home Thyroid Lack of menstruation if there is no pregnancy. Why no periods - not pregnant. The most obvious reasons for the delay

Lack of menstruation if there is no pregnancy. Why no periods - not pregnant. The most obvious reasons for the delay

A delayed menstrual cycle is a dysfunction of the body, which manifests itself in the absence of bleeding for more than 100 days. Minor deviations in the onset of menstruation are a completely natural process, but only when the delay does not exceed 7 days.

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A month's delay in menstruation makes every woman nervous. Some of us connect this phenomenon with joyful anticipation of motherhood, others experience not so joyful emotions or even fear.

Why was there a month delay?

Of course, if you don't have your period whole month, this does not necessarily indicate pregnancy. And, alas, very often this confuses the fair sex. Having learned that they are not pregnant, an irresponsible attitude towards such a cycle disruption appears, which can lead to serious problems with health.

Often, the delay critical days not associated with any diseases. This is typical for cases when the “delay” of menstruation does not exceed 7 days.

Delay of “guests” for a month

If you have not had your period for a whole month and the test is negative, the reasons for this phenomenon may be the following.

Stressful situation ( huge pressure at school or work, unexpected dismissal, financial difficulties, depressive state, quarrels).
A sharp change in the usual lifestyle (active sports, change of place of work, change of climatic conditions).
Cancel contraception. This feature is due to the fact that the ovaries, after receiving a dose of external hormones for a long time, temporarily do not function at full capacity. You should only visit a specialist if you have not had your period for 2 months.
Receiving funds emergency contraception(“Postinor”, “Escapelle”) can also often lead to disruption of the menstrual cycle due to stress caused by consuming a large dose of the hormone.
If you haven't had your period for a whole month, this may indicate a recent birth. This period characterized by active production of prolactin, which is responsible for lactation. This hormone actively suppresses the activity of the ovaries, which is why there are no periods for about a month, or even more. However, if the critical days have not arrived a year after birth, an examination by a specialist is necessary.
After an abortion, your period may also be delayed, but this is not the norm. It is also worth noting that some frivolous ladies are sure that after this operation pregnancy does not occur soon, so they do not use contraception. Accordingly, a delay in menstruation due to new pregnancy quite likely.

Don't forget about these common diseases, like ARVI, colds, flu, and also about chronic diseases– thyroid dysfunction, gastritis, diabetes, kidney disease and others. Taking medications can also cause failure of your period. If you haven't had your period for a month and you don't know what to do, urgently make an appointment with a gynecologist to avoid serious pathology.

Heavy loads may cause delays

Reason for being two months late

Very often, when a girl turns to a gynecologist with a complaint that her periods are 2 months late, she is immediately diagnosed with ovarian dysfunction. But it is worth immediately noting that this term already implies irregular menstruation, frequent delays bleeding other than pregnancy.

Simply put, having made such a diagnosis, the doctor only makes a statement of fact. But the reasons for not having periods for two months may be the following.

Infectious, colds. They greatly weaken the body, so they can even cause a significant delay in menstrual bleeding.
Mental disorders. If you haven’t had your period for 2 months, this may well be explained by severe emotional turmoil, stress, problems at home or at work.
Poor nutrition. If a woman does not have menstruation for a long time, but pregnancy is excluded, the cause of such a delay could be an unsuccessful diet or anorexia. This is explained by the fact that estrogen is produced by the body only if the girl’s body weight exceeds 45 kg. If the weight decreases sharply, menstruation may disappear for a while.
Excessive physical activity. When a girl does heavy work hard physical exercise or leads too active image life, menstrual bleeding may not appear for a long time.
Hormonal imbalances. The absence of menstruation for more than 8 weeks may indicate hormonal disorders, which originate at the level of the pituitary gland. Hormonal disruptions from the ovaries or thyroid gland are also common.
Functional shocks of the body. Menstruation may be absent for two or more months if a woman has undergone a surgical termination of pregnancy, has gynecological diseases, or is breastfeeding a baby.

They've been gone for 2 months

All of the above reasons must be discussed with a gynecologist and full examination body and only after that the doctor will be able to give you a final diagnosis.

