For some women, timing a menstrual period is as simple as counting to 28 days. It’s estimated that up to one in four women experience menstrual irregularities, but when you skip your period, it doesn’t necessarily mean you're pregnant. There are many reasons besides pregnancy to account for a missed period.
Women on both ends of the reproductive age range can experience irregular periods. Those who recently reached puberty may not have regular periods yet, and older women who are closer to menopause may also experience irregular periods.
Your period can be affected by weight. Irregular periods may occur when your weight is significantly lower than normal for your height, or you’re very overweight or obese. Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia can also interfere with regular periods.
Changes to your body’s routine may also impact your menstrual cycle. A new more-intense exercise regimen can make your period irregular. Other changes that can cause you to miss a period range from a shift change at work that affects your sleep schedule to a long-distance trip that causes jet lag.
Certain medications can affect the regularity of your period. For example, taking antidepressants may cause you skip a period. Diabetes that is poorly controlled and irritable bowel syndrome are examples of conditions that can cause irregular periods.
Some oral contraceptives, implanted birth control devices and birth control injections can make you miss a period. And after you stop taking birth control, your menstrual cycle can be affected for up to six months.
A home pregnancy test can rule out the obvious, but check with your OB/GYN to see if there’s a medical cause for your irregular periods. Women living in the Brownstown and Southgate areas of Downriver southeast Michigan who are looking for a women’s health care provider can count on the team at Northline Women’s Health Center. You can request an appointment using the MyChart app.
