Girls, a missed period doesn’t always mean pregnancy. Here are 4 other reasons

Did you miss your period? Don’t just dash off to pick up a home pregnancy test. There could be many other reasons for a missed or irregular period.

The menstrual cycle, controlled by female hormones, is the regular natural change that occurs in a female body. But an irregular cycle is a signal that something isn’t quite right, and it doesn’t always mean that you’re pregnant. Lifestyle changes and environmental factors such as shift work can disturb the menstrual cycle but absent periods (amenorrhea), especially at the early age, should always be checked out.

According to Dr Shweta Goswami, gynecologist, and IVF expert, if a young woman has missed her periods for more than three months, it could indicate a serious problem. There are several reasons for a missed period.

1) Stress: This has a major impact on periods. High levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in body can interfere with menstrual hormone surges, resulting in delayed periods.

2) PCOS: A common lifestyle condition today, PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is an endocrine disorder that has many symptoms including irregular periods. This can also lead to fertility issues and weight gain.

3) Excessive exercise: Working out too much can disrupt your hormones. Just like stress, it can impede ovulation.

4) Premature ovarian failure: “When we talk about failure of the uterus, there is a complete shutdown of the uterine cavity; premature ovarian failure refers to loss of normal function of the ovaries,” says Dr Anita Soni, full time consultant, obstetrics & gynecology, Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital.

(With inputs from ANI)

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