Why was there a delay of 3-4 months?

If a woman has not had her period for 3 months, she simply needs to see a doctor immediately. The first question a gynecologist asks in such a situation is about pregnancy. If sexual intimacy you were absent, and the possibility of conception is excluded, then you will be prescribed additional examinations, since there are several reasons for this pathology.

Abortion very often causes a delay in menstruation. This is due to hormonal imbalance, as well as injury to the uterus, which requires time to recover.
If you haven’t had your period for three months, the reason for this may be a gynecological disease when the functioning of the ovaries is disrupted. This affects ovulation, as well as the woman’s reproductive system.
Stressful situations and sudden weight loss can also lead to such a delay in menstrual bleeding.
If you haven't had your period for four months, this may be due to a disorder. metabolic processes, as well as lack of vitamins.
Climate change and flights can negatively affect regular offensive menstruation, and also cause their delay.
Taking contraceptives or replacing them with other types can lead to this problem. This phenomenon is called “ovarian hyperinhibition syndrome.” Usually within a few months this problem is resolved automatically.

Birth control pills may be to blame

Reasons for being 5 months late

Amenorrhea is a term that is appropriate if you have not had a period for 5 months or more. The causes of this pathology are hidden at each stage of cycle regulation.

Pituitary tumor, pituitary infarction, which can occur after childbirth, and others.
Various ovarian diseases (exhausted ovaries, resistant ovaries).
Diseases of the uterus ( cervical canal, adhesions inside the uterus, complications of abortion).
Rapid weight loss due to anorexia.
Severe frequent stress.
Taking certain medications.

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Attention!

The information published on the website is for informational purposes only and is intended for informational purposes only. Site visitors should not use them as medical recommendations! The site editors do not recommend self-medication. Determining the diagnosis and choosing a treatment method remains the exclusive prerogative of your attending physician! Remember that only full diagnostics and therapy under the supervision of a doctor will help you completely get rid of the disease!

Perhaps nothing takes women by surprise more than a missed period. After all, if “these days” are delayed, it means that for some reason in menstrual cycle There has been a breakdown. Every woman of reproductive age has encountered such a problem at least once in her life. And the first thing that comes to the mind of a woman living a normal sex life is pregnancy. Of course, but pregnancy is far from the only reason. There are at least 9 more main and common reasons, which we will consider below in the article.

Pregnancy.

Very often, sexually active women associate delayed menstruation with pregnancy. Of course, the easiest way to check whether you are pregnant or not is to simply buy a pregnancy test. If the test shows two lines, then everything is clear, but if the pregnancy test is negative and you still don’t get your period, then you should seriously think about what is the reason for the delay. But the only correct decision would still be an examination by a gynecologist and further treatment causes of menstrual irregularities.

Stress.

It’s not for nothing that they say that all diseases are caused by nerves. Any, including even a woman’s menstrual cycle. The fact is that during stress, the body reduces the quantitative production of luteinizing hormone (LH), which in turn affects ovulation. Lack of LH provokes a delay in the onset of menstruation or amenorrhea. In general, stress can safely be called the number 1 reason during the delay in the arrival of the “red days of the calendar”, so dear girls, girls, women, be always happy and cheerful. Try to always find only good things in life!

Disease.

Disease, for example bad cold, just like stress can cause a delay in menstruation. After all, illness is the same stress for the body, only physical, therefore, if you get sick by the time the ovulation process should begin, then most likely your menstrual cycle will be disrupted this month. As a rule, such a failure is temporary and if you recover from the disease completely, then there should be no further problems. In order not to deal with this and just kill two birds with one stone.

Biological clock failure.

Changes in climate, daily routine and everything that significantly changes your familiar image life, forces your The biological clock"reset" previous regime and start working in a new rhythm. This type of failure is more common in business women who work in offices. Let's consider, for example, a case when there are a lot of things to do at work, and the deadline is very pressing, then you have to stay late at work, sometimes work at night, eat poorly, do not get enough sleep, and get nervous. All this leads to the body experiencing severe stress, the biological clock gets lost. After all this shake-up of the body, any woman, of course, will have an interruption in her menstrual cycle.

