Stopped or missed periods – NHS

Why your periods might stop

There are a number of reasons why your periods can stop. The most common reasons are:

Periods can also sometimes stop as a result of a medical condition, such as heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes, an overactive thyroid, or premature menopause.

Pregnancy

You might be pregnant if you’re sexually active and your period is late. Pregnancy is a common reason why periods unexpectedly stop. It can sometimes happen if the contraception you’re using fails.

It might be that your period is simply late, so you could wait a few days to see if it arrives. If it does not arrive, you can do a pregnancy test to confirm whether or not you’re pregnant.

It’s important to be aware that you can get pregnant in the days after your period is normally due. This can happen if the release of an egg (ovulation) is delayed – for example, as a result of illness or stress.

Stress

If you’re stressed, your menstrual cycle can become longer or shorter, your periods may stop altogether, or they might become more painful.

Try to avoid becoming stressed by making sure you have time to relax. Regular exercise, such as running, swimming and yoga, can help you relax. Breathing exercises can also help.

If you’re finding it hard to cope with stress, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may be recommended. CBT is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and act.

Sudden weight loss

Excessive or sudden weight loss can cause your periods to stop. Severely restricting the amount of calories you eat stops the production of hormones needed for ovulation.

Your GP may refer you to a dietitian if you’re underweight, which is when you have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5. A dietitian will be able to advise you about how to regain weight safely.

If your weight loss is caused by an eating disorder, such as anorexia, they may refer you to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists.

Being overweight

Being overweight can also affect your menstrual cycle. If you’re overweight, your body may produce an excess amount of oestrogen, one of the hormones that regulate the reproductive system in women.

Excess oestrogen can affect how often you have periods, and can also cause your periods to stop.

Your GP may refer you to a dietitian if you’re overweight, with a BMI of 30 or more, and it’s affecting your periods. The dietitian will be able to advise you about losing weight safely.

Doing too much exercise

The stress that intense physical activity places on your body can affect the hormones responsible for your periods. Losing too much body fat through intense exercise can also stop you ovulating.

You’ll be advised to reduce your level of activity if excessive exercise has caused your periods to stop.

If you’re a professional athlete, you may benefit from seeing a doctor who specialises in sports medicine. They’ll be able to give you advice about how to maintain your performance without disrupting your periods.

Contraceptive pill

You might miss a period every so often if you’re taking the contraceptive pill. This is not usually a cause for concern.

Some types of contraception, such as the progestogen-only pill (POP), contraceptive injection and intrauterine system (IUS), particularly Mirena, can cause periods to stop altogether.

However, your periods should return when you stop using these types of contraception.

Menopause

You may start missing periods as you approach the menopause. This is because oestrogen levels start to decrease, and ovulation becomes less regular. After the menopause, your periods stop completely.

The menopause is a natural part of ageing in women, which usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51 in the UK.

However, around 1 in 100 women go through the menopause before the age of 40. This is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovaries contain a large number of harmless follicles, which are underdeveloped sacs in which eggs develop. If you have PCOS, these sacs are often unable to release an egg, which means ovulation does not take place.

PCOS is thought to be very common, affecting about 1 in every 10 women in the UK. The condition is responsible for as many as 1 in 3 cases of stopped periods.

When to see your GP

See your GP if you’re not pregnant – you’ve had a negative pregnancy test – and you’ve missed more than 3 periods in a row.

If you’re sexually active and you have not taken a pregnancy test, your GP may advise you to take one.

They may also ask you about:

• your medical history
• your family’s medical history
• your sexual history
• any emotional issues you’re having
• any recent changes in your weight
• the amount of exercise you do

Your GP may recommend waiting to see whether your periods return on their own. In some cases you may need treatment for your periods to return.

You should also see your GP if your periods stop before you’re 45 or if you’re still bleeding when you’re over 55.

Referral to a consultant

If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a consultant who specialises in the condition.

Depending on what your GP suspects is causing the problem, you may be referred to:

• a gynaecologist – a specialist in treating conditions that affect the female reproductive system
• an endocrinologist – a specialist in treating hormonal conditions

You may have a full gynaecological examination and various tests, including:

• blood tests – to see whether you have abnormal levels of certain hormones
• an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan – to identify any problems with your reproductive system or the pituitary gland in your brain

Treating underlying conditions

If test results show a medical condition has caused your periods to stop, you may be offered treatment for your condition.

For example, if the cause is PCOS, you may be advised to take the contraceptive pill or tablets containing a hormone called progesterone.

Read more about the treatment of PCOS.

If the cause is early menopause (premature ovarian failure), this means the ovaries no longer function normally. Hormone medicine is usually recommended. Treatments may include the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

If you have an overactive thyroid gland, you may be given medication to stop your thyroid producing too many hormones. 

Read more about treating an overactive thyroid gland.

Video: menstrual cycle

This animation explains in detail how the menstrual cycle works.

Media last reviewed: 21 October 2020
Media review due: 21 October 2023

Late Period? 11 Reasons Why Other Than Pregnancy, Per Ob-Gyns

Right now, in what feels like day #576 of social distancing, you probably don’t even know what the actual date is, and your body might not either. With a global health crisis going on, nothing feels normal, and that might include your body’s monthly cycle. It’s totally a thing for your period to pull a disappearing act because of stress right now.

Believe it or not, the uterus or even the ovaries aren’t calling the shots to make your period happen each month, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University. “The control panel is in the brain,” she says. It’s the hypothalamus at the base of the brain that makes sure your reproductive hormones are in balance each cycle to do their respective jobs, so that you ovulate and menstruate every month, Dr. Minkin explains.

Any major deviation from the norm, including an influx of anxiety (say, from novel coronavirus-related issues like jobs on hold, sick relatives or friends, and being confined to your home), can mess with the delicate balance of hormones that regulate your cycle, and especially those that control ovulation. It might not be a coincidence that ovulation gets put on hold though, Dr. Minkin says. “From a philosophical point of view, maybe nature doesn’t want us to get pregnant if we’re really stressed. ”

So…how much of a delay in your period is still considered normal?

“If you have one or two irregular periods it is definitely something to pay attention to,” says Sherry Ross, MD, an ob-gyn at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. A period is considered late if it hasn’t started five or more days after the day you expected it to begin, according to Summit Medical Group. So if your period is, say, 10 days late, definitely take a pregnancy test and check in with your ob-gyn regardless of the results. In general, if your flow has been MIA for a week or more, that’s a sign you should take the test and also check in with your gyno to see what might be going on.

But again, you can miss a period and *not* be pregnant. If there’s no way you’re pregnant and/or your test comes back negative (though, you may be too early in your pregnancy to get a positive result just yet), one of these factors, including all the stress you might be under right now, may be to blame for your late period problems. Then, your next step is definitely calling your doc so they can help you suss out the best solution or treatment for your situation.

1. Stress

Significant stress—such as a divorce, death of a loved one, or, I don’t know, the effects of a global pandemic—can definitely disrupt your hormonal balance, creating delayed, irregular, and even heavy periods.

When all of that stress reaches the hypothalamus in the brain, which is supposed to be stimulating a series of hormone production, such as luteinizing hormone (which triggers ovulation), estrogen, and progesterone, that’s when things can go off the rails. The buildup of the stress hormone cortisol is also likely a factor in throwing off that balance, too, Dr. Minkin says. You need the estrogen and progesterone to prepare the uterus to receive a fertilized egg, but if those hormones aren’t in balance and you don’t end up actually ovulating, the whole system is off. Because of that lapse in timing, your period might not come on time either.

“You may skip periods altogether,” Dr. Minkin says, “or you may get a heavier period than usual.” The flow may be extra heavy because when you skip the ovulation stage, your body isn’t making the proper amount of progesterone, which regulates the thinning of the uterine lining, she says. If that doesn’t happen, your period is likely to shed more of the lining of the uterus, and therefore be heavier than normal.

2. Major weight loss

“We know excessive exercising, sudden weight changes and being underweight can offset your hormone levels,” says Dr. Ross. “One of these hormones is called leptin and is produced in fatty tissue. Excessive exercising and drastic weight changes can decrease the body fat causing this and other hormones (like estrogen) to drop, contributing to irregular periods.”

Talk to your doctor if you’ve had a major weight fluctuation recently so she can take that into account while solving your period probs.

3. Excessive exercise

Rigorous exercising, such as training for a marathon or triathlon, can cause physical stress, which may lead to a hormonal imbalance that screws with your period. Sound like you right now? Let your doctor know this information and what your workouts look like recently so she can help gauge whether they might be affecting your flow.

4. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a medical condition caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones, according to the Office on Women’s Health. It affects about 5 to 10 percent of women, says Dr. Ross.

“The hallmark of PCOS is irregular periods, excessive hair growth in places you would rather not see it, multiple cysts on the ovaries seen on a pelvic ultrasound, and infertility,” she says. “Your hormones—estrogen and testosterone—are completely lopsided and irregular.”

When you have PCOS, Dr. Ross says your periods can come every two weeks, every three to six months, or even just once a year. If you have any other symptoms of PCOS, take note and share them with your MD.

5. Your birth control

“One of the side effects of a low-estrogen birth control pill is a light or non-existent period,” Dr. Ross says. “For many, this is a welcomed side effect.” The same goes for methods like hormonal IUDs, implants, or shots, since many of those don’t contain estrogen at all.

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But if you’ve just stopped taking the pill, then take note: Dr. Ross says it might take one to three months to return to your normal cycle. Still, pay attention to what your period looks like when it finally comes back. “It may be once you are off the pill you may find you have an underlying hormonal problem that was masked by taking the birth control pill,” says Dr. Ross.

If that’s the case for you, then it’s time to get in touch with your ob-gyn.

6. Thyroid dysfunction

The thyroid gland, located in your neck, regulates your metabolism, but it also interacts with many other systems in your body to keep things running smoothly. “If you’re dealing with any type of thyroid imbalance, whether it’s hypo- or hyperthyroidism, that can have implications for your period,” says Alyssa Dweck, MD, ob-gyn and co-author of V is for Vagina.

Dr. Ross says other hormonal causes that could lead to irregular periods include Cushing’s disease, poor control of diabetes mellitus, premature ovarian failure, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (a condition that limits hormone production in the adrenal glands).

If you have any other symptoms, like fatigue or weight loss or gain, bring those up with your doctor, as they can help pinpoint whether a thyroid issue might be to blame. Then, your doctor will likely need to order blood tests and do a workup.

7. Miscarriage

If you took a pregnancy test and it showed you were pregnant, then your period (or something that looks like a period) arrived late and heavy, it could be a miscarriage, says Dr. Ross. Visit your doctor to discuss the bleeding and do an examination and ultrasound to confirm.

8. Certain medications

Whether you’ve been relying on certain OTC medications for an everyday headache or taking a prescription for a particular health issue, Dr. Ross says that some meds could be affecting your menstrual cycle. Aspirin, Coumadin (used to treat and prevent blood clots), and ibuprofen can all affect your cycle.

9. Pelvic inflammatory disease

This infection of the uterus, ovaries and/or fallopian tubes, which typically develops when chlamydia or gonorrhea is left untreated, can disrupt your cycle and cause irregular periods, according to Mayo Clinic.

10. Uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus, and they can cause heavy periods and super long periods, according to Mayo Clinic. This irregularity could make it seem like you’ve missed a period, too. If you have any other symptoms, like pelvic pain, frequent urination or even constipation, definitely bring those up with your doctor.

11. Premature menopause

When women under 40 have hormones misfiring in a significant way, they can go through premature menopause, also known as premature ovarian failure. Along with a missed period, signs of this condition include hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.

But this shouldn’t be at the top of your list. “This isn’t very common, so you shouldn’t immediately worry about it,” says Dr. Dweck. If your ob-gyn rules out the many other potential causes for missed or late periods and thinks this may be the culprit, they’ll clue you in.

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Can Anxiety Affect Your Period?

Anxiety affects every aspect of your body.

It raises your blood pressure.

It increases your blood sugar.

Can anxiety affect your period?

Definitely.

We’ll take a closer look at stress and your period, how they interact, and help you find solutions to some common problems.

Can Stress Cause Irregular Periods?

Yes, particularly if you’ve been under a high level of stress for an extended period of time. To fully understand why, we have to look to the “fight or flight” response.

Stress causes your body to go into fight or flight mode—it’s just the way we’re wired. When you’re in this mode, it affects your hormones, which in turn affect your ovulation and, of course, your period.

This means you may have periods that are late or even stop completely for several months.

If you are having these irregular periods and you aren’t pregnant, you should schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. While stress can be a culprit, there could also be several other causes.

How Long Can Stress Delay Your Period?

It can delay your period by a month or two, but it shouldn’t stop completely. The absence of a period is called amenorrhea, and it could indicate a potentially serious condition. Hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems and even tumors on your pituitary gland can all trigger amenorrhea

The bottom line is if your period has stopped and you’re not pregnant, we need to see you. Please contact us. Often, we can schedule your appointment within the next week.

