Reasons why it might start. Delayed menstruation - why does this happen? Problems with excess weight

Disruption of the menstrual cycle in the form of untimely discharge is a common cause of concern for women. There can be many reasons for the development of such a condition. Let's look at the situation in detail, try to establish the main factors, tell you what to do if your period is late and the basics of treatment.

What is delay in girls?

For the first time, teenagers are faced with this phenomenon, who sometimes may not even know what “delayed menstruation” means. The term is used when there is a temporary absence of menstrual flow, the duration of which does not exceed 5-7 days. After this time, we can talk about It is worth noting that the definition is valid for girls with an established cycle. In adolescents, it may take 2 years from the moment of menarche (first menstruation) until it returns to normal.

What can cause a delay in menstruation?

The problem of the violation lies in the fact that often a woman regards this phenomenon as a variant of the norm, without attaching any significance. If menstruation is not observed for more than 10-12 days, this is a violation. To find out what is causing the delay in menstruation, other than pregnancy, which the girl initially rules out by conducting an express test, it is necessary to visit a gynecologist. A comprehensive examination is prescribed:

  • smears from the vagina and urethra;
  • Analysis of urine;
  • examination in a gynecological chair;
  • Ultrasound of the pelvis.

The reasons leading to the development of untimely menstruation are conventionally divided into: pathological (caused by diseases) and caused by external factors. So, among those that are not associated with diseases of the reproductive system:

  • emotional, physical stress, psychological trauma, constant stress;
  • a sharp change in the established order of life: changes in the nature of activity, time zone and climate;
  • strict, long-term diet;
  • period of puberty or decline of reproductive function;
  • state of withdrawal from long-term use of hormonal contraceptives;
  • the period of postpartum hormonal development.

Factors that contribute to disease-related delays include:

  • diseases of inflammatory origin (salpingitis, oophoritis, adnexitis, cervicitis, etc.);
  • polycystic disease;
  • corpus luteum cyst;
  • consequences of an abortion.

In addition, it is necessary to mention that menstrual flow is not observed, and the test may show a negative result. The only diagnostic method is ultrasound. Failure to go to a medical facility in a timely manner can result in uterine bleeding. Only after identifying the factor that caused the absence of cyclic discharge can you determine what to do if a delay in menstruation occurs in a particular case.

When a woman is sure that her period is delayed due to stress, the therapist will tell you what to do. In such cases, they help greatly:

  • motherwort tincture;
  • valerian root;
  • peony tincture;
  • Persen;
  • Novo-passit.

Causes of delayed periods in teenagers

When the reproductive system matures, it is difficult to understand why menstruation is delayed in adolescents in individual cases. The multifactorial nature of the causes makes it difficult to identify them. Among the main ones it is worth mentioning:

  • poor diet, excessive dieting;
  • high physical stress on the body (observed among female athletes);
  • diseases of the endocrine system;
  • unsteady menstrual cycle;
  • stress and emotional distress associated with studies, relationships with peers or parents;
  • abnormalities in the development of the reproductive system.

What to do if your period is late?

First you need to calm down, eliminate the stress factor - perhaps after this, menstruation will resume. If this does not happen and your period continues to be delayed, your doctor will tell you what to do to get it started. The algorithm of women's actions depends entirely on the cause of the violation. Diagnostics is an integral part of therapy, including both a general examination of the reproductive system and the use of medical equipment.

How to induce menstruation if you are late?

You should not self-medicate or take medications without consulting a doctor. When searching for a drug or choosing what to drink when your period is late, a woman can harm her body. To restore menstruation, doctors prescribe medications such as:

  • Pulsatilla - applied once 6-7 granules in the sublingual area;
  • Duphaston - 5 days in a row, 1 tablet 2 times a day (menstruation begins on the 2nd day of administration);
  • Mifegin - used for long-term disorders;
  • Non-ovlon - take 2 pills, one at a time, 12 hours apart.