Medicines.

You may be surprised, but medications can also cause a delay in menstruation. Most often, this is to blame for this, which young girls swallow without thinking and in large quantities, for example, in order to. Of course, in addition to emergency contraception, there are other medications that can usually cause a slight delay of 5 to 10 days.

So always ask about side effects those medications that your doctor prescribes to you, so that you don’t panic later and don’t think about the reasons for the menstrual cycle failure

Overweight or underweight.

A woman’s body weight also has a great influence on the menstrual cycle. Excess weight can change hormonal background in a woman, which will subsequently affect menstruation.

The fact is that subcutaneous fat produces small amounts of female hormones– estrogens, which regulate a large number of processes in the body, including the menstrual cycle. Accordingly, the larger this layer, the more hormones are produced.

The reason for a delay in menstruation can also be a woman’s insufficient weight. Some women who experience low weight, suffer from such a problem as they cannot conceive a child for a long time.

In medicine, there is such a term as “menstrual mass,” which is at least 45-47 kg.

If the girl’s weight does not reach this minimum, then signs of various problems with menstruation. That is why it is not recommended for a woman to go on strict diets and perform excessive physical activity (very common among professional athletes). In this case, normalize monthly cycle will help normal nutrition and taking vitamins in order to...

Perimenopause.

Perimenopause is a period that occurs in a woman several years before menopause. During this period, a smooth restructuring of the body is already underway, and therefore various changes in the reproductive system can be observed. During the premenopausal period, a woman’s ovaries begin to produce less of the hormone estrogen, as a result of which the woman experiences various abnormalities in the menstrual cycle, including delayed menstruation.

Gynecological, endocrine and infectious diseases.

If a woman is delayed in “these” days by 5 or 10 days, and the pregnancy test is negative, then gynecologists immediately diagnose ovarian dysfunction. Actually, if you look at it in more detail, ovarian dysfunction is a medical synonym for the phrase delayed menstruation. This term describes any atypical dysfunctional uterine bleeding, which can be caused by many various diseases And external factors.

For example, polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by periodic absence of menstrual bleeding on time. The disease is associated with hormonal imbalances, which... Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated primarily with the fact that dysfunctions of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland and adrenal glands. In addition to delays in polycystic ovary syndrome, it is observed due to the production large quantity male hormones– androgens.

Delayed menstruation in teenage girls.

Delayed menstruation in a teenage girl during the first or second year from the beginning of her first menstruation (menarche) is considered normal. It's very rare to see regular cycle in young girls. At this age, a girl becomes a woman, and various serious changes occur in her body. The fact is that in the first two years, a growing girl’s hormonal levels are unstable, and the level of hormones in the blood rises and falls. As soon as the hormones stop raging, the cycle returns to normal.

Tell friends.

Menstruation should normally come regularly every month; this process indicates a woman’s ability to conceive. Abnormal periods, that is, scanty or heavy, painful menstrual bleeding indicate the presence of any abnormalities in the functioning of reproductive function or the presence certain diseases. That is why women should monitor their menstrual cycle extremely carefully, note not only the regularity of menstrual bleeding, but also its nature, and also monitor their well-being during menstruation.

Lack of menstruation is one of the main signs of pregnancy. It is also considered normal if menstruation does not come in girls before puberty and in women after menopause. In other cases, a long absence of menstruation, for 3-4 months or more, is considered a pathology. Usually, similar phenomenon caused by various gynecological diseases and disruptions in the woman’s hormonal background, which requires immediate treatment under the supervision of an experienced specialist.

The absence of menstruation in gynecology is called amenorrhea.

There are two types of disease:

Primary, when you have never had a period in your life.
Secondary, when women’s periods do not come reproductive age over several cycles.

Why can menstruation be absent if the test is negative and pregnancy is completely excluded? Let's try to understand this issue in as much detail as possible and find out the main causes of amenorrhea in women.

Possible reasons for the absence of menstruation and their diagnosis

A woman’s body is very fragile, which is why, as a result of emotional experiences and physical overload, the menstrual cycle may fail, which in turn leads to the absence of menstruation.