How to Avoid Stress

We’ve got some bad news for you—it’s impossible to avoid stress completely. It’s part of our world.

In some cases, stress can actually be a good thing. It alerts us to danger and may give us the motivation to accomplish tasks.

But too much stress is devastating to your health.

We want to be clear: We care about much more than your gynecological health. We care about every aspect of your wellness, from how you’re sleeping to your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. We know that stress can offset any of those.

This is why we will address issues of anxiety that you’ve been having. In the meantime, the following are some stress relief methods we’ve found that help our patients. We encourage you to try them and then schedule an appointment with us to let us know how you’re doing.

Tips for Managing Stress

Take Care of Your Body

There’s a reason you reach for chocolates and ice cream when you’re feeling stressed. However, these “comfort foods” can actually compound your problem. Although it’s tempting to eat fast food and unhealthy meals, by keeping your nutritional schedule, you can help your body deal with stress more effectively.

Have a Regular Exercise Routine

Burning calories can go a long way toward relieving stress. It also lowers your blood pressure, cholesterol, and helps prevent heart disease and strokes.

Meditate

Guided meditation is a wonderful way to calm your anxiety and help alleviate stress. Not sure where to start? Take a look at this handy guide from the Mayo Clinic. All you need is a quiet setting, a comfortable position and an open mind.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep usually goes out the window at the first sign of stress, and that’s a shame because rest gives your body a chance to “reboot.” Be sure you get enough sleep by avoiding caffeine later in the day, eliminating “screen time” a few hours before sleeping, and keeping bedtime at the same time each night.

Reduce (or Eliminate) Caffeine

We’re not saying you have to give up that morning cup of Joe. What we are saying is that too much caffeine can make you anxious and jittery. Back off of coffee and sodas for a while. Try decaffeinated varieties or even a relaxing cup of decaffeinated tea instead.

Talk to a counselor

Sometimes, anxiety can be so overwhelming that it interferes with your day-to-day life. If that’s the case, we encourage you to talk to a licensed counselor who can help you adjust and adapt new coping skills to help you.

Problems With Your Period? Contact Us Today

Your period tells us a lot about your gynecological health. If you have severe cramps or unusually heavy periods we want to know. Sometimes these are an indicator of another health problem.

Most importantly, we want you to know we’re on your side. Our doctors are women who have been providing care for women for decades. Our compassion and dedication set us apart, and we consider it a privilege to care for you.

Schedule your appointment today.

10 Reasons for a Missed Period

Pregnancy is by far the most common cause of a missed period, but there are some other medical and lifestyle factors that can affect your menstrual cycle. Extreme weight loss, hormonal irregularities, and menopause are among the most common causes if you’re not pregnant.

You may miss a period for one or two months, or you may experience complete amenorrhea—that is, no period for three or more months in a row. This article explores 10 common reasons your period may be delayed.

Verywell / Cindy Chung

Stress

Intense stress interrupts the production of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)—a hormone that regulates ovulation and the menstrual cycle.

Both physical and psychological stress can cause a delayed period. But the level of stress capable of causing this effect is usually more severe than having a bad hair day.

Missing one period while going through a very stressful situation is not uncommon. However, if you’re under prolonged stress and miss more than one period, consider scheduling a visit with your doctor.

If there is no other medical reason for your missed period, your doctor may suggest counseling to help you cope with your situation. Once your stress is back to a manageable level, it may take a few months or more for your cycles to become regular again.

Extreme Exercise

Extreme exercise can cause changes in pituitary hormones and thyroid hormones, which can impact ovulation and menstruation. Working out for one or two hours per day shouldn’t affect your menstrual cycle. It takes hours upon hours of demanding exercise every day for these hormonal changes to occur.

If you are planning on exercising that much, you may want to consult with a sports medicine doctor. Their job is to help your body support all of the physical demands that you are putting on it. This may include:

• Optimizing your diet with nutritious foods that boost your energy
• Teaching you stretching techniques to reduce physical stress
• Performing blood tests to check for iron or vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, dehydration, and more

Illness

Chronic conditions that can affect your menstrual cycle include:

Certain conditions that are present at birth, such as Turner syndrome and androgen insensitivity, typically cause menstrual and fertility problems. These congenital conditions are often associated with amenorrhea.

Acute illness, such as pneumonia, a heart attack, kidney failure, or meningitis, can result in rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiency, or hormone dysfunction. These conditions can also result in a missed period.

Recap

Many illnesses and disorders can interfere with your cycle until they are treated. Once the underlying condition is resolved, it might take a few months before your period returns again.

A Change In Your Schedule

Changing schedules can throw off your body clock. If you frequently change work shifts from days to nights, or if your schedule is generally all over the place, your period can be fairly unpredictable.

A change in your schedule shouldn’t cause you to completely miss your period, but it can cause your period to start earlier or later than expected. Your cycle can also change by a few days if you experience jet lag.

Medications

Some medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, thyroid medications, anticonvulsants, and some chemotherapy medications, may cause your period to be absent or delayed.

Hormonal contraceptives like Depo-Provera, progesterone-only MiniPill, Mirena IUD, and Nexplanon can also influence your cycle.

Different types of contraceptives can affect your menstrual cycle in different ways. Some contraceptives are associated with heavy periods, some with light periods, and some with amenorrhea.

Weight Changes

Being overweight, underweight, or experiencing drastic changes in weight all impact your cycle. Obesity influences estrogen and progesterone regulation and may even lead to issues with fertility.

Very high body mass index (BMI) is associated with missed periods, and weight loss can help regulate the menstrual cycle for women who are obese.

Being severely underweight interferes with regular menstrual cycles as well. When the body lacks fat and other nutrients, it cannot produce hormones the way it should.

Women who have anorexia (very low caloric intake) or who burn far more calories with exercise than what they consume may experience amenorrhea. Typically, weight gain will help your periods to return.

Rapid weight changes due to illness, medication, or dietary changes may interfere with hormone production or release. In turn, this may cause you to miss one period or more.

Recently Started Periods

A normal menstrual cycle lasts from 21 to 35 days in healthy women, but it can vary. This is especially true for young women who are just starting to get their periods, or for women who have not had periods for several years and are starting again.

A young woman who has only had a few cycles may go months without another one until a regular pattern begins.And women who have not had a period due to contraceptive use, hormonal therapy, or illness may not resume regular, monthly periods right away.

Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause is the period of transition between reproductive age to non-reproductive age. Your periods may be lighter, heavier, more frequent, or less frequent during this time. In most cases, they’ll just be different than what you’re used to.

Menopause is when you have reached the point in your life where you will no longer ovulate or menstruate. The average age of menopause is 51 years old.

Breastfeeding

You may have light periods, infrequent periods, or amenorrhea when breastfeeding,particularly if breastfeeding provides your baby with all or almost all of their calories.

Many women believe that breastfeeding is a form of birth control, but it’s not. Even if you don’t have periods when you are breastfeeding, you can get pregnant. If you are not ready for another child, you should still use a contraceptive.

Ectopic Pregnancy

If you think that you can’t be pregnant because you have an IUD, there is a small chance that your missed period could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy can sometimes happen due to the shape of the IUD, and you may not test positive on a pregnancy test, either. Your doctor can check for it with a pelvic examination or an ultrasound.

Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include cramping in your lower abdomen, shoulder pain, weakness or dizziness, nausea, and breast tenderness. Some women have missed periods, while others have vaginal bleeding or spotting.

In addition to the use of an IUD, other factors that are associated with ectopic pregnancy include:

• Endometriosis
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Progestin-only birth control pills
• History of sexually-transmitted infection
• History of infertility
• In vitro fertilization
• Birth defects of the fallopian tubes
• Fallopian tube scarring, possibly due to pelvic surgery or appendix rupture

Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition. Seek medical attention right away if you miss your period and think you might be at risk.

When to Call Your Doctor

Missing a period every once in a while is usually not cause for concern. That said, you should see a doctor if you miss more than one period, or your missed period is accompanied by new or unusual symptoms.

Seek medical attention right away if you also experience any of the following:

• New or worsening headaches
• Vision changes
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fevers
• Hair loss
• Breast discharge or milk production
• Excess hair growth

Summary

There are many reasons for late periods, and while most are not cause for alarm, you do need an evaluation and treatment if you have completely missed more than one period.

How your missed periods are treated depends on why you aren’t having your period. The treatment can include lifestyle changes, such as diet or stress reduction, or may involve hormone replacement therapy.

A Word From Verywell

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

Missed or Irregular Periods | Michigan Medicine

Have you missed any periods, or have your periods been irregular?

Irregular means different than what is normal for you (more or less often, longer or shorter, heavier or lighter).

Yes

Missed or irregular periods

No

Missed or irregular periods

How old are you?

Less than 15 years

Less than 15 years

15 to 25 years

15 to 25 years

26 to 55 years

26 to 55 years

56 years or older

56 years or older

Are you male or female?

Why do we ask this question?

• If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
• If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
• If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as “male” and once as “female”). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Are you pregnant?

Yes, you know that you’re pregnant.

Pregnancy

No, you’re not pregnant, or you’re not sure if you’re pregnant.

Pregnancy

Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy, like you are going to faint?

It’s normal for some people to feel a little lightheaded when they first stand up. But anything more than that may be serious.

Do you have new pain in your lower belly, pelvis, or genital area that is different than your usual menstrual cramps?

Yes

Lower abdominal, pelvic, or genital pain

No

Lower abdominal, pelvic, or genital pain

How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?

8 to 10: Severe pain

Severe pain

5 to 7: Moderate pain

Moderate pain

1 to 4: Mild pain

Mild pain

Have you started having periods?

Yes

Has started menstrual periods

No

Has started menstrual periods

Do you think that a medicine could be affecting your periods?

Think about whether the problems started when you began taking a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine.

Yes

Medicine may be causing symptoms

No

Medicine may be causing symptoms

Is there any chance that you could be pregnant?

Yes

Possibility of pregnancy

No

Possibility of pregnancy

Has a home pregnancy test shown that you are pregnant?

This means the result is positive.

Yes

Positive home pregnancy test

No

Positive home pregnancy test

Have you been planning to get pregnant?

Yes

Preparing for pregnancy

No

Preparing for pregnancy

Do you use a form of birth control that contains hormones?

This could be birth control pills, implants, vaginal rings, skin patches, injections, or an IUD that contains hormones.

Yes

Hormonal birth control method

No

Hormonal birth control method

Have your periods been different than what your doctor told you to expect with your birth control?

This could mean that they are lighter or heavier or that you have missed periods when you weren’t expecting to.

Yes

Periods are different than expected with birth control

No

Periods are different than expected with birth control

Have you missed two periods for no clear reason, such as pregnancy?

If a recent home pregnancy test has said that you are not pregnant, then there is no clear reason for your missed periods.

Yes

Two missed periods without obvious cause

No

Two missed periods without obvious cause

Have your problems lasted more than 2 cycles?

Yes

Problems have lasted more than 2 cycles

No

Problems have lasted more than 2 cycles

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

• Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
• Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
• Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
• Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
• Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

• Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
• Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.

Pain in adults and older children

• Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that you can’t stand it for more than a few hours, can’t sleep, and can’t do anything else except focus on the pain.
• Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt your normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days. Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it’s severe when it’s there.
• Mild pain (1 to 4): You notice the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

• Passing out (losing consciousness).
• Feeling very dizzy or lightheaded, like you may pass out.
• Feeling very weak or having trouble standing.
• Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can affect the menstrual cycle. A few examples are:

• Aspirin and other medicines (called blood thinners) that prevent blood clots.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (for example, Advil or Motrin) and naproxen (for example, Aleve).
• Hormonal forms of birth control, such as birth control pills, Depo-Provera injections, Implanon or Nexplanon implants, and the levonorgestrel IUD (Mirena).
• Hormone therapy.
• Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy).
• Thyroid medicines.

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

• Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
• If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care today.
• If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
• If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

• Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
• If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care in the next hour.
• You do not need to call an ambulance unless:
  • You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.
  • You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Make an Appointment

Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.

• Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks.
• If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment.
• If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. You may need care sooner.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

Sometimes people don’t want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren’t serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.

Pregnancy-Related Problems

Can Stress Cause a Late Period?

A late period is stressful—it’s often a trigger for a flood of emotions (whether you’re wishing you’re pregnant or hoping you’re not). But can stress cause a late period? You bet.

There are many reasons why you might have a late period—health issues like PCOS, low body weight, thyroid issues, irregular hormone levels, and chronic illness can delay or prevent periods from arriving regularly—but the wrench in your regular schedule is always inconvenient. How are you meant to plan around your cramps, bloating, and PMS? No one likes to get caught without a cup, a tampon, or a pad.

Stress can also cause problems with your menstrual cycle (or make an already irregular period worse). We asked the experts what you need to know to get back on track.

How Can Stress Affect Your Period?

Stress affects our bodies in the same way it did our distant ancestors who frequently had to escape life-threatening situations, says Stephanie McClellan, M.D., an ob-gyn and chief medical officer at Tia.Stress puts our bodies on “high alert,” disrupting everything from digestion to our normal experience of pain.

