Missed Period may make you worried about Pregnancy

There may several possible causes that you missed your period, but your pregnancy test is negative. But it is extremely important that you first ensure you are not pregnant.

Advanced biotechnology has improved the accuracy of home pregnancy tests. Domestic urine examinations for HCG are now used to confirm or refute blood tests for HCG because, in some females, the blood tests can cross-react with what's called heterophile antibodies to give a false positive.

Fake negatives in home pregnancy tests can still happen. There are several reasons for a false negative on a home pregnancy test and the most common being that women will take the test too early after a late period. To get accurate results, you should wait to take a pregnancy test two weeks after you miss your period.

Here some points that cause an absent period.

You may miss a Period but not be pregnant. There are numerous causes of missed periods other than pregnancy. Amenorrhoea is the medical term for absent periods.

There are two types of amenorrhea:

(a) Primary Amenorrhoea: The absence of first menstruation by age 15, or no period more than 3 months after breast development.

(b) Secondary Amenorrhoea: No period for three to six months, in women who have been menstruating regularly.

It is known to a physician that the women who report pregnancy-like symptoms, such as a late period and nausea or loss of appetite, are not pregnant. There are several possible reasons for that, ranging from lifestyle changes to drugs or medication or chronic illnesses.

The following points may cause for a late period with no pregnancy:

(1). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): According to the study, Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common hormonal disorder in women, affecting 6-10% of all reproductive-aged women. If you have acne, unwanted body hair, headaches, pelvic pain, extreme fatigue, and no period but you are not pregnant, you may have PCOS.

Symptoms of PCOS: Erratic or missed periods, acne, weight gain, fatigue, excess facial or body hair, difficulty conceiving, pelvic pain, headaches, interrupted sleep, etc.

In some cases of PCOS, the affected women may find that their periods are unpredictable. They may sometimes go several months without one, or they may bleed every day to the point of anemia. The underlying cause of PCOS is typically an irregular hormonal environment. And in the majority of cases, a successful reduction of body weight to a normal body mass index will lead to a resumption of regular periods and ovulation, or it at least may facilitate induction of ovulation with medications.

Ovarian cysts are generally gentle, but in some cases, they can cause immense pain, nausea, and late periods.

Functional Ovarian Cysts: During ovulation, small, fluid-filled sacs can form on the ovaries. These are common in all women and are typically non-erratic. And you may not even notice the symptoms. If the cysts become too outsized, twist the ovary or rupture, they can cause pain in the abdomen and lower back, sore breasts, nausea, and vomiting, and delayed menses.

If you have a late period and nausea but are not pregnant, in this situation your doctor may check for ovarian cysts. The physician may order ultrasounds and hormone level tests to determine the severity and any underlying hormonal cause.

Ovarian cysts typically go away naturally after a few weeks or up to a few months. But in critical cases, surgery is required to remove the cysts. Sometimes, your doctor may tell you to take birth control pills to reduce the risk of cyst formation by preventing ovulation.

(2). Stress: Mental torture, emotional stress, excess anxiety can cause absent periods. Lost of a loved one, exams, marital difficulties, and stress at work can cause a woman to miss her periods. And it may sometimes for several months at a stretch.

(3). Excessive Exercise: Intense exercise can also affect menstruation. It is common in young women who participate in competitive sports. More than half of long-distance runners and professional ballet dancers will experience secondary Amenorrhoea. Excessive exercise can lead to the shutdown of the hypothalamus, the part of our brain that regulates our hormones through control of the pituitary gland. This is one of the ways that the body deals with the excessive energy expenditure that it is being put through. The situation is worsened when ballet dancers tend to maintain restricted calorie intake.

Once the long-distance runners or athlete or ballet dancers reduces training duration, frequency, or intensity, or increases caloric intake, periods should resume. Though, it depends on other factors like age and duration and severity of the caloric deficit. So, this is not guaranteed.

(4). Extreme Weight Gain or Weight Loss: A condition is called Anorexia nervosa, a serious psychiatric state in which the patient is severely underweight and is almost always accompanied by absent periods. The system behind this relationship is similar to how excessive exercise causes missed periods. A caloric deficit puts the body under metabolic stress that can affect the hypothalamus' ability to balance hormones.

Sudden loss of weight not associated with anorexia, can also lead to missed periods, especially if the weight is lost rapidly over a short time.

Obesity: Obesity is a metabolic condition that increases systemic inflammation. Gaining excessive weight alone does not affect menstruation, but it may indicate other health conditions, most commonly PCOS. The surplus adipose tissue and increased irritation can also lead to changes in levels of estrogen and testosterone, resulting in hormone dysregulation that can delay menses. And up to 10% of weight loss may restore ovulation and menses.

(5). Medicine and Remedy: Medicines that can cause a missed period, Anti-blood pressure medications like methyldopa.

Antidepressants: Antipsychotics elevate levels of prolactin, resulting in suppression of estradiol and progesterone.

Metoclopramide is a drug that can result in a temporary cessation of periods. It is mainly used as an antiemetic, making it unusual for it to be taken for a prolonged duration. In general, metoclopramide should not be used for more than 3 months at a time.