The indicated dosages are given as an example. The use of drugs should be coordinated with doctors, who will specifically tell you what to do if your period is late. They directly establish the dosage, type of medication, frequency and duration of administration. This takes into account the severity of the disorder, the number of days of delay, and the absence of concomitant diseases.

Separately, it is necessary to say what to do if you have not had your period for a month. A visit to the gynecologist should be immediate. This condition indicates a disruption of the hormonal system and requires appropriate therapeutic measures, sometimes in a hospital setting. Correction of hormonal levels is a long procedure, taking about six months. It must be said that no specialist will give a single answer to the question of what to do to get your period if there is a delay. It all depends on the situation.


Folk remedies for delayed periods

Traditional medicine, the recipes of which have been developed over centuries, can occur with such a violation. It would take a long time to list all the folk remedies for inducing menstruation if there is a delay. Let us highlight the most effective ones:

  1. Infusion of nettle leaves, rose hips, elecampane root, oregano, yarrow, knotweed. Take 2 tablespoons, pour into a thermos, brew 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 12 hours. Strain and drink half a glass until discharge appears.
  2. A decoction of valerian root, dried chamomile, mint leaves. Plants are taken in a ratio of 3:4:4. Mix, brew 200 ml of boiling water, wait 20 minutes, strain. Drink half a glass in the morning and the same amount in the evening. Take until the effect occurs.
  3. Decoction with onion skins. The prepared dark brown solution is drunk once. The next day, discharge is observed.

What to do if a teenager has a late period?

Doctors are often faced with a situation where a teenage girl has a delay in her period, but the mother doesn’t know what to do or how to treat it. First, you need to contact a pediatric gynecologist who will conduct an examination and prescribe additional examinations. An ultrasound of the reproductive system is mandatory, which determines congenital developmental anomalies:

  • (overgrowth);
  • uterine abnormalities:

After ruling out such violations, the girl is recommended to take a blood test to check her hormone levels. When a deficiency is detected, which often interferes with a normal, stable cycle, a course of hormone therapy is prescribed. Medicines are used in small dosages. If you follow the doctor's prescriptions and his instructions, the situation can be corrected, and after 3-4 months the cycle stabilizes.

Delayed menstruation - when to take a pregnancy test?

Even before you think about what to do if your period is late and deal with it, you need to conduct a test to exclude pregnancy. In a condition such as delayed menstruation, when to do the test can be determined by its sensitivity. The one with 25 mU/ml can detect the absence of menstruation from the first day. For impatient women, the ideal option is a blood test for hCG - you can receive good news already 3-5 days after fertilization.

To control menstruation, a girl must know the norms for its delay. This will allow you to quickly determine the possibility of pregnancy or the development of diseases.

How long can a period be delayed without pregnancy and be considered normal?

Gynecologists call a period of up to 10 days:

  • Absence 2 days may occur due to a jump in atmospheric pressure, changes in air temperature.
  • Delay 3 days should not cause alarm. It may appear due to stress, fatigue, heavy physical exertion, and lack of daily routine.
    For many women, fluctuations in the onset of menstruation over several days are considered absolutely normal, and there is absolutely no reason for alarm.
  • Delayed menstruation 5 days is considered the average period between normal and pathological. Often occurs in women who have had colds or viral infections this month.
  • Delay 7 days– this is the border between normality and pathology. In this case, it is necessary to monitor and further treat inflammatory diseases if they were observed in this cycle. Such diseases most often include sore throat, acute respiratory infections, bronchitis or influenza.
  • If absent 10 days It is better to consult with specialists, be sure to do an ultrasound examination of the ovaries, and focus on the maturation of the follicles. Often occurs in the absence of ovulation.
  • Delay for a month appears due to hormonal imbalance. In this situation, it is necessary to take special hormonal medications. You should eliminate stress, relax and get enough sleep.

The main reasons for delayed periods

If your period does not start within a week, then there is no need to panic or get upset. If pregnancy is ruled out, various factors can contribute to the delay. With a thorough examination, specialists identify factors of a gynecological or non-gynecological nature.

