Menstrual periods are often
irregular in teenage years, when our cycles first begin. It may take several
years for a woman's hormones to balance, so that ovulation and cycles become
regular. Hormone imbalance is what also causes menstrual irregularities when
peri-menopause and menopause arise. What surprises many women is that, with
menopause, our cycles can become less frequent with less bleeding or more
frequent with heavy bleeding and passage of blood clots. If menopause comes
before age 40, it is known as premature ovarian failure. This needs to be
checked by your doctor.
Early menopause can cause many
health problems including osteoporosis, strokes, heart disease and emotional
and cognitive deficits. It should not be taken lightly. But, of the many reasons for menstrual irregularities
and missed periods, the most common is pregnancy.
If you might be pregnant, you are naturally excited, and you should treat yourself as if you are pregnant until you see your doctor and have a pregnancy test. There are several symptoms that are suggestive of pregnancy. These include breast tenderness, nausea and bloating. But, since these can also be premenstrual symptoms, it can still be confusing until a pregnancy test or an ultrasound is done.
If you might be pregnant, you are naturally excited, and you should treat yourself as if you are pregnant until you see your doctor and have a pregnancy test. There are several symptoms that are suggestive of pregnancy. These include breast tenderness, nausea and bloating. But, since these can also be premenstrual symptoms, it can still be confusing until a pregnancy test or an ultrasound is done.
Pregnancy is detected by a missed period and through taking a home pregnancy test. Sometimes tests will show up negative if they are done too soon. Home pregnancy tests check for the HCG hormone in our urine, so it is important that they are not done until you miss a period. Only certain kinds of blood tests can test accurately before a missed period.
It is a good habit to track your cycles, so you know when to expect them, because miscalculation is a common reason for women to think they have a delayed or missed period. Stress can affect females like hormone balance that can cause menstrual irregularities. Any sudden or chronic illness can also temporarily cause cycle irregularities. Even the stress of traveling is enough to throw off our bodies’ delicate cycles and messenger systems. Changing schedules can really throw off your body clock. This is particularly true if you go from days to nights at work or vice versa. If you frequently change shifts, then this may be the reason. Carrying around too much weight can hormonally shift your cycles and even stop them. Being underweight can cause just as many problems with your cycles. If you do not have enough body fat you will not have regular periods, and sometimes you can even cause your periods to stop altogether. This is called amenorrhea. It is a good idea to relax and try to reduce worry and stress