(6). Use of Birth Control Pills: Some women, after using birth control pills for a long time, will find that when they come off, their periods do not resume, at least not for a few months. This is known as post-pill amenorrhoea. This can come about after using other forms of contraception, especially the injection Depo-Provera.

Periods should come back within 1-3 months after discontinuing the pill. And, if menstruation does not return by 3 months, you should consult your doctor and go through the same evaluations as any other woman with amenorrhea. Your doctor may order a hormone profile blood test and a pelvic ultrasound to confirm about the pregnant condition.

The menstrual cycle and hormone balance are largely regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

(7). Pituitary Growth: The pituitary is a tiny gland in the brain that is responsible for the production of a variety of vital hormones. One of these hormones, prolactin, stimulates milk production. Pituitary growth or adenoma causes overproduction of prolactin.

If you observe acne and missed periods, but you're not pregnant, you could have hyperprolactinemia.

Other symptoms include

Hirsutism: Hirsutism causes hair growth body or face.

Vaginal dryness: This makes you feel little or more vaginal dryness.

Galactorrhea: Due to this watery-milk discharge from breasts but not pregnant or breastfeeding.

There is typical treatment involves medication to suppress prolactin production. Once prolactin levels are back to regular, regular menses should resume.

(8). Sheehan's Syndrome: Sheehan's syndrome causes severe blood loss due to postpartum hemorrhaging. The loss of blood leads to poor oxygenation of the brain, in particular, the pituitary gland, resulting in low levels of pituitary hormones, including luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone that regulates the menstrual cycle.

Symptoms of Sheehan's Syndrome: No periods, Fatigue, Difficulty thinking, Cold even in warm weather, Weight gain, Low blood pressure, low blood sugar, etc.

There are so many ways to treat usually involves hormone replacement therapy to make up for the loss of pituitary hormone production.

(9). Cushing's Syndrome: Cushing's syndrome is characterized by overproduction of ACTH by the adrenal glands or pituitary glands because of hormone-producing, non-cancerous tumors. This results in prolonged, elevated blood levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Elevated levels of cortisol can also be caused by taking corticosteroids like prednisone.

Symptoms of Cushing's Syndrome: Weight gain in the upper

body and face, High blood pressure, loss of bone density, loss of muscle, Easily bruised skin, Facial hair in women, etc.

In women, Cushing's disease can also influence menstruation, causing periods to stop. Treatments engross the patient stopping the use of cortisol-like medication or surgery to remove the tumors producing excess ACTH.

(10). Premature Ovarian Failure: Premature ovarian disorder is called primary ovarian insufficiency or premature menopause. It is estimated that less than 2% of women go into menopause before the age of 40. It is quite un-known why ovaries can stop functioning before menopause. The early ovarian stoppage has been known to happen to girls in their late teens and early twenties.

Symptoms of Premature Ovarian Failure:

Night sweats, absent period, hot flashes, irritability, difficulty conceiving, decreased libido.

A physician may advise you a hormone profile blood test is used to form a diagnosis. As matter of fact, 50% of women can still experience sporadic ovulation, and 1-5% may still conceive. Premature ovarian failure is usually irreversible.

(11). Thyroid Dysfunction: Although thyroid dysfunction is not a direct cause of absent periods, because it controls metabolism and affects so many other organs, it could be the underlying cause. Thyroid disease may underactive or overactive, it can cause absent or erratic periods.

Underactive Thyroid: If you note tiredness and late periods, but you are not pregnant, you may have an underactive thyroid.

Symptoms of an Underactive Thyroid:

Fatigue, late period, cold even in warm weather, low mood, weight gain, brittle hair, and nails.

Treatment involves the prescription of synthetic thyroid hormone, like levothyroxine, to supplement the body's natural production of thyroid hormone.

Overactive Thyroid: If you experience are hyperactive, sweating excessively, experiencing weight loss, and you have a late period, although it's not very common, you may have an overactive thyroid.

Symptoms of an Overactive Thyroid:

Weight loss, hair loss, restlessness, hyperactivity, absent or erratic periods, heart palpitations, feeling warm and poor tolerability of heat, sweatiness, increased appetite.

Graves' disease is the main cause of excessive thyroid hormone production. In such a situation, treatment involves taking radioactive iodine or antithyroid medication.

(12). Asherman's Syndrome: Asherman's syndrome is an uncommon condition characterized by the formation of scar tissue, or adhesions, in the uterus, usually after uterine surgery, for example, dilatation and curettage.

The build-up of scar tissues directs to sparse or absent periods and frequent miscarriages. If you freshly had a D&C procedure and notice a missed period, Asherman's syndrome is the most likely cause. Most cases can be treated with surgery to remove the adhesions.

Closing opinion:

So it can be said that pregnancy is not the only cause of an absent period. Patients should know that there are many possible causes and that these conditions are generally easy to treat. Clinicians should understand the importance of taking a thorough history of the patient. Some of the symptoms are confusing and can indicate other possible conditions. As a result, it is important to understand all the factors that may be contributing to the patient's absent period.

Disclaimer:

This post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose. If you experience any of the symptoms discussed and consult your physician for the proper tests and diagnosis.