The reasons behind these systemic shifts are prehistoric. “When the stress pathway is activated, there are very specific commands coordinated by the brain, stress hormones, and the immune system intended to improve the chances of survival,” explains Dr. McClellan.

That might seem irrelevant to the modern woman but it’s actually super important for answering the question can stress cause a late period. Among the systems to get temporarily shut down? Your reproductive system. Stress causes a surge in cortisol, which sets off a chain reaction in your body: Contact between the brain and ovaries is disrupted, and your period is late or might even disappear altogether. “High cortisol surges can make the uterine lining less receptive to the healthy implantation of the fertilized egg,” says Dr. McClellan, adding that this can also influence your fertility.

You may also notice period cramps feel worse when you’re stressed. “Pain perception is often increased when one is stressed, anxious, or depressed, so period cramps that are usually manageable may feel worse,” says Jennifer Braverman, M.D., an assistant professor at the University of Colorado’s department of obstetrics and gynecology division of maternal-fetal medicine. “Stress also makes it harder to cope with the mood changes many women feel around their periods.”

How to Get Your Menstrual Cycle Back on Track

If you’re experiencing late or missing periods, it’s important to figure out the root cause of the situation.

“There can be many causes of late or irregular periods, including anovulation, in which a woman doesn’t produce an egg each month, or oligoovulation, in which a woman produces an egg some months and not others,” says Dr. Braverman. Benign brain tumors (called prolactinomas), obesity (due to the production of estrogen), and being underweight or exercising too much can also affect your cycle in this way.

If chronic stress is behind your temperamental periods, the fix is simple: Work on minimizing your stress.

This can of course be easier said than done, but Dr. Braverman recommends moderate exercise, warm baths or showers, and plenty of rest. You can also try things like meditation, eating foods thought to help lower cortisol, and practicing yoga to help get your period back on schedule. And that’s one less thing to be stressed about.

Why Is My Period Late? 12 Possible Causes & What To Do

A delayed period is not always a sign of pregnancy, as other situations such as excessive stress, very strong emotions, hormonal changes or even excessive consumption of caffeine or alcohol can lead to a delayed period.

Generally, this delay can last from 1, 2, 3 or 5 days to 1 to 2 months, and it is recommended that you see your doctor if your period continues to be delayed for more than 3 months and you are not pregnant, so that the cause can be identified and treated.

However, if there has been unprotected intercourse a few days before, there is a probability of being pregnant, and it is recommended you do a home pregnancy test that can be bought at pharmacies to find out if you really are pregnant.

Possible causes for a late period

If your period is late and you have performed at least 2 pregnancy tests in the last month, with a 7-day interval between testing, you are very likely not pregnant, and the delay may be due to other situations such as:

1. Excessive physical activity, which is frequent in athletes or people in preparation for a sporting competition;
2. Very restrictive diets;
3. Poor diet or eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia;
4. Excessive stress;
5. Ovarian changes;
6. Diseases affecting the hypothalamus or pituitary gland;
7. Hormonal changes caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, fibroids or even by the morning-after pill;
8. Taking the continuous use pill that leads to an absent period;
9. Recent curettage or surgery in the pelvic region;
10. Proximity of menopause, or possibility of early menopause; 
11. Postpartum phase, because menstruation should only return after the woman stops breastfeeding, although it is necessary to use contraceptive methods during breastfeeding;
12. Prolonged use of a contraceptive: there may be no period for 6 months, or 1 year after the use of the quarterly contraceptive injection.

These situations can lead to the absence of your menstrual cycle for more than 3 months (amenorrhea) and it is recommended that you see your doctor if this happens. 

Menstruation can also be considered delayed when a girl who has reached the age of 16 has not yet menstruated for the first time, in which case it is called primary amenorrhea and should be investigated by a gynecologist. This delayed period may be related to problems such as head trauma, prematurity or defects in the reproductive system such as imperforated hymen, vaginal septum, and also absence of a uterus.

What to do if your period is delayed

If your period is late, the first step is to carry out a pregnancy test from the pharmacy, but if you haven’t had a period for more than 3 months and you cannot identify the cause, you should go to a gynecologist so that he can identify the cause and treat the problem, and, in some cases, the use of medication is recommended so that your period begins.  

The doctor may order tests such as the serum progesterone test and the serum prolactin levels to be able to identify the reason for this delay and indicate the most appropriate treatment.

Also, depending on what is causing your period delay, you may need to reduce the intensity of physical exercise, take it easy, avoid stress and maintain a varied and balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals because this will help to regulate your menstrual cycle.

It is also recommended that you see your doctor regularly to identify possible health problems or diseases such as polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, anorexia, bulimia, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism that can cause changes to your menstrual cycle.

How to regulate your menstrual cycle

In addition to drinking teas that may help bring on menstruation, there are certain measures that can help avoid situations where the menstrual cycle is not regular, such as:

• A healthy lifestyle, with regular physical exercise and a healthy and varied diet, rich in fruits and vegetables;
• Take the contraceptive pill, as it can help to regulate the menstrual cycle;
• Avoid extreme or restrictive diets, which, as well as doing harm to your health, end up making your menstrual cycle irregular;
• Follow the indicated treatment for the control of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or thyroid disorders;
• Maintain your ideal weight.

These measures help to keep menstruation regular, but it is always recommended you see a doctor to identify why your cycle is irregular.

When should my period appear?

Put in your data and find out when your period is supposed to begin:

90,000 Delayed menstruation due to stress: how long does it last and what effect it has on the body

Delay of menstruation due to stress: how long does it last and what effect it has on the body

The menstrual cycle is a significant indicator of women’s health. If it is regular and there are no disturbing symptoms, then the gynecologist for preventive purposes can be visited 1-2 times a year. Disruptions in the cycle and delayed menstruation can indicate both the onset of pregnancy and possible problems, so urgent consultation with a specialist is necessary.

To know the average cycle time, you need to understand what it is. The menstrual cycle is the period from the first day of menstruation to the first day of the next discharge. Each woman’s body is unique, so the average cycle time can vary from 21 to 32 days. The main thing is that it should be regular. For example, in one woman, in different months, the cycle should fluctuate within 1-2 days, but no more. The normal duration of your period also varies from person to person. For different women, it can be from 3 to 7 days.Disruptions in the cycle and the duration of menstruation can appear for various reasons, including due to a change in the psycho-emotional state.

How stress affects menstruation

Stress is one of the most common causes of menstrual irregularities. It is a protective reaction of the body and develops in response to various factors: physical stress, problems at work or in the family, and more. Irritability, feelings of depression, apathy, insomnia, impaired appetite are the faithful companions of stress.Not only the emotional state, but also the entire body, including the reproductive system, is subject to negative effects.

Influence of prolactin. Under the influence of strong emotions, changes occur in the endocrine gland, and increased production of the hormone prolactin begins in the pituitary gland. This is the same protein substance that is normally synthesized during pregnancy and contributes to normal lactation. But normally it is not useful. Under its influence, the activity of the thyroid gland slows down, the connection with the pituitary gland is disrupted, the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone increases.This, in turn, can lead to an irregular menstrual cycle, which usually manifests itself in an increase in the interval between periods. If the concentration of prolactin is too high, periods may be absent altogether.

Influence of cortisol. During stress, the activity of the adrenal cortex is activated, where another hormone that affects the menstrual cycle is synthesized – cortisol. This is a steroid substance, the excess of which negatively affects the hormonal background of a woman. What can manifest itself in the growth of body hair (male type), body fat, deterioration of the skin condition.If the concentration of cortisol is elevated over time, it can lead to excess weight. Obesity negatively affects the reproductive system and can be the cause of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Types and causes of stress

Stress can be short-term or long-term. In the first case, it is a natural reaction of the body to negative events and may even be useful. It helps to mobilize strength to solve a problem and leaves room for recovery.Long-term stress can lead to a number of health problems. Each type of stress can be caused by different reasons, the most common among them are the following:

• heavy physical activity;
• emotional upheaval;
• acclimatization;
• lifestyle change;
• suffered injuries, operations; 90 022 90 021 problems at work;
• lack of mutual understanding in the family, etc.

What delay is considered the norm

As mentioned above, each organism is individual, therefore, irregularities in the menstrual cycle are also individual. If pregnancy has not occurred and there are no serious reasons for concern, then the delay in menstruation usually does not exceed 5 days. In severe cases, the absence of menstruation can last for several months and requires treatment.

It should be noted that in adolescents during puberty, the menstrual cycle is unstable. Within two years from the onset of the first bleeding, it should be established.

How to deal with stress

Stress is a problem that can and should be dealt with.Check out several methods that are available to everyone, but this does not lose their effectiveness.

Allow yourself to relax. Everything can be used: from a warm bath with oils to cycling, from shopping to travel. Choose what will allow you to relax as much as possible and forget about problems.

Add positive emotions. Do something that makes you happy: meet up with your girlfriends, go on a romantic date, or go for a ride.

Get adequate sleep.It is important for a woman to sleep at least 8 hours a day. A quality night’s rest is a guarantee of health, well-being and beautiful appearance.

Eat well. The daily diet should be balanced, including fruits, vegetables, proteins and complex carbohydrates. Strong restrictions and long-term strict diets can do more harm than good.

Do yoga. Meditation and yoga are ancient practices that help control emotions and avoid stress.

Find a hobby.A favorite pastime, even if it seems useless to others, helps to find an outlet, recharge with positive emotions, and restore peace of mind. This could be reading, cooking, knitting, embroidery, horse riding, dancing, or something else.

When you need specialist help

A delay in menstruation (especially if it appears frequently) is not the norm. The regularity of the cycle should be consulted with a gynecologist. If stress is the problem, you may need the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist.By speaking situations, you will be able to find a way out faster. Often, when stressed, patients are prescribed herbal sedatives, for example, Corvalol PHYTO.

90,000 can menstruation disappear on a nervous basis?

Regular menstrual cycle is an indicator that reflects the state of women’s health. Normally, spotting lasts 3-5 days and begins at the same interval – once every 25-32 days. Severe stress or psycho-emotional shock adversely affects a woman’s body, causing many problems, including cycle disruptions.How dangerous can a delay in menstruation be after stress, and how to restore the normal functioning of the reproductive system?

Effect of stress on menstruation

Is there a connection between the nervous system and the pelvic organs? Yes, and the most direct one. The pituitary gland, a small section in the lower part of the brain, is responsible for the production of sex hormones. At the moment of severe stress, an alarm signal is sent to the brain, which provokes disruptions in the functioning of various organs, including the genital area.

How many days can there be a nerve delay? The duration of the delay in menstruation depends on how strong and prolonged the stress was. A slight overload at work or a conflict with superiors may not affect the onset of menstruation in any way. On the contrary, chronic fatigue, lack of sleep, problems in personal life or the loss of a loved one can deal a severe blow to the body, causing amenorrhea – menstruation can disappear for 1 year or more.

Why menstruation can disappear due to nervousness?

Emotional shock has a direct impact on the production of sex hormones.Under the influence of stress, adrenaline and norepinephrine are released into the bloodstream. With an increased concentration of these substances, a person experiences anger, aggression, hyperactivity is observed, and excessive working capacity appears. This is how the body tries to protect itself from emotional overload. For the same reason, the production of progesterone slows down – the menstrual cycle cannot start on time.

Cycle failure can occur not only under the influence of negative emotions. Excessive joy caused by a wedding or the birth of children, a trip to the sea, a long-awaited meeting with a loved one similarly changes hormones and can provoke a delay.

Other factors that can affect the regularity of the cycle:

• heavy physical activity – work at height, high intensity training, excessive work activity;
• strict diet that disrupts metabolism;
• acclimatization when changing climatic zones;
• suffered injuries and operations.

How many days of delay are considered normal?

The duration of the delay directly depends on the magnitude and regularity of the emotional shock.Usually there is no period for about 5 days, then the discharge comes on its own, without drug therapy. This period can be increased or decreased. In rare cases, menstruation is shifted by 30 calendar days, that is, the duration of one cycle is 56-64 days.

The duration of the delay depends on the individual characteristics of the organism and its ability to withstand emotional overload. Usually, a woman needs a couple of days of rest to put her nervous and hormonal systems in order.There are often cases when you cannot cope with the problem on your own. In such a situation, the help of a psychologist is needed, otherwise depression may begin on a nervous basis, which will lead to amenorrhea – a complete loss of menstruation.

What to do?

Failure of the cycle due to stress refers to non-pathological factors and in most cases does not require special therapy and medical intervention. You can deal with this problem yourself. You definitely need to arrange yourself a rest.If you cannot take a full-fledged vacation, a few days off is enough. Spend time alone or with loved ones. You can go out of town, into nature, into the forest or to the river, depending on the weather conditions. Take up your favorite hobbies, visit a beauty salon, go shopping, cook a delicious dinner for your family.

