While working out is good for you, a sudden increase in activity or losing a lot of weight can put a pause on your menstrual cycle. This is often seen in young female athletes or those with poor nutrition and eating disorders. Your thyroid is responsible for controlling your metabolism and menstrual cycle, but thyroid disease can throw a wrench in things.
Problems with thyroid levels can lead to heavy periods, irregular periods, and skipped periods. PCOS can affect your entire life, right down to your menstrual cycle. Missing, irregular, or heavy periods are a common symptom of PCOS, along with things like weight gain, scalp hair thinning, and facial hair growth.
Amenorrhea , which is the absence of periods, can be caused by a number of factors, and we can help diagnose and treat those issues. Have you noticed something is off with your menstrual cycle?
Bring your problems to Dr. A study on the effect of antipsychotics on menstruation found that amenorrhea occurred because prolactin levels were imbalanced.
Additionally, some birth control medications, such as an IUD, implant or shot, may cease your periods while on them. Issues with your thyroid, such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism , can disturb your menstrual cycle. Luckily, there are effective treatments for thyroid disorders, so see an endocrinologist for a blood test if you think this might be an issue for you.
Little is known about what causes this disease, but about five million women in the United States may be affected by PCOS. Like thyroid dysfunction, PCOS can cause a hormonal imbalance in your body, causing missed periods. The decrease in periods is caused by a decrease in the estrogen hormone. About nine to 14 percent of women in the United States are affected by menstrual irregularities.
With the exception of missing your period while on some contraceptives, it is not normal to go without a period for several months and can be harmful to your health. Visit your physician if your missed periods persist. Media contact: Dee Dee Grays , 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 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.
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. 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. 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. 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 The average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51 in the UK.
However, around 1 in women go through the menopause before the age of This is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure. 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. The condition is responsible for as many as 1 in 3 cases of stopped periods.
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. Your GP may recommend waiting to see whether your periods return on their own.
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