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Is it Normal to Miss a Period?

There are often teen girls and adult women who wonder, is it normal to miss a period? After one missed period, a woman might assume she is pregnant, however this is not always the case. While it is normal to miss your period while pregnant, there are other reasons for a missed period.

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For those wondering, is it normal to miss a period, keep in mind there can be several explanations as to why a woman or teen would miss her period, all of which are normal reasons. However, when a woman's period is missed several times in a row, it might be a more serious issue and should be addressed by a health care professional or gynecologist. 

Reasons for missing a period:

  1. Being overweight or underweight can cause a normal missed period. Hormones are the determining factor for when a woman goes through her monthly menstruation cycle. A dramatic change in one's weight can affect the teen's hormones. Being overweight can hormonally shift a woman's cycle, and can even stop them. However, most women can return to their normal monthly cycle and fertility when they lose some weight. The reverse is also true. Being underweight can slow, cause irregular and even stopped menstrual cycles. If you don't have enough body fat, you usually do not have regular periods. If your periods stop altogether, this is called amenorrhea. Weight gain to a healthy weight is the best way to get your periods back on track. Sometimes this is a common issue with women who are trained athletes and need to work out heavily. In these cases, if you see more than one missed period, it is time to consult with your doctor.
  2. Illness is a common reason to miss a period. While the body is healing from an infection or illness, it can put a lot of stress on the body, which can cause a delay in the menstrual cycle. If this is a normal missed period, the cycle should return on schedule once the illness is over. However, if it does not, this is not normal and you should consult your doctor.
  3. Stress of any kind whether it be mental or physical can cause a delay or a normal reason to miss a period. However, this usually only cause one missed period, or it may cause your cycle to be delayed a matter of days or just a couple weeks. However, if it is missed longer than one time, it could be the cause of something more serious or pregnancy.
  4. Changes in medications can also be a cause in a missed period. Sometimes the way the medication affects your hormones might be a reason as to why your body disrupts its cycle. Be sure to talk to your doctor about the effects of your medication. Delayed or missed periods might be a completely normal side effect to the medication you are taking.
  5. Changing schedules can also be another reason to miss your period. This might throw off your body clock and is especially true in women who fluctuate between staying up late or going to bed early. Again, this is an example of stress and hormone fluctuations in the body that can attribute to the cause of a missed period.
  6. Cycle becoming normal is also a reason for a missed period. Many teen girls who have only had their periods for a few years are very likely candidates for a woman with an irregular period. It often takes upwards of ten years for a woman's period to regulate. This is why many teens will miss a period one month with no other reason except that their period has not regulated yet. If you are worried, however, it is a good idea to meet with your doctor to determine if you are simply having an irregular period or if you are at risk for something more serious.
  7. Pregnancy is an obvious reason for a missed period. If you are at risk for being pregnant and miss your period, it is a good idea to take a pregnancy test right away to find out if you are pregnant or not. If you are not pregnant, the cause of the missed period could be any of the other reasons above. If the missed period continues from month to month, it is a good idea to consult with your doctor. 

The answer to the question, is it normal to miss a period, is yes. Because there are so many factors that play a role in a woman's body and her hormones, there are more reasons as to why someone would experience a perfectly normal situation in which they could miss their period. If the missed period continues for a prolonged period of time, it is important to take a pregnancy test. However, if pregnancy is not the case be sure to meet with your doctor to determine if there is something more serious going on with your body.

Sources: webmd.com, medicinenet.com

Related Article: Teen Pregnancy Prevention >>





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