The most common reasons for the absence of menstruation in women, besides pregnancy, are:

infectious diseases of the pelvic organs;
hormonal imbalance;
pituitary tumor;
reception oral contraceptives;
sudden weight loss;
menopause;
drinking alcohol and smoking;
abortion.

Can also cause amenorrhea various pathologies, such as:

Delayed menstruation, its complete absence, as well as scanty periods are signs of the development of amenorrhea and require an immediate visit to the gynecologist.

To establish the reasons for the absence of menstruation, a consultation with a gynecologist is necessary; only a specialist can prescribe necessary examinations and based on their results, prescribe appropriate treatment.

Typically, to diagnose amenorrhea it is necessary to:

Get an ultrasound of the pelvic organs.
Get tested for hormones.
Consult a neurologist.
For polycystic ovary syndrome, laparoscopy is recommended.

Based on the results obtained, the doctor determines the cause of the disease and prescribes the necessary medications.

When taking hormonal contraceptives, for example, Zoely, Qlaira, Jess, a reduction in menstrual flow, however, their complete absence is unacceptable. If there is no menstruation while taking OCs, you must first rule out pregnancy by taking a pregnancy test or donating blood for hCG. If your periods do not come during the break between taking pills, you should discuss changing your oral contraceptive to a more suitable one with your doctor.

After childbirth

One of the most important issues, which interests young mothers, was and remains the question of the resumption of menstruation. It is worth noting that no gynecologist can accurately answer when your period will come after childbirth.

Firstly, this is a purely individual process, because each body needs a certain time to recover in the postpartum period.

Secondly, big influence Breastfeeding has an impact on the menstrual cycle. Thus, women who breastfeed their babies may not wait for menstruation during the first year of the baby’s life, and if artificial feeding Normally, periods should begin 2-3 months after delivery.

If a woman does not breastfeed and her period does not come, this is a good reason to contact a gynecologist.

After 45 years

At the age of 45-55 years, women enter menopause, at which time amenorrhea is physiological process. The absence of menstruation after 45 years of age usually does not require treatment, but in this case the situation should not be neglected. A woman needs to consult a gynecologist, take necessary tests. In some cases, the gynecologist may prescribe hormone therapy to normalize general condition the body of a woman during menopause.

Possible consequences of lack of menstruation

Often, many ladies do not give of great importance absence of menstruation negative test for pregnancy and the absence of any painful sensations. This is fundamentally wrong. Lack of menstruation for a long time dangerous for a woman’s health, as it can provoke disruptions in the functioning of systems and organs, and also cause many complications, among others:

diabetes;
osteoparosis;
heart and vascular diseases;
oncological diseases of the pelvic organs;
early miscarriages;
infertility.

Advanced amenorrhea is difficult to diagnose and practically untreatable, which is why you should not delay visiting a gynecologist if you have not had your period for more than four months.

Is pregnancy possible with amenorrhea?

As is already clear from the above, the absence of menstruation is not a disease, but rather a clear symptom of disturbances in the reproductive system. female body. With pathological amenorrhea, the ovulation process does not occur, therefore, it is not possible to conceive a child in this case. In order for pregnancy to occur, it is necessary to establish the reason for the absence of menstruation, undergo treatment and wait for the menstrual cycle to normalize. Of course, there are exceptions to any rule, and pregnancy occurs, but, unfortunately, ends in miscarriage.

With physiological amenorrhea during breastfeeding, pregnancy can occur even before the arrival of the first menstruation, but this is extremely undesirable for the female body, so it is worth paying attention great attention the issue of contraception during this period.

The absence of menstruation in a woman of childbearing age caused by pathology requires careful examination and qualified treatment, only in this case there is a chance of normalizing the condition and restoring the cycle.

In order to avoid amenorrhea and complications caused by this disease, it is necessary to maintain healthy image life, avoid sudden losses and weight gain, eat properly and nutritiously, and give up promiscuity. And of course, you need to regularly visit a gynecologist, take tests and smears to be confident in your own health!