Sleep is a guarantee of health and well-coordinated work of the genitals. Under stress, a woman is shown a healthy full night’s sleep for at least 8 hours. Try to go to bed no later than 22.00. Air the bedroom at night. Before bed, take a warm bubble bath, light an aroma candle, and listen to relaxing music.

Add more positive emotions to your life. Meet old friends, go out on a date, and spend time with children and animals. A positive attitude restores nerve cells and promotes calmness.

A balanced diet will help restore the cycle. The diet should include fresh vegetables and fruits, protein, and healthy sweets to boost your mood.

Sports will also help you return to life after suffering stress. Yoga, callanetics, swimming, aerobics, meditation will help you learn how to maintain mental balance and resist stress and emotional overload. For lovers of active sports, dancing, athletics, ice skating or skiing are perfect.

Drug treatment

It is possible to speed up the process of rehabilitation after emotional upheavals with the help of drugs. Doctors prefer herbal medicines.The most effective are:

• Persen;
• Afobazole;
• Novo-Passit;
• Tenoten;
• Pharmacy infusion of valerian or motherwort.

These drugs work to reduce anxiety and stress. They have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, blocking bouts of apathy, anxiety and irritation. Medications can be used only on the recommendation of a doctor, who, depending on the nature of the stress suffered, prescribes the dosage and duration of the course.

To normalize the cycle, the patient is prescribed multivitamin complexes. Taking them will help not only return your period, but also improve the condition of your skin, hair and nails, as well as improve your health. For these purposes, Complivit, Magne B6 or Supradin are suitable.

In exceptional cases, the doctor may resort to therapy with antidepressants and psychotropic substances. These drugs have many side effects and are only prescribed for severe stress and lingering depression.

Folk remedies

Herbal preparations and decoctions based on them are successfully used in folk medicine to treat stress, fatigue, insomnia or menstrual irregularities.Use infusions from the following plants:

• chamomile;
• mint;
• St. John’s wort;
• sage;
• valerian;
• lemon balm;
• rue;
• motherwort.

Herbs can be boiled and taken either individually or as a collection. Cooking recipes for any raw material are the same: 1 tbsp. pour 200 ml of water, boil, let it brew and drink a few sips before meals twice a day.

Advice and prevention

To prevent menstrual irregularities, a woman should try to avoid stress or learn to resist emotional overload.It is important to engage in strengthening physical health and immunity, especially during the flu and SARS season.

Nutrition plays an important role in shaping women’s health. Refuse fast food, too fatty and spicy foods. Preferred cooking methods are boiling, stewing, or baking. Vegetables and fruits must be eaten fresh.

Particular attention should be paid to the daily routine. You need to go to bed at the same time. At work, try to take short breaks of 5-10 minutes every 1.5-2 hours.Spend weekends outdoors – hiking improves health, soothes and improves mood.

Obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductologist, breastfeeding consultant, graduated from ChSU named after Ulyanov specializing in gynecology, mammology More details »

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May not have periods due to stress.

How does stress affect your period? Violation of the balance of sex hormones

Health is menstruation
– its duration and, accordingly, regularity!

It is unlikely that among women there is at least one who has never encountered any violation of the menstrual cycle in her life – either menstruation began prematurely, then a sudden delay, then pain and discomfort accompanying the cycle.Endless visits to doctors, the use of various drugs, traditional medicine and physical therapy sometimes turn out to be completely powerless. But why – what is the reason !?

Very often, experiences and stresses affect a woman’s gynecological health, thus provoking the onset or exacerbation of a variety of diseases. Menstrual irregularities
The cause of stress usually lasts no longer than a month, but although rarely, it still happens much longer.In addition, lingering psychological problems are very, very fraught with absolutely undesirable consequences.

How does stress affect the menstrual cycle !?

Absolutely any stressful situation in one way or another activates the processes in the body, even neoplasms can be activated and begin to grow rapidly. All psycho-emotional experiences of a woman are primarily reflected in the menstrual cycle: regularity gets lost, it can be absent altogether, or, on the contrary, menstruation manifests itself in abundant, prolonged bleeding, accompanied by incredible soreness.

The reason for such deviations is the nervous regulation of the hormonal background, which was caused by emotional or physical stress.

Emotional stress

Chronic nervous tension that negatively affects the hormonal system of the female body. It is usually expressed in the absence of menstruation or its abnormal flow. Stress can be caused by: a breakdown in relationships, disagreements in the family, betrayal of a loved one, lack of full-fledged harmony in intimate life, illness or loss of a loved one, conflict with a boss, loss of work, change of place of residence. Even fear of pregnancy can affect the menstrual cycle.

Physical stress

Women need to understand that even the smallest change in the stability of the lifestyle can affect the female body, including leading to a deviation of menstruation. For example, the resumption of sex life after a fairly long break. Also, the reason may be: taking medications, a strict diet, excessive physical activity, sudden weight gain or loss.The most serious stress for the female body is also abortion or miscarriage, childbirth, breastfeeding.

Both young girls and adult women after forty years are at risk. Remember that psycho-emotional stress has an extremely strong effect on gynecological health.

How to protect yourself from the effects of stress on the menstrual cycle !?

First of all, it is necessary to balance both psycho-emotional and physical activity, to take care of the immunity of the nervous system and the immune system of the body as a whole. Love yourself! Strive to comply with the daily routine, exercise in moderation, visit the massage parlor and the pool.

If menstruation is prolonged and accompanied by profuse bleeding, then you should definitely consult a doctor. If, however, the original source of menstrual disorders is not eliminated in a timely manner and nervous regulation is not brought to a normal state, then there is a great risk that a woman may develop various gynecological diseases, up to fibroids, mastopathy and even oncological diseases.

Think – is it worth the risk !!!

Material prepared by Natalia KOVALENKO. Illustrations from the site: © 2013 Thinkstock.

Every healthy woman has a regular menstrual cycle. If there is a delay or menstruation has disappeared altogether, then there is cause for concern and search for the cause of such a violation. Different phenomena can be the culprits of this. One of them is stress. Could it be that emotional stress affects your period? How many days do they disappear?

Cycle failure due to stress

Nowadays there are many women who have a delay in their periods after stress. The duration of this ailment depends directly on how strong the psychoemotional load is, and how the body itself reacts to it. Both long-term and short-term stress can contribute to the development of delay.

How long can there be a delay in menstruation under stress? As a rule, it lasts from a week to a month. Sometimes there may be a disturbance lasting several months.

Phenomena such as:

• Periodic psycho-emotional overload.This can include regular conflicts at work, problems in the family or personal life, inadequate sleep and others. If the emotional load is still complemented by severe physical overload, then menstruation is likely to be delayed.
• Strongest emotional shock. Some tragic event in which a woman participated or was a witness can be attributed to it. It can damage the nervous system unexpectedly and for a long period of time.

It is worth knowing that when a woman, whose body has been affected by stress, is also very worried about the delay in menstruation, then this violation can worsen. Therefore, in no case should you panic. Stress and delayed periods are not a death sentence. You just need to take measures to eliminate them.

How to return?

Missing periods due to stress – what to do? If the doctor has determined that menstruation does not come on time, because the body has suffered stress, then it is necessary to direct all your efforts to eliminate it and further prevent it. You also need to make sure to adjust your lifestyle and diet. This is the basis of prevention from any pathology of the body.

In stressful situations, first of all, you need to try to get as much rest as possible. It’s good if you manage to take a vacation or at least a few days off. It is very important to pay attention to your sleep. It must be complete. At night, in no case should you be engaged in any business, only sleep. It is advisable to go to bed at 10 pm, not later.

With regard to the diet, the daily menu must be balanced. It is worth forgetting about the existence of diets, if earlier a woman was fond of them in order to combat excess weight, since they also affect the emotional state.From the diet, you will need to exclude all foods that have a lot of artificial colors, preservatives, flavors and other harmful substances.

Do not lean on semi-finished products. It is better to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, any nuts, seafood. It is recommended to include honey in the diet, as it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the ovaries. Only it can be used by those women who are not allergic to this bee product.

To help her period return, the patient needs to experience as many positive emotions as possible during therapy.To do this, you need to occupy yourself with something truly interesting and exciting. Good activities for relaxing the nervous system are yoga, meditation.

Some women have been helped by a change in their usual environment, for example, a trip to another city, abroad, from a delay in menstruation due to stress. Many ladies can be greatly influenced by shopping and new acquisitions. You can also visit a psychologist, he will help you understand a difficult life situation and give useful advice.

Drug therapy

If the discharge has disappeared due to stress, then the doctor can advise how to return your period with the help of herbal preparations or folk remedies made on the basis of medicinal herbs such as rue, valerian, St. John’s wort, chamomile, lemon balm, rosemary, parsley.

• Plants such as lemon balm and valerian are known to all people. These herbs reduce the degree of excitability of the nerves, reduce the body’s sensitivity to the negative effects of a stressful situation.You can drink them in the form of tea. It is also allowed to use an alcoholic extract, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.
• A plant such as rue has a general tonic effect on the body, strengthens the immune system, helping it to better cope with pathogenic microorganisms. This herb can suppress nervous excitement, eliminate the symptoms associated with it.
• Parsley and rosemary can be added to salads. These plants are very rich in vitamins that the human body needs.

Aromatherapy

This treatment for stress delay has a calming and relaxing effect on the human nervous system. Anise and lavender oils are generally preferred. You can simply insert them into the aroma lamp to constantly inhale the pleasant scent. You can also massage your temples with light movements using various oils.

What other reasons could there be?

In addition to stressful situations, there are many more reasons that affect the delay in menstruation.They can be conditionally divided into natural and pathological. The first include the following phenomena:

• Age. In girls under the age of 17 and women who have undergone menopause, the absence of menstruation is not a pathological condition.
• Pregnancy. This is the most common factor when periods are delayed.
• Breastfeeding period. At this time, women often experience hormonal disruption, due to which the menstrual cycle cannot fully stabilize and menstruation can last longer than usual, come later or, conversely, early.Discharge usually begins again a month or two after the baby is weaned.

If there are no specified natural phenomena, and menstruation can disappear for a long time, then, most likely, some kind of pathology develops in the body. It could be:

• Inflammatory processes.
• Diseases of the uterus and its appendages.
• Injuries and neoplasms of the brain.
• Hereditary predisposition.
• Overweight or, conversely, severe weight loss.

A woman needs to know exactly her menstrual cycle. To do this, gynecologists recommend starting calendars and marking the days when the discharge comes and ends. Thanks to this, it is possible to track when menstruation came earlier, when, on the contrary, later, to identify long periods.

If menstrual irregularities are observed due to the influence of stress, in no case should they be ignored. It is important to consult a specialist on time.
He will order an examination to identify the cause of the delay in menstruation, and give recommendations on how to restore the cycle.

Every healthy woman has a regular menstrual cycle. If there is a delay or menstruation has disappeared altogether, then there is cause for concern and search for the cause of such a violation. Different phenomena can be the culprits of this. One of them is stress. Could it be that emotional stress affects your period? How many days do they disappear?

Cycle failure due to stress

Nowadays there are many women who have a delay in their periods after stress.The duration of this ailment depends directly on how strong the psychoemotional load is, and how the body itself reacts to it. Both long-term and short-term stress can contribute to the development of delay.

How long can there be a delay in menstruation under stress? As a rule, it lasts from a week to a month. Sometimes there may be a disturbance lasting several months.

Phenomena such as:

Periodic psycho-emotional overload.This can include regular conflicts at work, problems in the family or personal life, inadequate sleep and others. If the emotional load is still complemented by severe physical overload, then menstruation is likely to be delayed.

Strongest emotional shock. Some tragic event in which a woman participated or was a witness can be attributed to it. It can damage the nervous system unexpectedly and for a long period of time.

It is worth knowing that when a woman, whose body has been affected by stress, is also very worried about a delay in her period, then this violation can worsen.Therefore, in no case should you panic. Stress and delayed periods are not a death sentence. You just need to take measures to eliminate them.

How to return?

Missing periods due to stress – what to do? If the doctor has determined that menstruation does not come on time, because the body has suffered stress, then it is necessary to direct all your efforts to eliminate it and further prevent it. You also need to make sure to adjust your lifestyle and diet. This is the basis of prevention from any pathology of the body.

In stressful situations, first of all, you need to try to get as much rest as possible. It’s good if you manage to take a vacation or at least a few days off. It is very important to pay attention to your sleep. It must be complete. At night, in no case should you be engaged in any business, only sleep. It is advisable to go to bed at 10 pm, not later.

With regard to the diet, the daily menu must be balanced. It is worth forgetting about the existence of diets, if earlier a woman was fond of them in order to combat excess weight, since they also affect the emotional state.From the diet, you will need to exclude all foods that have a lot of artificial colors, preservatives, flavors and other harmful substances.

Do not lean on semi-finished products. It is better to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, any nuts, seafood. It is recommended to include honey in the diet, as it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the ovaries. Only it can be used by those women who are not allergic to this bee product.

