Missed periods can be caused by pregnancy, contraceptive methods, breastfeeding, and emotional stress. Pregnancy should be ruled out first, but early pregnancy may not show up on basic tests. Seeing a healthcare professional is recommended for unexplained gaps in menstrual cycles.
The most common cause of a missed period is pregnancy, but there are a myriad of potential causes. Contraceptive methods, breastfeeding, and emotional stress are also some potential causes for missed periods. Pregnancy is more common when the woman is sexually active and should probably be the first thing to rule out, but an early pregnancy may not register in basic pregnancy tests. Seeing a health care professional is generally recommended when a woman experiences an unexplained gap in her menstrual cycle.
When a woman is missing a period and has been sexually active, pregnancy is usually the first and often correct assumption. Modern pregnancy tests are normally highly accurate when the instructions are followed correctly and can detect pregnancy as early as five days before your missed period. However, early detection may not be as accurate as pregnancy tests done after your missed period.
Contraceptive methods can lead to a missed period for a couple of reasons. Switching to birth control methods can sometimes cause a missed period as the body adjusts to the new form of regulated cycle. Other forms of birth control or methods of using a certain type of birth control can intentionally suppress periods or make them happen much more irregularly than without regulation.
Breastfeeding can prevent menstruation from returning until the woman stops breastfeeding. Some women report not having a regular period until after their baby is weaned, but many women start menstruating within weeks or months after their baby is born. This is normal, but it also means that the woman can get pregnant again. If infertility due to breastfeeding has been used as a birth control method, the woman will need to resort to other methods of preventing pregnancy.
Many causes of emotional, mental, and physical stress can lead to a missed period. When the body is under a lot of stress, it is believed that this can disrupt normal functioning in a way that prevents periods from occurring. The amount of stress required to cause this loss of normal functioning can vary significantly from person to person, and sustained stress levels can lead to a lack of periods over an extended period of time. Some common examples of the types of stress that can lead to a missed period include a busy time with regards to work, severe emotional strain caused by a relationship problem, or the death of someone close.
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