If your period does not start within a week, then there is no need to panic or be upset.

Gynecological reasons

Factors causing absence of menstruation are:

  1. Polycystic ovary syndrome. Polycystic disease is characterized by a lack of hormones. It appears if there is no ovulation, due to inactivity of the endometrium, as a result of which a hormonal imbalance occurs and the egg does not mature.
  2. Uterine fibroids. It is considered a benign formation, which at any time can degenerate into malignant.
  3. Endometriosis. It is characterized by the proliferation of benign tissue, similar to the mucous membrane of the reproductive organ. It develops in the reproductive system or beyond it, and the hormonal background changes.
  4. Hormonal contraceptives. A delay in menstruation may occur due to the installation of an IUD. It can cause light bleeding because it affects hormonal levels. Absence of menstruation may occur for several weeks. Birth control pills affect every woman's body differently. For some they are ideal, for others they are not suitable at all - they cause nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, and delayed menstruation. It is better to consult a specialist before taking them.
  5. Abortion or miscarriage. The body experiences severe stress as healthy tissue, the inner layer of cells, is scraped away, which causes hormonal imbalance. Recovery occurs within a few months.
  6. Puberty. As the body matures, a girl may experience periodic delays in menstruation. There is no need to worry, as the body adjusts the cycle in its own way. An irregular cycle can last for 1-2 years.
  7. Climax. By the age of 40-50, a woman stops producing the required amount of hormones. Because of this, hormonal levels are disrupted, causing heavy bleeding or no bleeding.

Non-gynecological reasons

Non-gynecological factors are distinguished:


How many days can the delay last?

Gynecologists give different dates for how long menstruation can be delayed without pregnancy, it all depends on the physiological state of the girl. If the delay is up to 3 days, then this is normal.

Any cycle can shift by a couple of days, there is no cause for alarm. In addition, such a short period occurs due to climate change, weather conditions or body fatigue.

If menstruation does not occur for 5-10 days, then the girl should consult a specialist and conduct an ultrasound examination. The factor may be the lack of ovulation, immaturity of the ovaries. In addition, such a delay occurs due to depressed morale, stress or heavy load on the body.


Inecologists call different periods, how long a period can be delayed without pregnancy, it all depends on the physiological state of the girl

If menstruation does not begin for about a month, then you should be examined immediately.

This may be due to the presence of inflammation in the body and the development of infections. Hormonal imbalance also contributes to the absence of menstrual periods. Very often, such a period occurs due to a woman’s moral fatigue.

Delayed menstruation after childbirth lasts from 1.5 months to 1 year. This happens because the body needs to recover. Menopause causes delays of up to 3 years. Occurs due to insufficient production of the hormone necessary for ovulation.

No menstruation: wait or act?

It is generally accepted that The menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. However, in some women it is less, in others it is more, this is not considered a pathology. If the day of the next critical day has arrived, but there are none, do not panic. You should wait up to 3 days; if they do not appear, purchase a pregnancy test.


If the test result is one line, then you should wait for the extremely safe period of absence of menstruation up to 7 days

If the test result is one line, then you should wait for the extremely safe period of absence of menstruation for up to 7 days. If after this time your period has not started, you need to contact a specialist for examination and to determine the delay factor.

How long can you not worry?

Experts say there is no need to panic if your period does not start for up to a week. This may occur due to physiological reasons in the body. During this time, you can wait and not go to the doctor.

First of all, you should pay attention to the presence of precursors of menstruation, namely nagging pain in the lower abdomen, breast swelling, irritability and mood changes. If symptoms are present, then this indicates approaching critical days.

A delay that requires a mandatory consultation with a gynecologist is considered to be 35 days. It is also necessary to take into account the regularity with which critical days come. If they are constant (every month), then you don’t have to worry for a week, If your cycle is irregular, you can wait up to 2 weeks.

Delay of 4 days or more: is there a problem or not?