Replies

Fluctuations in the menstrual cycle varying degrees every woman has experienced. Some of them are physiological - in adolescents, during pregnancy, during breastfeeding, others are a sign of a disorder reproductive health. If you have not had your period for 2 months, but pregnancy is excluded, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

The absence of menstruation for 2 months in a non-pregnant woman is a signal to consult a doctor

Why have I not had my period for 2 months?

A normal cycle is considered to be 21–35 days. In the absence of menstruation for 2 months, the diagnosis of amenorrhea is not made; it is often assumed hormonal dysfunction. But the onset of menstruation is also influenced by third-party factors.

Causes not related to reproductive function

These include:

Stressful situations– strong experiences, troubles at work or problems in personal life affect a woman’s reproductive function. This is a defense mechanism. The body believes that the time is inappropriate for reproduction.
Sudden change in body weight– both weight loss and weight gain. Estrogens, which regulate processes in the reproductive system, cease to be released when the weight is less than 45 kg. With a sudden weight gain, the body does not have time to readjust and produce hormones in large quantities.
Hypothyroidism– decreased production of thyroid hormones. This causes amenorrhea.
Recent surgery, infectious and bacterial infections. The body spends energy to restore vitality important functions. Maintaining the menstrual cycle is not one of them.
Hypopituitarism– various pathologies in which the production of hormones in the pituitary gland stops. The causes of this condition are varied - from the appearance of tumors in the brain to syphilis, head injuries, and meningitis.
Neoplasms of various origins in the brain, including prolactinoma. It provokes excess production of the hormone prolactin. It supports lactation, but at the same time inhibits ovulation and the onset of menstrual bleeding.

Severe stress negatively affects the reproductive function of the female body

Causes related to the reproductive system

Changes in the duration of the menstrual cycle can be physiological and pathological.

Natural reasons:

The girl has adolescence – in 30% of girls, the cycle stabilizes within 1–2 months after menarche. For everyone else - during the first year.
During lactation– at this time there is natural hyperprolactinemia. Excess prolactin, a hormone that stimulates milk production, suppresses ovulation and endometrial formation. Therefore, the test is negative, but menstruation does not occur.
After 40 years– this can be both a sign of a disease and a harbinger of menopause. During this period, estrogen production begins to decline. This manifests itself as a lack of menstruation.

During lactation, hormones suppress ovulation and the onset of menstruation.

Pathological reasons:

Polycystic ovary syndrome– benign growth of cysts inside the female reproductive glands. Occurs due to dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, thyroid gland, and adrenal cortex. Accompanied by the appearance of acne, increased secretion production sebaceous glands, weight gain.
Hyperprolactinemia unrelated to the birth of a child and the process of feeding him. At the same time, the production of the hormone prolactin increases, and ovulatory processes are inhibited.
Intrauterine synechiae– the appearance of adhesions in the uterine cavity. Develop after surgical intervention, artificial termination of pregnancy. IN difficult cases complete fusion of the organ occurs. In this case, the epithelium lining the uterine cavity atrophies and is not rejected, causing menstrual bleeding. That's why I don't get my period.
Endometritis of various etiologies is an inflammatory process in the tissues lining inner surface uterus. Natural processes the formation of epithelium and its rejection is disrupted.
STD or vaginal dysbiosis– any inflammatory processes inhibit ovarian function. Ovulation stops, the process of maturation of the uterine epithelium is disrupted.

Intrauterine synechiae is a pathology that interferes with the normal menstrual cycle

Which doctor should I contact?

If there is no menstruation for 2 months or more, you should either see a gynecologist-endocrinologist. After excluding pregnancy and gynecological diseases, the doctor will prescribe.

Diagnostics

Diagnostic measures begin with a visual examination, taking a smear for flora and a conversation with a gynecologist. The doctor should be informed about the onset of sexual activity, its current state, and the suspected factors that caused the suppression of menstrual function.