To help her period return, the patient needs to experience as many positive emotions as possible during therapy.To do this, you need to occupy yourself with something truly interesting and exciting. Good activities for relaxing the nervous system are yoga, meditation.

Some women have been helped by a change in their usual environment, for example, a trip to another city, abroad, from a delay in menstruation due to stress. Many ladies can be greatly influenced by shopping and new acquisitions. You can also visit a psychologist, he will help you understand a difficult life situation and give useful advice.

Drug therapy

If the discharge has disappeared due to stress, then the doctor can advise how to return your period with the help of herbal preparations or folk remedies made on the basis of medicinal herbs such as rue, valerian, St. John’s wort, chamomile, lemon balm, rosemary, parsley.

Plants such as lemon balm and valerian are known to all people. These herbs reduce the degree of excitability of the nerves, reduce the body’s sensitivity to the negative effects of a stressful situation.You can drink them in the form of tea. It is also allowed to use an alcoholic extract, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.

A plant such as rue has a general tonic effect on the body, strengthens the immune system, helping it to better cope with pathogenic microorganisms. This herb can suppress nervous excitement, eliminate the symptoms associated with it.

Parsley and rosemary can be added to salads. These plants are very rich in vitamins that the human body needs.

Aromatherapy

This treatment for stress delay has a calming and relaxing effect on the human nervous system. Anise and lavender oils are generally preferred. You can simply insert them into the aroma lamp to constantly inhale the pleasant scent. You can also massage your temples with light movements using various oils.

What other reasons could there be?

In addition to stressful situations, there are many more reasons that affect the delay in menstruation.They can be conditionally divided into natural and pathological. The first include the following phenomena:

Age. In girls under the age of 17 and women who have undergone menopause, the absence of menstruation is not a pathological condition.

Pregnancy. This is the most common factor when periods are delayed.

Breastfeeding period. At this time, women often experience hormonal disruption, due to which the menstrual cycle cannot fully stabilize and menstruation can last longer than usual, come later or, conversely, early.Discharge usually begins again a month or two after the baby is weaned.

If these natural phenomena do not exist, and menstruation can disappear for a long time, then, most likely, some kind of pathology develops in the body. It could be:

• Inflammatory processes.
• Diseases of the uterus and its appendages.
• Injuries and neoplasms of the brain.
• Hereditary predisposition.
• Overweight or, conversely, severe weight loss.

A woman needs to know exactly her menstrual cycle. To do this, gynecologists recommend starting calendars and marking the days when the discharge comes and ends. Thanks to this, it is possible to track when menstruation came earlier, when, on the contrary, later, to identify long periods.

If menstrual irregularities are observed due to the influence of stress, in no case should they be ignored. It is important to consult a specialist on time. He will order an examination to identify the cause of the delay in menstruation, and give recommendations on how to restore the cycle.

apatii.net

Effect of stress on periods

One of the main indicators of women’s health is menstruation
– its duration and, accordingly, regularity!

It is unlikely that among women there is at least one who has never encountered any violation of the menstrual cycle in her life – either menstruation began prematurely, then a sudden delay, then pain and discomfort accompanying the cycle. Endless visits to doctors, the use of various drugs, traditional medicine and physical therapy sometimes turn out to be completely powerless.But why – what is the reason !?

Very often, experiences and stresses affect a woman’s gynecological health, thus provoking the onset or exacerbation of a variety of diseases. Menstrual irregularities
The cause of stress usually lasts no longer than a month, but although rarely, it still happens much longer. In addition, lingering psychological problems are very, very fraught with absolutely undesirable consequences.

How does stress affect the menstrual cycle !?


Absolutely any stressful situation in one way or another activates the processes in the body, even neoplasms can be activated and begin to grow rapidly.All psycho-emotional experiences of a woman are primarily reflected in the menstrual cycle: regularity gets lost, it can be absent altogether, or, on the contrary, menstruation manifests itself in abundant, prolonged bleeding, accompanied by incredible soreness.

The reason for such deviations is the nervous regulation of the hormonal background, which was caused by emotional or physical stress.

Emotional stress


Chronic nervous tension that negatively affects the hormonal system of the female body.It is usually expressed in the absence of menstruation or its abnormal flow. Stress can be caused by: a breakdown in relationships, disagreements in the family, betrayal of a loved one, lack of full-fledged harmony in intimate life, illness or loss of a loved one, conflict with a boss, loss of work, change of place of residence. Even fear of pregnancy can affect the menstrual cycle.

Women need to understand that even the smallest change in the stability of the lifestyle can affect the female body, including leading to a deviation of menstruation.For example, the resumption of sex life after a fairly long break. Also, the reason may be: taking medications, a strict diet, excessive physical activity, sudden weight gain or loss. The most serious stress for the female body is also abortion or miscarriage, childbirth, breastfeeding.

Both young girls and adult women after forty years are at risk. Remember that psycho-emotional stress has an extremely strong effect on gynecological health.

How to protect yourself from the effects of stress on the menstrual cycle !?


First of all, it is necessary to balance both psycho-emotional and physical activity, to take care of the immunity of the nervous system and the immune system of the body as a whole. Love yourself! Strive to comply with the daily routine, exercise in moderation, visit the massage parlor and the pool.

If menstruation is prolonged and accompanied by profuse bleeding, then you should definitely consult a doctor.If, however, the original source of menstrual disorders is not eliminated in a timely manner and nervous regulation is not brought to a normal state, then there is a great risk that a woman may develop various gynecological diseases, up to fibroids, mastopathy and even oncological diseases.

Think – is it worth the risk.

Material prepared by Natalia KOVALENKO. Illustrations from the site: © 2013 Thinkstock.

Single

Stress affects the cycle!

Polymenorrhea is a violation of the menstrual cycle, characterized by a reduction in the interval between menstruation less than 21 days.Menstruation – its duration, regularity – is one of the main indicators of women’s health.

On average, a normal cycle is 28 days. Also within physiological deviations are considered – plus or minus seven days. The normal start time of a cycle is very individual. Here both heredity and the general state of metabolic processes play a role. Defining a cycle is simple: the first day of a cycle is the first day of your period, the last day of a cycle is the day before your next period starts.

Shortening the cycle


A reduction in the duration of the menstrual cycle over time is considered normal. According to doctors, as a result of research, the following facts were obtained: from 20 to 40 years, normally, there is a gradual reduction in the cycle. On average, 1-2 days a year. This is due to the fact that the functional activity of the ovaries deteriorates over the years. A shortening of the cycle can be considered clinically significant if it is less than 21 days and this happened before the age of 45-47.

Causes and diagnosis


The cause of polymenorrhea can be: hormonal disorders, deterioration of ovarian function, stress, malnutrition, heavy physical activity, age-related changes and gynecological diseases.

In the course of a study, Swedish scientists found that women with a cycle length of 35 days are more likely to become pregnant than with a cycle of 26 days or less. The cycle time can also reliably judge the quality of the embryo. In general, the length of the menstrual cycle is a good indicator of a woman’s ovarian health. Reducing the cycle time in advance indicates a deterioration in fertility (the ability to get pregnant).

In any case, you need to go to a gynecologist and undergo a series of examinations: ultrasound, laboratory diagnostics, blood hormones, hormonal tests.If the cause is indeed impaired ovarian function, you will be prescribed treatment. As a result of therapy, the normal menstrual cycle will be restored. It is recommended to prevent anemia, as too frequent bleeding lowers the level of hemoglobin in the blood and can cause other disorders in the body!

Prevention of amenorrhea


• Correction of psycho-emotional stability – simply do not take daily problems to heart.
• Moderate physical activity, as exhausting physical activity changes the hormonal background in the direction of increasing the production of testosterone (male sex hormone).
• Control and maintenance of optimal body weight. Adipose tissue behaves like a huge hormonal gland – female sex hormones are synthesized in it, the excess of which is no less harmful than their lack with a deficiency in body weight.
• Complete fortified nutrition.
• Reception of supporting homeopathic and phytotherapeutic agents as prescribed by a physician.
• Conducting 2 times a year (in September and March) a preventive physiotherapy program aimed at stabilizing hormonal levels (functions of endocrine glands – thyroid, adrenal, ovaries).

edinstvennaya.ua

How stress affects a woman’s gynecological health

Foto: Publicitātes foto

Often psychoemotional stress and experiences affect a woman’s gynecological health, thus provoking or contributing to the appearance of a disease or exacerbating an already existing disease. Why this is happening and how to prevent the influence of stress on the health of our female organs are told by the specialists of the Premium Medical clinic – gynecologist Ieva Daise and psychotherapist Aina Poisha.

Ieva Daise recalls a case when a fibroadenoma was found in a woman’s breast. This is a benign lesion that can not be operated on if its size does not change for a long time. At a time when this woman was going through a divorce from her husband, fibroadenoma began to grow rapidly. She had grown to such a size that an urgent operation was needed. In addition, she developed an ovarian cyst and menstrual irregularities.

This case shows that negative experiences and stress can activate existing processes in the body, and can also contribute to the emergence of new ones.

“Stress activates any process in the body and even cancer can grow faster. These are my observations, although it is impossible to penetrate inside each person and determine whether anything would have been different if they had not experienced stress. A person can be compared to a complex multistage system, all stages of which are closely interconnected, and if there is a deviation from the norm in one of them, it will affect the other, ”says Dr. Dise.

Stress: violation of the cycle, lack of periods


According to the observations of a gynecologist, stress and psycho-emotional experiences are most often reflected in the menstrual cycle – there are irregularities in the cycle, absence of menstruation for some time or at all, prolonged menstruation, heavy bleeding, etc.Changes in the hormonal system can also occur, stress and anxiety can contribute to the faster growth of an existing fibroid or the appearance of a new one.

Ieva Daise notes that young girls are also at risk – active, promising, hardworking and dexterous, who study well, attend a large number of circles and everything seems to be wonderful, but suddenly their periods disappear. Thus, the body reacts to great physical and psycho-emotional stress, possibly to excessive demands on itself.Attention should also be paid to the fact that adolescents undergo changes in their bodies, they develop and become women.

Stress and anxiety also have a great impact on the menstrual cycle in women after 40. During this period, the hormonal system changes.

If you have to go through a psychoemotional shock, it may happen that early menopause will come – your period will end and will not resume. In this case, the menstrual cycle has already exhausted itself.According to the observations of a gynecologist, a woman’s gynecological health reacts in such a way to disagreements in the family, a lack of harmony in intimate life, to parting with a partner, trouble at work or dismissal, not to mention the death of close relatives. The most harmful is prolonged stress, which exposes the body to negative vibrations for a long time.

What to do?


The most important thing is to balance your load – both physical and psycho-emotional.You should think not only about immunity, so as not to catch a cold or get sick with the flu, but also about the immunity of the nervous system. The nervous system can be strengthened with vitamins, homeopathic remedies, herbal remedies, etc.

Ieva Daise says that it is important not to treat everything with antidepressants, because they also cause hormonal changes in the body. If a woman understands that stress and anxiety affects her gynecological health, then she can consciously work to prevent or reduce it.She can solve problems, change her environment, and make sure she gets proper rest and relaxation after exertion. No one will do it in the place of the woman herself. This means that you have to love yourself! This expression, which is very popular in recent years, reflects the reality – it is necessary to consciously learn to love yourself, at least in order not to harm your health. Ieva Daise encourages women to remember what gives them the greatest pleasure and relaxation – for some it is a massage, for others a bath ritual, and for others – a visit to the pool, perhaps a jog or a walk in the forest, by the sea, etc.

If you also have similar problems, then you may find it useful to consult a gynecologist and a psychotherapist.

Wrong Menstruation: What Your Body Tells You

There are times in every woman’s life when the menstrual cycle raises questions. Why is your period so heavy? Why is she delayed? Why does it happen twice a month? While menstrual irregularities are common for many women, it is important to understand what your body is trying to tell you.

Normal cycle

Menstruation usually lasts 3 to 7 days once a month (approximately every 30 days).A few years after the onset of menstruation, a woman has a regular cycle, and some can even predict its onset to within an hour. Blood loss is individual for each woman: from a volume of 12 teaspoons of blood to 4.

Abnormal cycle

The abnormal cycle differs from normal in the duration and volume of blood loss. If you do not have PMS, then lower abdominal pain and sudden headache can also be considered disorders.

Causes of abnormal cycle

In most cases, an accidental irregular menstrual cycle does not pose a threat to women’s health, but finding out the cause is extremely important.Among these reasons are:

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the female body produces hormones in an unusual amount, which causes menstruation to stop. However, in some cases, a violation of the cycle before its complete cessation indicates pregnancy. If there is such a possibility, it is necessary to check with a doctor.

Stress is one of the main causes of cycle disruption. Cortisol, a stress hormone, directly affects the production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.If there is too much cortisol in the blood, the menstrual cycle, its length and severity, can be disrupted.

Another common cause of delayed or absent menstruation is food and associated weight changes. If your diet is high in unhealthy carbohydrates or if you gain a lot of excess weight, your body may respond by improperly producing certain hormones. The same thing can happen with weight loss.