If menstruation does not come on the 4th day, then the woman needs to find the reason for the absence.

This delay occurs:


A delay of 4 days or more may not have pathological changes in the body, but only be a consequence of fatigue.

Delay of menstruation by 6-10 days

If there is no menstruation for 6-10 days, then this should not be ignored. First you need to do a pregnancy test; if fertilization is not confirmed, then the factor is a health problem. This delay is called secondary amenorrhea.

Occurs in the following cases:

  • inflammation of the vaginal walls;
  • thrush;
  • inflammation of the uterine appendages;
  • tumor and fibroids of the uterus;
  • intrauterine device;
  • polycystic disease;
  • gastrointestinal disorders;
  • diabetes;
  • failure of the thyroid gland;
  • obesity;
  • anorexia.

Delay in menstruation for 10 days or more: start looking for the cause with your doctor!

If there are no critical days for 10 days, consult a doctor immediately.

He will additionally refer you to an endocrinologist and for examinations:

  • brain tomography;
  • Ultrasound of the uterine area;
  • Ultrasound of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland.

An ultrasound examination will help determine the condition of a woman’s body.

The examination will help determine the condition of the woman’s body.

The reasons for this long delay are:

  • Gynecological ailments (cervical cancer, fibroids, endometriosis, inflammation of the ovaries).
  • Stress.
  • Constant fatigue.
  • Improper functioning of internal organs (adrenal glands, thyroid gland, pituitary gland).
  • Ovarian dysfunction.

Delay 2 weeks or more

A delay of menstruation without pregnancy for more than 2 weeks may be due to sudden disturbances in the body.

It doesn’t matter how long it lasts, you need to look for the reason:


Delay of menstruation for 3-6 months

A large absence of periods is called amenorrhea. Characterized by a delay of a couple of cycles in a row.

Caused by ailments:

  • uterine fibroids;
  • cervical cancer;
  • polycystic ovary syndrome;
  • inflammation of the genital appendages;
  • ailments of the thyroid gland.

Delayed menstruation during lactation

After the birth of a child, a woman has a question about how long her periods can be delayed without pregnancy during lactation. Gynecologists say that the cycle is not restored immediately. This is explained by the fact that the blood contains a large amount of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of breast milk. Prolactin maintains high estrogen levels.

However, after childbirth, the amount of estrogen decreases sharply, its renewal is carried out due to nipple receptors. Sucking increases the activity of the pituitary hormone oxytocin, which is what removes milk from the breast.

Menstruation appears when prolactin levels decrease. But everything is individual, some women need an additional year for the body to recover. At the very beginning, menstruation will be inconsistent, and delays for a short time are possible.

It is important to know! For nursing mothers, a delay in menstruation may be more than a month and this is absolutely normal. The absence of menstruation depends on how much the young mother feeds the baby; there may be no critical days without pregnancy for six months or a year, if the frequency and volume of feeding does not change.

Attention: Dangerous Causes of Delay


Carefully! An ectopic pregnancy can be fatal, so it is important to recognize its signs early.

Is it possible to induce menstruation if there is a delay?

A delay in menstruation causes anxiety among the fair sex, no matter how long it lasts. It can be explained by certain factors.

If there is no menstruation without pregnancy, then they are called in the following ways:

  1. Use of herbs. Herbs are used that improve the movement of bile and blood in the body, which have a beneficial effect on peristalsis and kidney function. Must have diuretic properties.
  2. Essential and vegetable oils. The components of the oils have a beneficial effect on the organs of the reproductive system, restoring their normal functioning.
  3. Medicines. When menstruation is delayed, gynecologists prescribe hormonal medications that cause them to appear. The artificial hormones included in the composition restore hormonal levels.

How to induce menstruation if you are late at home

No matter how long your period is delayed, you can induce it yourself at home. To do this, it is important to understand that absence occurs without pregnancy, otherwise a miscarriage may be caused.


What are the dangers of frequent delays in menstruation?