Included diagnostic measures The following laboratory tests are indicated:

HCG test - to confirm the fact that the patient is not pregnant. Rarely prescribed. If the period is delayed for 2 months, the probable gestational age is 9–10 weeks. The doctor will determine such a pregnancy, including an ectopic one, at an appointment without additional tests.
Study of prolactin levels - to exclude prolactinoma and hyperprolactinemia.
Analysis for FSH and LH - a violation of the ratio of these hormones is diagnostic sign polycystic changes in the ovaries. A decrease in FSH indicates a disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary system.
Definition TSH level– to exclude hypofunction of the thyroid gland.
A blood test for sugar or a glucose tolerance test to rule out endocrine disorders.
Determining the level of progesterone inhibits the growth processes of the endometrium. What causes amenorrhea.

Donate blood for special laboratory research to discover the reason for the delay

During the examination for menstrual irregularities, the use of diagnostic imaging methods is indicated:

Pelvic ultrasound – to determine the condition of the endometrium, exclude polycystic disease and other neoplasms;
X-ray of the head – the “sella turcica” region of the brain is examined. This allows you to exclude tumors;
CT or MRI - according to indications, if the tumor nature of the disease is suspected;
laparoscopy – according to indications.

What to do if you miss your period?

If there are no critical days in the second month, then first of all you should consult a doctor and find out the cause of the menstrual irregularity. The choice of treatment tactics depends on the examination results. Suggested management tactics for the patient:

Normalization of nutrition and weight, adequate physical activity.

A critical change in weight for a woman during her reproductive period is 10 kg in any direction. Minimum weight is 48–50 kg. In this case, in addition to weight normalization, progesterone preparations or its synthetic analogue are indicated:

Ingesta;
Progesterone oil solution;
Utrozhestan;
Duphaston.

A long course of treatment with Microlut is prescribed to stabilize the menstrual cycle.

In addition, it is possible to prescribe progestogenic oral contraceptives (Microlut, Exluton, Continuin). The duration of taking the drugs is at least 6 months.

Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome is carried out conservatively or surgically. Drug treatment is carried out with drugs with antiandrogenic effects - Diane-35, Androkur, Zhanin, Yarina.

If ineffective drug therapy, multiple cysts and the patient’s desire to give birth to a child, diathermocoagulation of the affected tissue is performed. Currently surgery performed using a laparoscope. Wide-band resections are excluded.

Hyperprolactinemia – drug treatment begins with taking dopamine agonists, which suppress prolactin production. The drugs of choice are. Parlodel, Dostinex or Lisurid.

If prolactinoma or brain tumors of any nature are diagnosed, then surgical excision of the tumor is indicated.

Intrauterine synechiae is treated exclusively surgically. Either dissection of adhesions or removal of the organ as a whole is performed.
Thyroid diseases – correction of hormone imbalance. For hypothyroidism, Eutirox or L-thyroxine is prescribed. Dosages are selected individually over several months. If neoplasms are detected in the organ, surgical treatment is performed.
Inflammatory, bacterial pathologies, endometritis, STDs - treatment includes antibiotic therapy at the doctor’s choice, local antibacterial treatment using suppositories.

How to avoid disruptions in the menstrual cycle?

It is impossible to completely avoid disruptions in the menstrual cycle, since there are periods in life when this is the norm.

Monitor your organ health reproductive sphere and contact us promptly medical care

Visit a gynecologist 2 times a year - even if nothing bothers you.
Use reliable means of protection - condoms, medications. Eliminate abortion from your life.
Plan your pregnancy and give birth when you are physically, mentally and financially ready.
Have a permanent partner.
Treat promptly and completely inflammatory diseases reproductive sphere, other systemic pathologies.
Do not self-medicate, watch your diet and do not experiment with strict diets.

There is no need to be ashamed and worry that you haven’t had your period for a long time or that you should have your period but didn’t come on time. Consult a doctor, get examined and follow the recommendations of the gynecologist.

Normally, the menstrual cycle lasts from 21 to 35 days. For each woman, its duration is individual, but for most of them, the intervals between menstruation are equal or differ from each other by no more than 5 days. You should always mark the day your menstrual bleeding begins on your calendar so that you can spot cycle irregularities in time.

