8 Possible Reasons Why You Miss Your Period

Missing your period can be scary. There are reasons to miss your period other than being pregnant. These are possible reasons why you miss your period and what can happen when you're stressed.

It’s every woman’s favorite monthly friend… her PERIOD! Now, your period isn’t always the most reliable of friends, but normally you can trust it to come on a pretty normal schedule. However, there are times when it decides to deviate and do it’s own thing. Either it’ll come early, late, or not at all. A little fluctuation can be normal every now and again, but a lot of women go into panic-mode when their periods just don’t show up one month. This isn’t always cause for alarm, as there are several absolutely non-threatening reasons you could miss your period. If your period skips often or is highly irregular, however, you’re always encouraged to visit a gynecologist. Here are 8 reasons why you miss your period to keep in mind:

1. You’ve been sick

When you get sick, sometimes your body may decide to prioritize its disease-fighting mechanisms instead of it’s monthly uterine-shredding rituals. This is not a bad thing, it just means your body is working overtime to kick the sickness and get things back to normal. Yay, biology!

2. Rapid weight gain or loss

A lot of weight gain or loss in a small amount of time can affect your period because of the relation of weight and estrogen levels. If you’re lose too much weight, you may not be able to produce enough estrogen, which you need to build up the uterine lining. If you gain too much weight, there could be an overabundance of estrogen.

3. You have thyroid issues

Thyroid issues are much more common than they get diagnosed for. Luckily, they’re not too serious at all and simply require medicine to balance out the issue. The thyroid serves to regulate your body’s metabolism, and if this is thrown out of balance, it can negatively affect your other systems, such as menstruation, as well.

4. You are WAY too stressed

In this day and age, it’s not surprising how many women have irregular periods because of the stress levels in their lives. Too much stress can affect a part of your brain where hormones are regulated, which can quickly throw off your cycle.

5. You’ve been on medication

If you’ve had to take antibiotics for any extended period of time or any other medicine that your body isn’t normally used to, the chemicals have likely thrown off your natural balance. Don’t worry, once the medicine is out of your system you should be back to normal.

6. Polycistic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Women with PCOS normally fail to ovulate or release an egg. This can cause a small cyst in the ovary, and if left untreated too long many cysts can develop. This can cause a myriad of menstrual irregularities and should be treated immediately.

7. Pregnancy is possible

Not to jump to conclusions, but as always, this is a possibility. If you’ve had unprotected sex recently and you find yourself missing your next period, try taking a pregnancy test. If you’re experiencing multiple symptoms, I would definitely suggest seeing a doctor to know for sure.

8. You’re breastfeeding

So, you’ve given birth and your period has yet to return, but you’re breastfeeding. Little known fact among some mothers is that the hormone that allows for breast milk production also represses ovulation (the process that occurs just before your actual period).