The delay itself does not harm the girl. The reason for which it is caused causes harm to the body. Therefore, the absence of the phenomenon in question should not be taken lightly.

Gynecological diseases, ovarian inflammation and uterine fibroids can also trigger the development of malignancy. Delayed periods may occur due to hormonal imbalance, disorders in the body. If the cause is not eliminated, infertility may develop.

Regular periods allow a woman to determine the onset of pregnancy in time. If there is a delay, suspect that some kind of health problem has arisen. This will allow you to quickly consult a doctor to find out the cause.

Drugs for hormonal imbalance

To eliminate delays using medication, experts recommend products with progesterone. In the absence of pregnancy, this hormone prepares the uterus for critical days. If there was no conception, its level reaches its maximum value, after which it decreases, causing menstrual periods.

The most popular hormonal drugs are:


When a woman wonders how long her period can be delayed without pregnancy, she must understand that the absence of menstruation means the occurrence of problems in the body. Therefore, you should not postpone your visit to the gynecologist; the sooner the cause becomes clear, the sooner treatment will begin.

About late menstruation without pregnancy, watch this video:

For 10 reasons for delay, see here:

Reasons for missed periods if there is no pregnancy in this video:

The main reason for delayed menstruation is pregnancy, so if menstruation does not come on time, any woman goes to the pharmacy for a test. If the pregnancy is not confirmed and the test is negative, the question arises: why was the period delayed and what to do now?

APPOINTMENT WITH A GYNECOLOGIST - 1000 rubles. CONSULTATION WITH DOCTORS ON THE RESULTS OF ULTRASOUNDS AND ANALYSIS - 500 rubles!

Can my period be late if the test is negative?

Maybe in the following cases:

Woman is sick. The menstrual cycle is associated with several organs. The process involves: the hypothalamic-pituitary system of the brain, ovaries and uterus. Failure of their work leads to the absence of menstruation. The test is not wrong: in this case, the woman is not pregnant. The cause of amenorrhea is problems in the body.

Incorrect use of the test . The test can be wrong in several cases. If a woman is pregnant, drank a lot of water in the evening, took a diuretic medicine, or suffers from urinary tract diseases, in which the excretion of hCG slows down.

The test is lying. The work of any rapid test is based on human chorionic gonadotropin. During pregnancy, the level of this hormone in the urine increases, and in less than a month reaches a concentration of 10-25 mIU/ml. This positive result is what the test shows. An expired or poor-quality test, even with a high hCG, will show a negative result.

What to do if the test is negative, but there is no menstruation? If you do not have your period and the pregnancy test is negative, you need to repeat the test in a week. Urine for testing must be collected early in the morning - the first portion. Do not take diuretic medications, limit yourself to drinking in the evening. If there is a delay, treat the situation carefully - contact.

Reasons for missed periods with a negative test

The situation can arise for various reasons. They depend on the woman’s health condition and the true duration of the delay. It is important to understand exactly when your last menstruation was. In any case, a delay in menstruation is not a reason to panic: it is not always pregnancy or illness.

Let's look at the delay times in more detail.

Delay in menstruation by one day

  • . It's possible with climate change and accumulated fatigue. The cycle also shifts when taking certain medications, in particular antibiotics. A one day delay is no big deal. Conclusion: you don’t need to do anything on the first day of the delay.
  • You are pregnant, but the test was taken early. The instructions for the tests say that pregnancy can be tested almost from the first day of the delay. Gynecologists say that this is not so. It happens that the hCG level is low and the test will not detect it even after a week. Sometimes a woman does not know when and on what day conception occurred, so she incorrectly calculates the period.
  • Polyp delays menstrual flow. Blockage of the cervix leads to atresia, which restricts the flow of menstrual blood. Then, even if your period has begun, the blood will remain inside the uterus for some time. This pathology is called hemotometer. When the uterus fills with blood, it swells, the blood inside stagnates and deteriorates. This condition is a direct threat to life.

