable, since under stress, a large amount of hormones are produced, which lead to changes in the hormonal background.

Attention! Stress can be caused not only by emotional but also physical factors.For example, the birth of a child, trauma, surgery. All this affects the internal female organs.

With prolonged emotional stress, the work of the endocrine system changes, the thymus decreases. And also the size of the adrenal glands increases and prolactin is produced in large quantities. Typically, this hormone increases during pregnancy and remains elevated as long as the baby is breastfeeding.

This hormone affects the reproductive system, and under its influence the secretion of progesterone changes.And he, in turn, is “responsible” for the normal cycle of menstruation. In addition, the hormone is responsible for:

• immunity;
• peptide synthesis;
• thyroid function;
• protein metabolism.

So, how long can your periods stay under stress? Most often, under its influence, the cycle increases – approximately it can be about 32 days. However, the complete absence of menstruation is not excluded, in the presence of a high level of prolactin in the blood.For some women, periods may disappear for several years. In medicine, this is called amenorrhea. In addition, other symptoms may also occur, such as frequent headaches or weight gain.

What to do if there was a delay in menstruation due to stress? First of all, you need to visit a doctor in order for him to establish the cause that influenced the delay. In the event that it is confirmed that delay and stress are interrelated, immediate treatment should be initiated.You will have to revise your diet, change your lifestyle. With the right treatment, your menstrual cycle can return to normal.

If a person has received a strong emotional stress, then he needs more time to rest. Your best bet is to take a vacation from work and travel. A change of environment has a positive effect on the emotional state.

Adequate sleep should also be given. Healthy sleep lasts about 7-8 hours. You need to go to bed early – scientists believe that 10 o’clock in the evening is the best time to go to bed.In addition, it is not recommended to watch films or programs in the evening in which violent and scary scenes are present.

Important! You should not follow a diet under stress, as this will provoke a deterioration in the psychological state. It is important to eat healthy and balanced.

The diet should contain foods that contain significant amounts of nutrients. Therefore, it is recommended to consume more vegetables and fruits that are enriched with natural vitamins and minerals.After all, they are so necessary for emotional stress.

From the daily diet, you need to exclude fatty and high-calorie foods, and also refuse products that have artificial colors. It is forbidden to eat fast food and drink alcohol.

To recover from stress the monthly cycle, you need to get as much joyful and positive emotions as possible. Also, in order to cure stress and return your period, you need to devote time to physical activity – they will tone the muscles, improve blood circulation.To combat stress, experts advise doing yoga, doing morning exercises or meditation.

Could there be a delay due to stress? From the above, it is clear that yes. But how to return the monthly cycle, and so that the delay disappears, what medications do you need to drink for this?

As a rule, the doctor prescribes herbal medicines to patients. They are aimed at restoring a normal mental state. The following drugs are considered the most effective:

• Persen;
• Tenoten;
• Afobazole;
• Novo-Pasit.

Drinking them is recommended as prescribed by the attending physician, because on the basis of the examination, he determines the stage of development of the disease, and after that he prescribes the duration of treatment and the dosage of the drug. These medicines have few side effects. However, you can use motherwort or valerian tincture, as they are absolutely safe for the body.

In addition, the patient can be prescribed vitamin complexes to normalize her period. Most often, these are homeopathic remedies:

• Prefemin;
• Wag Forte;
• Gyneconorm;
• Guinelon.

Medication therapy is indicated when emotional disturbances cannot be addressed with other treatments. And also when the stress is prolonged.

Herbal preparations are very often used in traditional medicine. They effectively fight various diseases, they can also be used to treat stress and eliminate delayed periods. Plants contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals that effectively cope with nervous disorders.However, you should consult your doctor before taking any herbal remedy. After all, they may have contraindications.

If the delay was caused by stress, then the most effective recipes are:

• parsley tincture. You need to take 2 tbsp. tablespoons of the plant, finely chop it and pour 1⁄2 liter of hot water. Next, the product is cooked over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. After you need to let it brew and cool for 30 minutes. Drinking the broth should be started a week before the expected date of menstruation.You need to consume 120 ml 2 times a day;
• Dandelion root tincture. It is necessary to grind 1 teaspoon of the plant and pour 250 ml of hot water. Then put on a low heat and cook for 15 minutes. After the broth should be infused for 2 hours. It is recommended to use the product twice a day, 120 ml. Typically, the course of treatment lasts about 30 days.

After that, the menstrual cycle should return to normal, and have the same duration as before.

First of all, a woman needs to take care of her health.It is the female body that is most susceptible to stressful situations, since susceptibility is more sensitive to external factors. Of course, it’s best to avoid stress. However, in the modern world, this is quite difficult to accomplish. Therefore, it is necessary to engage in stress prevention, learn to respond less to external stimuli.

It is also very important to maintain immunity during seasonal colds. After all, a weakened immune system will not be able to fight against negative factors. It is important to follow the correct lifestyle, there are only healthy foods.It is recommended to schedule a daily routine to prevent stressful situations. Try to take short breaks while working.

It is extremely important to fully rest on weekends so that the body relaxes and recovers after a difficult week of work. It is best to take trips out of town or hiking in the woods. Nature helps to relieve nervous tension, and thereby restores the emotional background.

Experts advise signing up for a gym or swimming pool, as physical activity has a positive effect on both mental and physical condition.It is best to train 3 times a week. In order to prevent stress, you can find new activities for yourself, for example, learn to draw, embroider, knit. Creativity allows the psyche to relax.

As soon as the development of mental illness stops, the menstrual cycle will normalize and the work of the whole organism will improve.

Oddly enough, there are also stresses that are caused by pleasant emotions. For example, if a woman went on vacation to a hot country, then the delay is guaranteed to her.

For this reason, many are interested in the question of how much there can be a delay in menstruation after stress, which is associated with climate change. Typically, the cycle can go off for a few days, about one week. Also, the delay may be affected by moving to a new apartment or to another city.

It should be borne in mind that sometimes stress is caused not only by external stimuli. Most of the girls follow strict diets in order to stay in great shape. However, they can provoke internal stress in the body, as the body does not receive the necessary nutrients to function properly.Such nutrition leads to the fact that the circulatory system is not able to work fully and perform all its functions. Therefore, as a result, profuse bleeding may occur or menstruation and disappear altogether.

Severe stressful situations lead to changes in the hormonal background, thereby provoking a failure in the menstrual cycle.