Exercises

During menstruation, the body needs energy.If you burn too many calories in the gym, your body won’t have enough energy to go through with your period.

Birth control pills

It may take a woman’s body several months to adapt to the hormone dose given by birth control pills.

Alcohol abuse

The liver is directly involved in the regulation of menstruation, influencing the volume of estrogen and progesterone. Alcohol abuse can damage this organ and disrupt the balance of these hormones important for the menstrual cycle.

Polycystic ovary

This is a fairly common disease in which cysts form on the ovaries, which disrupts ovulation. Other symptoms of this problem are increased hair growth, weight gain, dandruff and infertility. Complications include endometriosis, ovarian cancer, and heart disease.

Menopause (climax)

As in the case of pregnancy, this period of life in women is due to changes in the hormonal background. Cycle irregularities can begin 10 years before the onset of menopause (the usual age of menopause is around 50 years).

Drug use

After illness or medication (with or without prescription), menstruation may be delayed by 1 to 2 days. This happens because certain medications interfere with the body’s production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

What to do if the cycle is broken

Depending on the cause of the menstrual irregularity, you either can or cannot influence this process. Describe your symptoms to your doctor and how your cycle has changed.Your doctor may prescribe special hormonal medications to help maintain the natural balance of sex hormones, advise on stress-relieving techniques, dietary adjustments, and exercise plans.

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It would be a mistake to believe that only reproductive are responsible for the menstrual cycle.In fact, it is also directly associated with the endocrine, nervous system and even with the work of the brain. Problems with any of these “elements” can lead to things starting prematurely or, on the contrary, too late.

Even a cold can provoke a cycle failure, especially if a woman is under stress, because she is forced to endure the illness on her legs, not being able to properly rest.

Strong anxiety, fears, irritation and other negative emotions affect the functioning of the central nervous system, and it, in turn, ceases to properly regulate the expansion and contraction of blood vessels and the activity of the uterine muscles.As a result, the mucous membrane may be rejected prematurely, which means it will begin. The situation will be aggravated if a woman often goes in for sports and withstands heavy physical exertion. That is why, if any business or problem takes a lot of nerves and strength, you should be at the premature arrival of menstruation.

It should be borne in mind that if the failure is triggered by stress, bleeding may be accompanied by symptoms such as sleep disturbances, excessive tearfulness or irritability, weakness, dizziness, and even fainting.

Additional Factors That Cause Menstrual Disruption

There are “pleasant” stresses that can lead to a premature onset. They are associated with a sharp change in climate. For example, if you are traveling to a hot country, be prepared for your period sooner or later. In such cases, stress affects the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which in turn affects the activity of the uterus.

Strong emotions can be associated not only with climate change, but even with moving to another house.

It should not be forgotten that stress is not always clearly associated with a person’s emotional state. In particular, extreme or acute nutritional deficiencies will become stressful for the body. The transition to the wrong diet leads to disturbances in the work of the circulatory system, which can cause not only the untimely appearance of menstruation, but also more abundant bleeding. If you are on a diet, find out what you need to eat per day with your physical activity, and also make sure that the diet is balanced.

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 if a delay in her period after stress is possible.

How stress affects your period

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.

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.

Drug therapy

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.

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

Folk remedies to restore the cycle

Herbal preparations are very often used in folk medicine. They effectively fight various diseases, and 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. Then 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.

Preventive measures

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 practice, learn to react 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.

What other reasons can there be for a delay in menstruation

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 astray for several days, by 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 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.

In conclusion

Severe stressful situations lead to changes in the hormonal background, thereby provoking a failure in the menstrual cycle. In order to restore the body after a nervous experience, it is necessary to take a comprehensive approach to treatment.

It is also extremely important for women’s health to be regularly monitored by a gynecologist.

90,000 8 reasons for delayed menstruation | Weekly PHARMACY

A delay in menstruation can be an unpleasant surprise for those women who are accustomed to the fact that their cycle is regular or they are not ready for pregnancy. However, there are many other reasons why a woman may have a delay in her period. More on these reasons below.

Stress. Prolonged periods of stress can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle, making it longer or shorter, or even causing her to skip a particular cycle.Some women also report more painful cramps during their periods when they are stressed. Regular physical activity and getting enough sleep can help relieve stress and improve your menstrual cycle.

Perimenopause. The average age at which menopause begins is 52. However, many women experience the first symptoms of hormonal changes 10-15 years before the onset of menopause, which indicates perimenopause. Fluctuations in estrogen levels can alter a woman’s menstrual cycle, making it irregular.When menstruation does not occur within 12 months, it indicates menopause.

Slimming. A significant decrease in body weight or intense physical activity can lead to a delay in menstruation or even a break in the cycle. Being underweight or low in body fat can alter female hormone levels, lowering them to the point where a woman does not ovulate and menstruate. Those who have an irregular cycle due to weight loss should consult with a doctor and nutritionist about the possible need for taking vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that the body does not receive.

Obesity. Just as a sudden decrease in body weight can lead to menstrual irregularities, excess body weight can also affect the regularity of the onset of menstruation. Obesity and an irregular menstrual cycle may indicate a woman has polycystic ovary syndrome.

Contraception. Certain methods of contraception, in particular hormonal contraceptives, can lead to missed periods. As a rule, this is not harmful to health, but you should inform your doctor about it.

Hormonal disorders. If a hormonal imbalance is the cause of the absence or late onset of menstruation, this can be easily identified with a blood test.

Polycystic ovary syndrome. This pathology is one of the most common hormonal disorders in women of childbearing age. Typically, polycystic ovary syndrome is accompanied by mild hormonal imbalances that can cause ovarian cysts, acne, hypertrichosis on the face and legs, male pattern baldness, and obesity, but symptoms may vary.

Pregnancy. Women should not rule out pregnancy as a possible reason for their missed periods, even if they are using contraception. A pregnancy test should be used to detect pregnancy. If the test result is negative and menstruation is delayed, you should contact your gynecologist.

In general, regular check-ups with a gynecologist can help resolve many issues related to the menstrual cycle.

Based on materials from www.medicalnewstoday.com

90,000 Menstrual irregularities: 10 factors that can cause menstrual irregularities

It would be great if you could circle the date on which you plan to start your period on your calendar, wouldn’t it? This would allow you to safely organize a trip to the sea and take tampons with you only on certain days. Unfortunately, this is not possible, because the length of the menstrual cycle can vary slightly. On average, it is 28 days.This refers to the period from the first day of menstruation to the beginning of the next menstruation. The period from 24 to 31 days is considered the norm. An irregular cycle, as a rule, indicates the presence of any pathology. Check out the following 10 factors that can negatively affect your menstrual cycle, and be sure to see your doctor if you notice that something is amiss.

1. Excessive physical exertion

Did you know that women who run marathon distance often have their cycle lost? And this is not a myth: intense exercise combined with a small amount of adipose tissue negatively affects health.This stress on the body, due to which the brain stops producing sex hormones. Studies have shown that in 50% of cases, the menstrual cycle of women involved in sports is slightly disturbed. If your period starts a few days before your scheduled date, don’t worry. But if you have serious cycle irregularities (for example, no menstruation for 3 months), you should see your doctor. This condition is called amenorrhea, and it can negatively affect bone density over time, which contributes to the development of other pathologies.

2. Overweight

Unfortunately, extra pounds are reflected not only in the figure. Excess adipose tissue leads to an increase in estrogen levels, which causes a violation of ovulation (ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovary). Meanwhile, the endometrial layer continues to thicken. In obese women, menstruation, as a rule, is difficult, menstruation is irregular, longer and more intense. If you are overweight and experience the symptoms described, you will not only have to stock up on highly absorbent tampons (e.g. o.b. ^® ProComfort ™ or o.b. ^® ProComfortTM NIGHT), but also constantly monitor your health. Increased estrogen levels over an extended period of time increase the risk of developing cancer of the uterine body. If you are unable to lose weight, talk to your gynecologist about the need for medication. Perhaps he will suggest taking oral contraceptives, which can make the endometrial layer thinner and reduce the risk of developing cancer of the uterine body.

3. Weight too low

If you are underweight, you can expect a reverse reaction of the body. In this case, he stops producing enough estrogen. To maintain the thickness of your endometrium and maintain regular menstruation, you need to keep your weight within acceptable limits. However, if it was always below average, this may not pose any problem. You are more likely to notice changes in your menstrual cycle if you have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time.If you have lost a lot of kilograms, but the weight is within the normal range, then the body will adapt to it within a few months.

4. Taking prescription drugs

Any medication that contains hormones can affect the menstrual cycle. These include, for example, drugs for the treatment of thyroid diseases, steroids and antipsychotics (which promote the release of dopamine). It must be remembered that the action of hormones is always interrelated.All of them are found in the blood, so even though they are secreted by different glands, the level of some depends on the amount of others. In addition, in some cases, the receptors for different hormones are similar, and the active substances of the drug taken can easily “confuse” them, for example, by affecting the fertility hormone, and not the thyroid gland. Therefore, do not panic if your cycle is out of order for a couple of days. Moreover, if the difference is a week or more, then it is better to see a doctor.

5.Effect of pesticides

Pesticides have a negative effect on endocrine processes. They can lead to their decrease and even completely block the secretion of hormones, which negatively affects the work of the glands. Studies have shown that women who work on pesticide farms have longer menstrual periods. At the same time, they often complained of spotting or the absence of menstruation at all. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the effect of pesticides on the body and give preference to environmentally friendly food.

6. Feeling of fatigue

Severe stress also negatively affects the regularity of the menstrual cycle. Moreover, women who often feel overworked and stressed may face fertility problems. So try to stay calm and just enjoy life as it is.

7. Oral contraceptives

Many women start taking birth control pills to help regulate their menstrual cycle.But for this the body will need several months. Violations often occur due to the fact that the lining of the uterus gradually becomes thinner, and in the middle of the cycle you will find spotting. Improvement can be seen after 2-3 months of taking birth control pills. If after this spotting still bothers you, make sure to take the tablets at the same time every day. If the interval between doses is more than 24 hours (for example, you usually take the pills at 10:00, and today you remember about them only at 13:00), you may suddenly find spotting.Oral contraceptives allow you to control the thickness of the lining of the uterus, but to keep it at the same level, it needs a constant supply of hormones. This is why your period starts when you take a break from taking the contraceptive pill.

8. Age

You may think that as menopause approaches, the number of periods will gradually decrease. But you can expect surprises. Due to changes in the level of hormones in the body, the menstrual cycle can, on the contrary, become shorter.As the number of eggs in the ovaries decreases, periods are less and less frequent. But before they completely stop bothering you, you will have to come to terms with more frequent menstruation. Therefore, stock up on chocolate and just in case put swabs in your purse (eg o.b. ^® Compact Applicator with hygienic applicator).

9. Poor sleep

Insufficient amount of time allotted for sleep negatively affects the state of health.In addition, such a habit can lead to a disruption in the menstrual cycle. Women who have irregular working hours (such as nurses and flight attendants) often suffer from irregular periods. Failure to comply with sleep patterns negatively affects the production of hormones responsible for reproductive function, ovulation and the menstrual cycle. In addition, irregular sleep leads to permanent changes in melatonin levels, which also negatively affect the functioning of the reproductive system. Therefore, hang blackout curtains in your bedroom and go to bed on time to avoid unnecessary problems.

10. Long distance travel

The human brain produces melatonin, which warns the body that it is time for sleep. But when you travel long distances to places with a different time zone, this hormone continues to be released as if you were at home. To get used to the new regime, the body suppresses its effect. These changes in melatonin levels can negatively affect your well-being. Of course, if such trips happen infrequently, then they do not pose a danger.But if they are regular, it can lead to disruptions in the menstrual cycle.

Could there be a delay in menstruation due to stress. We will learn how to restore the menstrual cycle

Almost none of the adults realizes how destructive the state of stress and chronic fatigue are for the body. In fact, regular lack of sleep, nervousness, irritability, conflicts at work and in the family smoothly and imperceptibly, but inevitably lead to the development of diseases. One of the first “bells” is a delay in menstruation due to stress.Usually this pathology is easily reversible, but you will have to make an effort and change your lifestyle to resume the menstrual cycle.

Causes of amenorrhea – delay and complete absence of menstruation

Among the most common causes of delayed menstruation in a relatively healthy woman are the following:

• hormonal imbalance due to a strong nervous shock;
• amenorrhea due to a strict diet or hunger strike;
• failure of the production of sex hormones;
• chronic prolonged stress, lack of sleep;
• depression or anxiety disorder in an advanced stage.

It makes no sense to say that one reason prevails. Every woman’s body is different, and the quality and presence of menstruation is a direct consequence of the hormonal balance in a woman’s body. So even an experienced doctor can find it difficult to determine if there was a delay in menstruation due to stress, or the reason is in the presence of some more serious chronic diseases.