If during the menstrual cycle, when your period should come, there is no discharge, but your lower back, lower abdomen hurts, you feel nauseous, and your temperature is elevated, you need to urgently make an appointment with a gynecologist.

Delayed menstruation by seven days

Is this condition dangerous and does it always indicate pregnancy? No! The egg may be delayed from leaving the ovary, which is why menstruation is delayed by a week, even if the woman is not pregnant! You need to wait 3-4 days and take a blood test for hCG. Tests will definitely show whether there is a pregnancy. If you do the tests twice, you can take an online hCG test

Ten days delay in menstruation

If the test gives a negative result, but there is still no period, you need to think: most likely there is a pregnancy, but with a negative test, we can say that it is developing incorrectly or has stopped altogether, and therefore the level of gonadotropin is lower than usual. After a week, if menstruation does not begin, you need to contact a gynecologist, get tested for hCG and undergo.

Delay in menstruation by 15 days

If there is no delay in menstruation on the 15th day, this is a serious cause for concern. In theory, a new ovulation should occur at this time.

The reason for long delays is not always a normal pregnancy:

  • . A low level of hemoglobin leads to the fact that the female body begins to “save” blood, blocking menstruation.
  • Body weight is significantly below normal. By losing 10-15 kg in a month, you can achieve amenorrhea.
  • Inflammation of the ovaries. When inflammation occurs, the release of the egg is disrupted. The production of hormones is disrupted, which causes amenorrhea.
  • Uterine diseases. This category includes endometritis, organ atrophy, and endometrial hypoplasia. With these pathologies, the functional layer of the endometrium becomes thinner and does not exfoliate during menstruation. Accordingly, there is no bleeding. With inflammation, the temperature rises, the lower back and stomach in the area of ​​the uterus hurt.
  • Pituitary tumor. The reason is hormonal changes in the body, leading to a temporary cessation of menstruation - amenorrhea. The tumor disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands - it is in these organs that hormones are produced.
  • Placental insufficiency. Since the embryo does not receive enough nutrients, the pregnancy does not develop well.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome. With this disease, cysts form in the ovary. As a result, the secretion of estrogen is disrupted, and the woman’s menstrual cycle is disrupted. Menstrual function may be restored, but then goes astray again.
  • Serious illnesses and infections. A weakened body may not menstruate in the next menstrual cycle

Psychological reasons

  • False pregnancy.In this case, menstruation with a negative test is a pattern. With a false pregnancy, the signs of pregnancy are caused by self-hypnosis. This happens if a woman is afraid of getting pregnant or, on the contrary, really wants to have children.
  • Stress. In a depressed mood, the production of necessary hormones by the hypothalamic-pituitary system is blocked.

Causes of prolonged delay of critical days associated with abnormal pregnancy

  • Anembryonic pregnancy. An embryo does not develop inside the fertilized egg.
  • Ectopic pregnancy. With this pathology, the fetus is fixed and develops not in the uterus, but in other reproductive organs: the ovary, cervix, oviduct, peritoneum.
  • . There was a fruit, but it died.

If a repeat pregnancy test is negative and menstruation does not occur, you need to see a doctor, undergo an ultrasound and a full examination.

Symptoms that will indicate the cause of the delay

Breast pain and menstruation is delayed. It is impossible to say for sure whether there is a pregnancy during a delay or not based on this sign. Breasts often hurt during PMS, before menstruation and during pregnancy. Swollen, painful breasts are actually associated with tissue swelling caused by hormonal changes. If the mammary glands not only hurt, but have also increased in size, pregnancy is quite likely. You can see all the signs of pregnancy.

If your period is late, scanty pink or brown discharge. These are symptoms indicating tubal abortion due to ectopic pregnancy. If the embryo reaches a large size, the tube may rupture. This condition is very dangerous. A habitual early miscarriage has the same symptoms. This usually occurs for genetic and immunological reasons. Such spotting with a negative test should not go undiagnosed, regardless of the day of delay.