Often, after stress, illness, intense physical activity, or climate change, a woman experiences a slight delay in menstruation. In other cases, this sign indicates pregnancy or hormonal disorders. We will describe the main reasons for delayed periods and the mechanism of their development, and also talk about what to do in such a situation.

Why is there a delay?

Delayed periods may be the result physiological changes in the body, and also be a manifestation of functional failures or diseases of both the genital and other organs (“extragenital pathology”).

Normally, menstruation does not occur during pregnancy. After childbirth, the mother’s cycle is also not restored immediately; this largely depends on whether the woman is lactating. In women without pregnancy, an increase in cycle length may be a manifestation of perimenopause (menopause). Irregularity of the cycle in girls after the start of menstruation is also considered normal, if it is not accompanied by other disorders.

Functional disorders that can provoke disruption of the menstrual cycle are stress, intense exercise stress, fast weight loss, previous infection or other acute illness, climate change.

Often irregular cycle with delayed menstruation in patients suffering from gynecological diseases, especially. In addition, such a symptom may accompany inflammatory diseases reproductive organs, occur after termination of pregnancy or diagnostic curettage, after . Ovarian dysfunction may be caused by pathology of the pituitary gland and other organs that regulate a woman’s hormonal levels.

From somatic diseases, accompanied possible violation menstrual cycle, it is worth noting obesity.

When is a delay in menstruation normal?

Puberty and the ovulatory cycle

Gradual puberty In girls, it leads to the appearance of their first menstruation - menarche, usually at the age of 12-13 years. However, in adolescence reproductive system not yet fully formed. Therefore, disruptions in the menstrual cycle are possible. Delayed menstruation in adolescents occurs during the first 2 years after menarche; after this period, it can serve as a sign of disease. If your period does not appear before the age of 15, this is a reason to visit a gynecologist. If the irregular cycle is accompanied by obesity, excess body hair growth, voice changes, and heavy menstruation, it is necessary to seek medical help earlier in order to begin correcting disorders in a timely manner.

Normally, by the age of 15, the cycle is already regular. Subsequently, menstruation occurs under the influence of cyclical changes in the concentration of hormones in the body. In the first half of the cycle, under the influence of estrogens produced by the ovaries, an egg begins to mature in one of them. Then the vesicle (follicle) in which it developed bursts, and the egg ends up in abdominal cavity- ovulation occurs. During ovulation, short-term mucous white discharge appears from the genital tract, and there may be a slight pain on the left or right side of the lower abdomen.

The egg is captured by the fallopian tubes and travels through them to the uterus. At this time, the burst follicle is replaced by the so-called corpus luteum - a formation that synthesizes progesterone. Under the influence of this hormone, the layer lining the inside of the uterus - the endometrium - grows and prepares to receive the embryo when pregnancy occurs. If conception does not occur, progesterone production decreases and the endometrium is rejected - menstruation begins.

During fertilization and embryo development corpus luteum the ovary continues to actively produce progesterone, under the influence of which the implantation of the egg, the formation of the placenta and the development of pregnancy occur. The endometrium does not undergo degradation and therefore is not rejected. In addition, progesterone suppresses the maturation of new eggs, so there is no ovulation and, accordingly, cyclic processes in a woman’s body stop.

If there is a delay

If menstruation is delayed by 3 days (and often on the first day), you can do a test at home to determine pregnancy. If it is negative, but the woman is still concerned about the delay, she should undergo ultrasonography uterus using a vaginal sensor, and also take a blood test to determine the level human chorionic gonadotropin human (hCG).

If the second phase of the cycle is determined, then menstruation will come soon; if there are no signs of the second phase, you need to think about ovarian dysfunction (we’ll talk about it below); during pregnancy in the uterus is determined ovum, and when it is located, for example, in fallopian tube(). In doubtful cases, the hCG test can be repeated after 2 days. An increase in its concentration by two or more times indicates the progress of intrauterine pregnancy.

Menstruation after childbirth

After childbirth, the menstrual cycle for many women does not immediately return, especially if the mother feeds the baby with her milk. Milk production occurs under the influence of the hormone prolactin, which simultaneously inhibits the synthesis of progesterone and ovulation. As a result, the egg does not mature, and the endometrium does not prepare to receive it, and then is not rejected.