You cannot diagnose yourself on your own. If a woman suspects that severe stress and a delay in menstruation are interconnected, then you should express your assumptions at a consultation with a gynecologist.And sitting and waiting for the cycle to recover can be simply dangerous, since at this time some really unfavorable process in the body can develop, which threatens all vital activity.

What can be a source of chronic stress

In order to roughly imagine a state of chronic stress, you should know about the criteria that psychiatrists use when making such a diagnosis:

• lack of regular healthy sleep for more than one month;
• conflicts at work and in the family, which bring a woman to a state that is accompanied by nervous tics, seizures, and other physical manifestations of psycho-emotional discomfort;
• rapid weight loss – if a woman refuses to eat due to psycho-emotional overload, then the BMI may fall below 17 points, as a result of which amenorrhea may simply occur from exhaustion;
• Hard physical work with insufficient sleep and poor nutrition is almost guaranteed to lead to serious mental and nervous overload; 90 022 90 021 Women who regularly experience aggression or believe that her life may be in danger is also under conditions of chronic stress.

Influence of fatigue and stress on women’s health

It is worth noting that chronic fatigue and stress have an extremely negative effect not only on women’s health, but also on men’s health. Not only the reproductive system suffers, but also the nervous, cardiovascular. This damage, in turn, leads to disease and disruption of the functioning of other organs.

In order to recognize for sure whether there was a delay in menstruation due to stress or for other reasons, you should consult an experienced gynecologist.The timing and when exactly it is time to run to the doctor is described below.

How to understand that the reason for the delay is precisely the stressful state

It is believed that due to nervous exhaustion and stress, a delay of about five days can occur. A delay in menstruation after severe stress, as a rule, cannot bring down the cycle completely. Menstruation should come, but this will happen after about a week from the usual date.

In this case, the nature of menstruation does not change. That is, if the discharge was abundant even before severe stress, it will remain so even after the fact of delaying menstruation due to stress.But if the nature of the discharge has changed – they have become painful, excessively thick or abundant – this is a reason to see a doctor as soon as possible and undergo an examination.

Can the delay in menstruation due to stress be longer than a week? No, this is extremely rare. For example, if a woman, against the background of fatigue and nervousness, did not eat, amenorrhea may occur from exhaustion, in which case the cycle may not recover for many months. But if there was a delay in menstruation due to stress, and this is the only reason, then menstruation, as a rule, occurs 4-5 days after the expected date.

It is worth repeating that the female body is an extremely unpredictable device. Therefore, even an experienced gynecologist will definitely not be able to answer the question “how long can there be a delay in menstruation under stress”. The average length of delay due to stress is 4 to 7 days. If menstruation has not appeared, this is a reason to worry about your health, urgently do a pregnancy test and come for an examination to a gynecologist.

How to normalize the menstrual cycle in conditions of chronic stress

If it became known for sure that there is no pregnancy, hormones are normal, no chronic diseases of the genitourinary system have been found, then it becomes obvious that the reason for the delay in menstruation is due to stress.What to do in such a situation? Of course, you shouldn’t rush to see a psychiatrist right away. You can completely normalize your psycho-emotional state without a visit to the doctor, the main thing is to want this and change your lifestyle.

The first task is to get rid of the traumatic factor. To do this, you need to analyze your lifestyle. Maybe you need to change jobs or end a relationship that makes you nervous? Often girls suffer from unhappy love or live with an abuser husband for years, which causes a severe psycho-emotional state, and in some cases even mental disorders.If you cannot break the vicious circle on your own, then you can seek advice from a psychotherapist. Sessions with a competent specialist will help restore peace in the soul, as a result, physical health will improve, and the cycle will normalize.

You can resort to the help of special herbal preparations that will help maintain nervous health.

“Fitosedan” – a preparation based on natural herbs to restore psycho-emotional state

This is an excellent preparation for relieving stress and normalizing sleep, the use of which on a regular basis helps to restore the cycle.If the reason for the delay in menstruation is stress, and besides this, all other factors of the state of health are normal, then the next menstruation should come on time.

“Fitosedan” is a package containing 20 filter bags. They should be brewed like regular tea and taken half a glass before each meal.

The preparation contains the following active ingredients:

• valerian roots,
• oregano herb,
• sweet clover herb,
• creeping thyme herb,
• motherwort herb.

This drug does not cause any drug or psychological dependence. You can safely take it to persons with sleep disorders, since insomnia is one of the direct indications for taking Fitosedan.

Is it worth taking hormonal drugs if there is a delay in menstruation due to stress

Most girls are very impressionable and even with a little delay they start looking for a hormonal drug. In fact, there is no point in treating a delay due to stress with such serious drugs.

Hormones are a very delicate balance, and if it is violated, one can expect really serious consequences, up to the appearance of neoplasms. In order not to upset the balance, in no case should drugs of this kind be taken without permission. Even hormonal contraceptives should be prescribed by an experienced doctor, and there can be no question of any independent use.

Is it justified to take antidepressants for chronic stress

Antidepressants are drugs that can quickly bring a woman’s psycho-emotional state to a full or relative norm.However, you can buy these pills only with a prescription from a neuropathologist or psychiatrist.

If the degree of stress has reached the critical point at which amenorrhea occurs, this is a signal that you can no longer let your psychological state go by itself. Of course, the idea of ​​going to a psychiatrist seems blasphemous to many. However, if there is a need to take antidepressants, then consultation with a specialist cannot be avoided. The most effective and popular drugs of this kind are Prozac (and its cheap analogue Fluoxetine), Paroxetine and many others.Self-administration is prohibited, however, if such pills are prescribed by a doctor, the result of treatment can exceed all expectations.

How to restore your psycho-emotional state without using medications

You can do without pills if you follow simple rules of psychological “hygiene”:

• regularly allocate at least 8 hours for sleep;
• do yoga, swimming and other pacifying activities;
• give up bad habits – smoking and alcohol abuse, since such a lifestyle is destructive for the cells of the nervous system and can lead to psycho-emotional exhaustion.

Will physical education and sports help relieve psycho-emotional stress?

There is a widespread misconception that physical education and sports will help to get out of a state of chronic stress and, as a result, normalize hormonal levels. However, in most cases, intense exercise only depletes the nervous system, especially if there is no normal nutrition and there is no healthy sleep.

Yoga, swimming, Pilates and other quiet types of physical activity are recommended to restore the psycho-emotional state.

Menstrual cycle and energy “policy” of the hypothalamus uMEDp

Prolongation requires a flawless choice. Pregnancy is vulnerable physically, socially and energetically, so an excess of negative signals prevails over the reproductive system of mammals. The selection of physiological conditions suitable for conception should be carried out by a special analytical body. This role is played by the hypothalamus, which unites the nervous and endocrine systems.

Developed countries have overcome natural barriers to childbirth – hunger, lingering infections and physical exhaustion.Why are more women these days suffering from menstrual irregularities and infertility? The article attempts to consider functional amenorrhea and idiopathic infertility from the neuroendocrine and anthropological points of view. The authors develop the hypothesis that an unsuccessful lifestyle imitates primitive threats, forcing the hypothalamus, as at the dawn of human history, to “turn off” sexual function in order to conserve energy. In the context of this hypothesis, the concept of microecology of nutrition is proposed as a method for optimizing lifestyle.

Drawing. Hypothalamus: information environment of the GnRH-secreting network (simplified model)

Introduction

The menstrual cycle is one of the most mysterious phenomena in human biology. Why has our species developed rhythmic ovulation that is independent of coitus? What is the biological meaning of menstrual bleeding, which is absent in other mammals? There are also more practical questions: it is known that physical and psychological stress, as well as body weight, significantly affect the menstrual cycle – but how and why does this happen? In search of answers, let us turn to high-level processes – to the analytical system of the hypothalamus.

Prolongation of the genus requires an optimal external and internal environment. A woman should be safe, favorable social conditions, and have unlimited access to nutrients. Otherwise, the pregnancy may be terminated or the fetus may suffer from developmental defects.

How can the body evaluate the many external and internal factors and make a choice: to take the risk of conception now – or to sacrifice part of the fertile time, waiting for more suitable conditions? Taking into account the complexity of the task, it can be said that the choice of physiological conditions suitable for conception cannot be carried out by the pelvic organs.This function should be performed by an organ “knowing” the physiological context as a whole.

The hypothalamus is a neural apparatus associated with the cerebral cortex, emotional-behavioral (limbic) and endocrine systems. In addition, through a “window” in the blood-brain barrier, the hypothalamus scans the blood flow, following physiological signals. Thanks to such an abundance of connections, he can informally manage the menstrual cycle, and, if necessary, prevent the onset of an inappropriate pregnancy.For this, the hypothalamus uses a single instrument – gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), or gonadoliberin.

GnRH: neural network and its impulse code

GnRH is a short peptide (10 amino acids) with a life span of no more than two to four minutes. It enters the portal system by pulses of variable frequency and amplitude, forming a code available to the underlying pituitary gland. The frequency and amplitude of the pulses change cyclically, first providing the release of follicle-stimulating hormone, and then preparing the ovulatory release of luteinizing hormone.It is these phase changes that determine the mechanism of the menstrual cycle [1]. Monotonic stimulation of the pituitary gland, on the contrary, leads to the cessation of the synthesis of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones [2], which can be used for therapeutic purposes by prescribing GnRH agonists.

GnRH effectively “tunes” the reproductive system, but depends entirely on the well-coordinated work of its neurons. In mammals, a network is formed from them, and a surprisingly small number – only a few thousand cells [3].The neural network is distributed over several areas of the hypothalamus and directs axons from each to the portal vessels of the pituitary gland [1]. The ramified structure of the network allows the collection of stimulating and suppressing signals from physiological processes, which are monitored by the hypothalamus. An important example is the arcuate core that controls the power supply, which can change the operation of the GnRH network [4]. In an unfavorable physiological context, the secretory code of GnRH is distorted, and with it the menstrual cycle, up to functional amenorrhea.

So, what principle is the hypothalamus guided by in regulating the reproductive system? Reproduction imposes high energy costs on the female body and does not contribute to its survival, therefore the hypothalamus seeks to “save” on sexual function under any stressful conditions [5].

Stress and procreation: finding the right timing

In modern biology, the concept of “stress” means an overload of the adaptive abilities of the organism [6]. As a universal response to long-term adverse conditions, the hypothalamus increases plasma cortisol (and cerebrospinal fluid) through the pituitary-adrenal system [7].In response, cortisol, among other things, suppresses the secretion of GnRH [8]. This occurs in many chronic conditions that are different in nature and origin, but are uniformly interpreted by the hypothalamus as stress: depression and anxiety disorders, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, violation of the sleep-wake regime (work at night shifts) [9]. Excess cortisol is also seen in many professional athletes [10].

However, the “politics” of the hypothalamus is more complicated than such a straightforward response to threats.Not all stressful activities are unfavorable for the body, some of them are part of the lifestyle. To give preference to a particular activity, evolution has spawned the so-called neurobiological reward system.

Thus, the species Homo sapiens is adapted to long-distance running [11], in which endogenous cannabinoids enter the bloodstream. At the dawn of human history, they facilitated long-term races during the time of migration and hunting, providing anesthetic and euphoric effect [12].Of course, they also inhibit the release of GnRH [13], since such difficult trials are not combined with prolongation of the genus. This probably explains in part the cases of amenorrhea among runners these days [14].

Endorphins (endogenous opiates) complement the “reward” system: they also alleviate pain and improve mood, but again suppress GnRH [15].

So, “rewarding” agents point the hypothalamus at an inappropriate time for reproduction. How important is this from a clinical point of view, because only a few patients are subject to long-term debilitating stress? The fact is that endorphins [16] and endocannabinoids [17] have another function: they stimulate the search for food, as well as sensually color its intake, encouraging the restoration of resources.Unfortunately, if the hypothalamus is insensitive to satiety signals (as observed in obesity), then “reward” substances are released in chronic excess [18] with the same consequences for GnRH.

Let us dwell in more detail on the hypothalamic relationship between the reproductive system and nutrition.

GnRH and energy metabolism: “economics” of reproduction

Studies in primates show that fasting or excessive energy expenditure consistently induces amenorrhea and abortion [19].This adaptive reaction is of a more general nature than ensuring the vital activity of the organism: an increase in the population during a time of famine is inappropriate. Trying to assess whether it is safe for an individual and a species to maintain sexual function, the hypothalamus focuses on signals of hunger and satiety.

The most important of them is neuropeptide Y (NY), which causes a strong feeling of hunger and reduces the release of GnRH [4]. Hunger subsides when insulin and leptin – the main hormones of satiety – “turn off” NY-neurons of the arcuate nucleus [20].Insulin enters the bloodstream in proportion to the absorbed glucose, while leptin is secreted by adipocytes, thereby reporting the amount of adipose tissue [21].

In addition, during fasting, the hormone ghrelin is secreted in the stomach. In the short term, it only stimulates the search for food, but prolonged exposure can slow down puberty by disrupting the secretion of GnRH [22].