When delayed, it pulls the lower back and stomach. Pain in the lower abdomen. These are characteristic symptoms of an ectopic or. The same pain occurs when a tube or ovary ruptures. Light discharge and pain can also occur with blood retention in the uterus or sexual diseases.

Temperature during delay - 37 and above. Elevated body temperature indicates an inflammatory process.

If we are talking about basal temperature (in the rectum), then this is a symptom that ovulation has passed. During pregnancy, the basal temperature remains within 37-37.2, and in the event of a miscarriage or miscarriage, the indicator decreases.

Delay during menopause and breastfeeding

Delayed menstruation during menopause (after 40-45 years). The first sign of the premenopausal period in all women is a delay in menstruation. This occurs due to a decrease in the concentration of sex hormones. Changes in the duration of the menstrual cycle can reach up to 90 days, while the discharge becomes scanty. Menstruation may not come for several months, but then the cycle is restored.

In women over 40 years of age, the ability to conceive decreases, but pregnancy in this case is still possible. The endometrium thickens at this age, which leads to delayed uterine bleeding. If, even with a negative test, you must make an appointment with a gynecologist and have an ultrasound done.

Delayed menstruation during breastfeeding. When breastfeeding, menstruation usually does not occur (so-called lactational amenorrhea), but this does not mean that pregnancy is excluded. Hoping for lactation, a woman does not go to the gynecologist until the fetus begins to move. At this stage, abortion is already prohibited, although childbirth with a short interval is undesirable.

How to induce menstruation if you are late: more precisely, how to create big problems for yourself

It is technically possible to induce menstruation on your own, but gynecologists categorically prohibit doing this, because the reason for the delay is not clear and most often such amateur activity leads to severe bleeding, deterioration of the condition, increased inflammation, even peritonitis.

Most often on the Internet it is advised to induce menstruation as follows:

  • Take a hot bath with water. With high blood pressure, this method will lead to a hypertensive crisis. With vein thrombosis - vasodilation and hemorrhage. In the presence of blood clots, blood clot separation and embolism (blockage of a vessel by a blood clot) are guaranteed.
  • Take large doses of vitamin C. Women suffering from stone formation in the bladder and kidneys and bladder (after 30 years everyone has this problem) after such vitaminization of the body can go to the hospital. It is also dangerous for pregnant women - a miscarriage will not happen, but it is difficult to say how such an acid attack will affect the fetus. This also includes advice to drink concentrated infusions of ginger and parsley. These medicinal plants contain a large dose of ascorbic acid and much more.
  • Strengthen your intimate life. It is possible that menstruation may occur due to the rush of blood during sexual intercourse. But if there is some kind of pathology in the body, then it is better to identify it and cure it. The onset of menstruation will only delay a trip to the gynecologist for a month. Then everything will happen again.
  • Take medicinal tinctures. Herbs that stimulate menstruation include: cornflower, oregano, rosehip, yarrow, nettle, elecampane and knotweed. Self-medication may result in hives. Do you want to walk around with red pimples and itch constantly? Go ahead - collect herbs!
  • Drink a decoction of onion peels. Frankly disgusting. Whether it will help or not is unknown, but you are guaranteed disgusting sensations for the next day.

Gynecologists advise: if there was a delay, don’t risk it! Contact a good gynecologist, get examined, do an ultrasound. Modern gynecology easily and quickly diagnoses the causes of amenorrhea and eliminates it.

What are the risks of delayed menstruation?

It depends on the reason for the delay.

  • Planned pregnancy. The main reason for delay is pregnancy; for many married couples this is a long-awaited event. If you are expecting pregnancy, you need to undergo a hCG test and an ultrasound of the uterus to make sure that everything is fine with the fetus.
  • Unwanted pregnancy. Again, you need to visit a gynecologist and check the timing. Up to 6 weeks you can do a safe one, which will provoke a miscarriage.
  • Unknown reason. First of all, you need to find out what causes the delay in menstruation. Dangerous causes need to be treated Particularly dangerous: frozen and ectopic pregnancy, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries, blood retention in the uterus. All this needs to be done in a clinic - diagnosing amenorrhea and treating amenorrhea at home is stupid and dangerous.