Usually, menstruation is restored within 8-12 months after childbirth while breastfeeding the baby and the gradual introduction of complementary foods. Delayed menstruation breastfeeding with a restored cycle in the first 2-3 months, this is usually the norm, and in the future it may indicate a new pregnancy.

Declining reproductive function

Finally, over time, women gradually begin to fade away reproductive function. At the age of 45-50 years, delays in menstruation, irregular cycles, and changes in the duration of discharge are normally possible. However, even at this time, ovulation is quite likely in some cycles, so if menstruation is delayed for more than 3-5 days, a woman needs to think about pregnancy. To exclude this possibility, you should consult a gynecologist in time and select contraceptives.

Intermittent cycle disorders

A delay in menstruation with a negative test is often associated with an effect on the body unfavorable factors. The most common reasons causing a short-term failure of the cycle duration:

emotional stress, such as a session or family troubles;
intense physical activity, including sports competitions;
rapid loss of body weight while following a diet;
climate and time zone changes when traveling on vacation or on a business trip.

Under the influence of any of these factors, an imbalance in the processes of excitation, inhibition and mutual influence develops in the brain nerve cells. As a result, a temporary disruption of the functioning of the cells of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, the main regulatory centers in the body, may occur. Under the influence of substances secreted by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland cyclically secretes follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones, under the influence of which estrogen and progesterone are synthesized in the ovaries. Therefore, when the functioning of the nervous system changes, the duration of the menstrual cycle may also change.

Many women are interested in whether there can be a delay in menstruation after taking antibiotics? Usually on their own antibacterial drugs do not affect the duration of the cycle and cannot cause a delay in menstruation. However, what can lead to it is infection, for which the patient was prescribed antimicrobials. The infection has a toxic (poisonous) effect on nervous system, and is also a stress factor that contributes to disruption hormonal regulation. This is possible, for example, with cystitis.

Normally, the next menstruation after a delay in the listed cases occurs on time. More permanent cycle irregularities may occur with the use of certain medicines:

, especially low-dose;
long-acting gestagens, used in some cases for the treatment of other diseases;
prednisolone and other glucocorticoids;
hormone releasing agonists;
chemotherapeutic agents and some others.

How to induce menstruation if there is a delay?

This possibility exists, but we need to clearly answer the question – why does a woman need menstrual bleeding as a fact? Most often, representatives of the fair sex answer this question - to restore normal cycle. In this case, you need to understand that thoughtless self-medication hormonal drugs can, of course, cause menstruation, but is even more likely to lead to dysfunction of the reproductive system and impaired ability to conceive.

Thus, a woman will receive a much larger set of problems than just a delay in menstruation. Besides, she might be pregnant. Therefore, if menstruation is delayed by more than 5 days, it is recommended to do home test to determine pregnancy, and then contact a gynecologist.

To normalize the cycle, the patient can only get rid of external factors that contribute to the delay (stress, fasting, excess load) and follow the recommendations of her doctor.

Diseases that cause delayed periods

Regular delays in menstruation are most often a sign of diseases of the hypothalamic-pituitary system or ovaries, less often - the uterus or appendages. This sign can also be observed in extragenital pathology that is not directly related to diseases of the female reproductive system.

Damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary gland can occur due to a tumor of neighboring parts of the brain or these formations themselves, or hemorrhage into this part (in particular, as a result of childbirth). Common reasons In addition to pregnancy, which disrupts the regularity of the cycle, ovarian diseases:

Emergency hormonal contraception. If irregularity persists during the next cycle after intrauterine manipulation, you need to contact a gynecologist.

Finally, a delay in menstruation occurs with some extragenital diseases:

epilepsy;
neuroses and other mental disorders;
diseases of the biliary tract and liver;
blood diseases;
breast tumor;
adrenal diseases and other conditions accompanied by hormonal imbalance.

The variety of reasons why menstruation may be delayed requires careful diagnosis and different approaches to treatment. It is clear that only a competent doctor can choose the right tactics after general, gynecological and additional examination patients.