The limitation of sexual function with a lack of energy is easily explained, but menstrual dysfunctions in obesity look paradoxical.In reality, obesity is “hunger amid abundance.” A hypothalamus affected by insulin [23] and leptin [24] resistance (ie, insensitive to saturation) takes steps to conserve energy, including reducing the release of GnRH.

Obesity is also a type of lingering inflammation [25]. Growing adipocytes secrete proinflammatory cytokines, two of which — tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 — suppress the impulse secretion of GnRH [26]. For the hypothalamus, inflammation always serves as a signal of trouble, of the involvement of the immune system in the fight against external aggressors, probably of infectious origin.Chronic infection is not a good time to bear offspring, and obesity “simulates” it in an aseptic form.

Finally, linoleic acid, which belongs to the class of omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids, an important substrate for the synthesis of cannabinoids, is present in excess in the diet of obese people, determining a high cannabinoid background [27].

One level higher: the cellular environment of GnRH neurons

So far, we’ve talked about how the GnRH network uses incoming physiological signals to “tune” or interrupt the menstrual cycle.But the two-syllable stimulus-to-command approach lacks any flexibility. It can be assumed that the decision to stop the menstrual cycle should be made at a different, supra-network level. Where?

We discussed the importance of food cues for the release of GnRH. It is all the more surprising that the GnRH neurons themselves seem to be almost devoid of receptors for leptin [28], insulin [29], and ghrelin [30]. They even receive a reverse estrogen signal only through the beta-type estrogen receptor, while a preovulatory jump in luteinizing hormone secretion is triggered through the alpha-type estrogen receptor [31].It is obvious that the GnRG network uses intermediaries, a kind of “relay” that sets more flexible control (figure).

The first place among them belongs to kisspeptin (KiSS1): its neurons directly stimulate the secretion of GnRH, presenting the “permissive” forces of reproduction in the hypothalamus [32]. KiSS1 neurons reach out to the GnRH synthesizing network shortly before puberty [33]. In the future, it is through them, carrying alpha-type estrogen receptors, that estrogens have an inverse effect on the GnRH network [34].Interestingly, one subgroup of KiSS1 neurons closes the negative feedback [35], while the other, on the contrary, gives estrogens a temporary multiplying effect shortly before the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone [36]. Apparently, the reverse negative effect of progesterone also at least partially occurs through the KiSS1 system [37].

Through suppression of KiSS1 neurons, the hypothalamus induces anovulation in nursing mothers, focusing on a negative energy balance due to milk secretion.Apparently, prolactin, which directly suppresses KiSS1 neurons, is also involved in this [38]. During starvation, the level of kisspeptin in the hypothalamus drops sharply along with the secretion of GnRH [39], and experimentally replenishing kisspeptin from the outside in chronic malnutrition can reduce the delay in puberty [40]. Remembering the “paradoxical” infertility in obese women, it should be noted that in obesity, kisspeptin synthesis in the arcuate nucleus is again reduced [41].

It is likely that KiSS1 neurons, in turn, only generalize signals from other nerve cells, and new studies will show the true scope of the system centered around the GnRH network [42].

The second group of GnRH network intermediaries is also richly represented in the arcuate core. We are talking about the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons, which, depending on the circumstances, can degrade to beta-endorphin, adrenocorticotropic hormone or melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). While KiSS1 neurons close the signals of digestion and gonads around the GnRH network, POMCergic cells work with it at the interface between nutrition and stress.

The role of endogenous opiates in the “reward” system and in the suppression of the GnRH network was discussed above.Adrenocorticotropic hormone controls the adrenal glands, predisposing to an increase in the level of cortisol, alpha-MSH, on the contrary, directly stimulates the work of GnRH neurons [4].

POMC neurons sensitive to leptin, insulin and neuropeptide Y are good candidates for transmitting food signals to GnRH neurons. Indeed, like KiSS1 neurons, POMC neurons extend their endings to the GnRH network, forming synaptic contacts with it [43]. The ability of POMC neurons to split into three multidirectional products is a vivid example of flexible contextual regulation of the GnRH network, and through it the entire reproductive system.

Thus, the control of the reproductive system includes at least three physiological aspects: stress, energy balance and gonadal activity. The secretion of GnRH is under a heavy pressure of negative influences, which are active in one or another threat to survival. Certain factors (eg prolactin, beta-endorphin and endocannabinoids) transmit, albeit unequally, the influence of two aspects. The population of KiSS1-ergic neurons perceives signals of all types and is, apparently, the main stimulator of the GnRH network.Signals of hunger and satiety are of great weight, given for the sake of flexibility in control of several analytical nodes of the hypothalamus.

Prolonged stress naturally causes dysfunction of the reproductive system, and stress load is not always painful. Often, stress is a way of life, as, for example, in ballerinas and professional athletes [10]. But from the point of view of the hypothalamic system, even less extreme activities do not always lead to conception and pregnancy.

Social and interpersonal conflicts, accompanied by aggression, anxiety, depression, the hypothalamus can recognize as an echo of ancient types of stress.Unfortunately, psychoneuroendocrinology is still at the beginning of its development as a science, and so far we have more questions than answers.

Socio-psychological stress

Human society has undergone significant changes over the last millennium. However, social distress, lifestyle changes and information overload involve the same stress mechanisms as threats to physical survival [44].

In many mammals, females fight among themselves for resources and those partners that could provide tactical and genetic advantages to future offspring.In primates, a subordinate social position causes an increase in plasma cortisol. At the same time, the amount of peak emissions of luteinizing hormone required for ovulation decreases [45]. As resources decrease and aggressiveness grows within the community, conception is most promising in the dominant female. Aggression, including between close relatives, apparently plays an important role in suppressing ovulation among subordinate individuals [46].

There are reasons to associate the slowdown of the GnRH network with psychological distress in humans, for example, with occupational overload, anxiety, depression, negative attitudes or frustration [47].

Animal studies show that even relatively mild psychological tests (eg, changing homes) can disrupt the menstrual cycle when combined with mild energy deficits (analogous to a low-calorie diet in humans) [48].

Acute psychological experiences (in experiments with immobilization of animals) showed a rapid and deep suppression of the secretion of luteinizing hormone, which was accompanied by an increase in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol.Moreover, the introduction of naloxone, a blocker of opioid receptors, restored the secretion of luteinizing hormone even before the animals were released [49]. It is noteworthy that naloxone restored the secretion of luteinizing hormone in some women with amenorrhea [50].

Endogenous cannabinoids are also likely to play a role in increasing psychological stress. In short-term conditions, this was convincingly demonstrated using the classic Trier test, which introduces subjects into a state of social stress by simulating a job interview [51].

Psychological stress often causes changes in nutrition. So, with protracted trouble, an addiction to food rich in carbohydrates is known. A possible reason for this is chronic cortisol stimulation of the hypothalamus [52] with the participation of the same cannabinoid “reward” system [53]. As discussed above, both cortisol and cannabinoids inhibit GnRH synthesis.

Menstrual cycle and nutritional microecology

In the previous sections, we examined in detail the quantitative malnutrition and their close relationship with high-level hypothalamic processes.But the picture would not be complete without the qualitative characteristics of food, which is especially important for women with unstable function of the GnRH-synthesizing network, balancing on the brink of menstrual dysfunction.

In addition to the three main nutritional classes: proteins, fats and carbohydrates – with each meal, the human body receives microscopic doses of regulatory substances that have informational rather than nutritional value. The availability of vitamins of plant and animal origin has historically included Homo sapiens in specific food chains, and the microelement composition of the environment determined favorable habitat zones.Thus, vitamins and microelements, whose importance is often underestimated, combine biogeocenosis with individual physiology [54]. The female body, which is constantly looking for optimal conditions for procreation, cannot ignore such data.

Nowadays, mankind has spread across the globe everywhere, often spending most of its life in moving. Thus, medical science was faced with the task of compensating for the change in ecological subsystems, which in market conditions is available only through the development of universal adaptive complexes.The degree of their influence is individual, since each organism is also unique. However, such substitution drugs occupy their own therapeutic niche along with higher-level treatments. Here are some examples.

Thus, folic acid, which is essential for the fundamental processes of life (doubling, repair, and epigenetic control of the genome), is found mainly in green deciduous plants. Since folic acid deficiency causes the greatest damage to renewing cell populations (bone marrow, immune system, endometrium and fetoplacental system during pregnancy), it is difficult to overestimate its importance.To some extent, folic acid can be considered as a “permissive” factor for maintaining a normal menstrual cycle, because folates are functional partners of estrogens, necessary for timely menarche and normal endometrial proliferation. In the pregravid period, the supply of folates determines the optimal development of the fetus in the forthcoming pregnancy, therefore, their deficiency can delay the onset of conception. In developed countries, access to fresh vegetables is not a problem, but the modern culture of cooking leads to the loss of up to 90% of folate, which raises the question of their subsidies.

Vitamin B ₆ supports communication between tissues, including parts of the central nervous system. It is involved in the exchange of mediators, including gamma-aminobutyric acid, catecholamines, serotonin, prostaglandins, and histamine. The organism Homo sapiens adapted the B ₆ molecule to suppress proinflammatory mediators, which is manifested by a drop in the acute phase parameters of inflammation (C-reactive protein and homocysteine). As we discussed above, the hypothalamus is sensitive to the inflammatory background by inhibition of reproductive function.

Antioxidant vitamins (tocopherol acetate, retinol acetate, ascorbic acid), together with coenzyme Q ₁₀ and zinc, closing the antioxidant system, are necessary to protect the ovaries from oxidative stress that occurs at the time of ovulation. Together with calcium, ascorbic acid regulates a special transmembrane channel in the pituitary gonadotrophs, determining the secretion of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones. Deficiency of any of the components of the antioxidant system leads to decreased fertility.For example, a lack of tocopherol acetate can cause anovulation in women and azoospermia in men [55]. There are cases of restoration of fertility in infertile women after taking a course of vitamin E [56]. It has been shown experimentally in a variety of models that vitamin E plays a key role in protecting the fetus from oxidative stress [57].

The need for iron for blood formation and as a cofactor for a number of enzymes partly determines the dominant position of our species in animal food chains.In the presence of bleeding, iron must be replaced, and Fe ions must remain in an evolutionarily determined chemical microenvironment – otherwise, effective absorption will not occur. Such an environment exists in animal tissues.

Finally, some rarer herbal factors may benefit women with hypothalamic amenorrhea. For example, sacred vitex extract has a mild dopaminergic effect by suppressing the production of the stress hormone prolactin, which disrupts the work of the GnRH-synthesizing network.higher).

However, in functional amenorrhea, the use of these and other micronutrients may not lead to success. As we have tried to show, prohibitive “instructions” come from the hypothalamus through a multi-step high-level assessment. However, working with the functional separation of the external and internal environment of a woman (that is, engaging in lifestyle correction, psychotherapy, normalization of body weight and regularity of nutrition and other pathogenetic protection of the GnRH-synthesizing network), one should not forget about the actual environmental aspects, including microecology of nutrition.Currently, many complexes have been developed containing vitamins, macronutrients, trace elements and plant extracts. These multicomponent complexes are designed to increase the adaptive capabilities of the organism; the implementation of specific tasks presupposes the variability of their composition.

For example, the Mirazenov complex was developed mainly to reduce the symptoms of such a maladaptive disorder as premenstrual syndrome. The complex contains griffonia seed extract (serotonergic action), sacred vitex extract (dopaminergic action), St. John’s wort extract (complex antidepressant effect), which have an evidence base for a positive effect on the functions of the central nervous system.The complex also contains other components (angelica and meadow clover extracts, L-phenylalanine, iron gluconate), which are important not only for the well-being of women, but also for the reproductive function.

A specific focus on preparation for the reproduction process is characterized by the Vitazenov complex, which contains vitamins of group B, absolutely necessary for the normal onset and course of pregnancy, including folic and niacin, vitamins A, E, D, K, biotin, coenzyme Q ₁₀ , magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper and L-taurine.The use of vitamin-mineral and vitamin-plant complexes helps to partially solve the acute modern problem of nutritional microecology.

Conclusion

Despite the successes of the industrial civilization, we live in an era of reduced fertility [58]. Unfortunately, the hypothalamus interprets many features of the modern lifestyle as analogs of primitive threats. Obesity is likely to imitate infections and hunger, hobby for sports – protracted migration, and conflicts in the workplace and in families – competition within the colony for limited resources.

It is possible that in cases of metabolic stress and chronic psychological threats, the hypothalamus acts in a uniform manner: it seeks to protect the body, reducing energy expenditure and preventing risky pregnancy. This should be taken into account in patients with functional amenorrhea. In such cases, replacement therapy alone may not be enough, since it does not affect adrenal hyperfunction, body weight, and psychological problems. Even with artificially induced ovulation, subsequent pregnancy is threatened by ongoing psychological and / or metabolic stress.In other words, full restoration of sexual function requires correction of a fundamental problem – lifestyle [10, 59].

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