Reasons for Late Period

I wonder if you have a love-hate relationship with your period.

When you have it, you loathe the inconvenience and pain it brings you. But when your period is late, you miss it and wonder what has gone wrong.

If this describes how you feel, you’re certainly not alone.

7 Most Common Reasons for Late Period

A delayed period is a common cause of concern for many women, whether you love your period or hate it.

So what can cause a late period? These are the 7 most common reasons:

1. Pregnancy

This is probably the first thing that crosses your mind if you’re sexually active – and a source of worry if you’re not planning to get pregnant.

So when your period is late, a possible pregnancy should be the first thing to rule out. Ask yourself if you notice any other signs and symptoms of an early pregnancy.

And take a pregnancy test just to be sure.

2. Medication

Delayed periods may also be a side effect of certain medications.

This includes the long-term use of birth control pills or the frequent use of morning-after pills. The synthetic hormones contained in these birth control pills can interrupt your natural hormone balance, causing late or irregular periods when you get off them.

3. Emotions

Believe it or not, our emotions and menstrual cycles originate from the same place – our brain, the control center.

So it’s no wonder that prolonged or intense emotions such as anger, sadness or worry can affect our menstrual cycles in very profound ways. In fact, emotional stress is a primary cause of many menstrual disharmonies.

If you’re curious to learn how your emotions affect your menstrual cycle, consider tracking them for 2-3 months. Discover for yourself. And turn the emotional and menstrual mystery into mastery.

4. Stress

Stress is known as a silent killer – a leading cause of many chronic illnesses. It’s also a common cause of late periods, as well as other menstrual irregularities.

Unfortunately for many of us, stress has become the only constant in life.

To restore harmony in our menstrual cycles, it’s very important for us to learn to manage stress effectively. Check out my favorite stress-releasing techniques.

5. Health-related Issues

Your periods may be late due to certain underlying health issues. For example, a less than optimal functioning of the thyroid glands is a common cause of menstrual irregularities among women.

6. Perimenopause or Premature Ovarian Failure

The ovaries need to produce a sufficient amount of estrogen for ovulation to occur. When estrogen is deficient due to aging or other factors, it may take a longer time for the egg to mature, causing a late period.

This typically happens a few years before menopause (at an average age of 51 in the United States). But some women may experience a premenopausal stage earlier than usual, starting in their mid to late 30s (a situation called premature ovarian failure).

7. Poor Diet and Lifestyle

To maintain a regular menstruation (and fertility), you need to have a minimum body fat of 13-17 percent. A body fat of 21-33 percent would be considered healthy for most women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

So if you’re on a diet or exercise excessively to achieve a skinny figure, it can cause your period to be delayed, or even stop all together.

On the other hand, if you eat a lot of unhealthy foods (rich in sugar, saturated fats and artificial ingredients for example), you can have a higher than normal amount of estrogen in your body.

This condition is given the name “estrogen dominance,” and it can also cause late or otherwise irregular periods.

We’ve just discussed the 7 most common reasons for a delayed period. Which do you think apply to your situation? And what steps do you plan to take to address them?

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