Where to go if menstruation is delayed in St. Petersburg

Treatment of amenorrhea begins with a quality diagnosis. In St. Petersburg, you can undergo all the necessary tests and ultrasound at the address: Zanevsky Prospect, 10. Sign up for any convenient time: we work seven days a week and seven days a week.

When consulting women, an obstetrician-gynecologist often encounters the complaint of “delayed menstruation.” In this case, the patient has concerns and natural questions: “Is everything okay? What if I’m pregnant? Does this happen to others? Am I healthy?” Let's talk about the reasons for this condition, which can be different.

A little physiology

The menstrual cycle is the monthly changes in the female body that occur under the influence of sex hormones. The main sign of a normal cycle (its duration is 21-35 days) is considered to be regular bloody discharge from the genitals, the normal duration of which is 3-7 days. Normal blood loss during menstruation does not exceed 50-100 ml.

Menstrual function is regulated through the joint activity of a complex complex of nervous and humoral structures (cerebral cortex; hypothalamus and pituitary gland - endocrine glands located in the brain), as well as genital organs (ovaries, uterus). Since all levels of this system are interconnected, a delay in the next menstruation may be associated with a disruption in the functioning of any of the listed links. Therefore, the cause of delayed menstruation can be a “breakdown” at any level of regulation of the menstrual cycle.

Causes of delayed menstruation

Delayed periods may be caused by various gynecological diseases, such as the uterus (salpingoophoritis), uterus (benign tumor of the uterus) and others. However, it should be noted that with these diseases bleeding from the uterus is more often observed.

Periodic delays in menstruation are characteristic of a disease such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This concept combines a number of pathological processes in which the production of hormones is disrupted. In this case, ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary) does not occur in the body and infertility occurs.

PCOS is observed when the function of various organs is impaired: the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, and the ovaries themselves. Therefore, the disease can manifest itself differently depending on the causes of its occurrence, and the use of any one diagnostic sign or method is not enough to establish a diagnosis.

With polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common problems are menstrual irregularities (more often - delays from several days to several months), excessive growth of body hair, an increase in the size of the ovaries (but not always), and in half of the patients - obesity. When measured (in the rectum), it remains approximately constant throughout the cycle, and does not increase in the second half, as is normal. In the most severe (primary) form of the disease, these signs appear already in adolescence after the onset of menstruation.

To treat this condition, various hormonal drugs are prescribed, drugs are used that reduce the level of male sex hormones (the formation of which increases with this disease), regulate metabolic processes in the structures of the brain, etc. If present, it is absolutely necessary to reduce body weight. When preparing for a planned pregnancy, an important stage of treatment is to stimulate ovulation - the release of an egg from the ovary. For this purpose, medications are used, and if they are ineffective, surgical treatment methods are used. Currently, it is performed by laparoscopy: small holes are made in the anterior abdominal wall through which optical instruments for examining the abdominal cavity and surgical instruments are inserted.

Delayed menstruation may also occur after termination of pregnancy. The reason is a hormonal imbalance, as well as the fact that during instrumental curettage of the uterus, an excessive amount of tissue can be removed, including that part of the inner lining of the uterus, which normally grows during the menstrual cycle and is released in the form of menstrual blood. To restore this functional layer sometimes takes a little longer than during a normal cycle. That is, after an abortion, menstruation may occur not after 28-32 days, but after 40 days or more. This delay is not normal: the woman requires examination and treatment.

The cause of delayed menstruation may be taking oral contraceptives. While taking the drug or after its withdrawal, absence of menstruation may occur for several menstrual cycles: this is the so-called ovarian hyperinhibition syndrome.

If ovarian hyperinhibition syndrome develops, oral contraceptives are discontinued. As a rule, within 2-3 months, maximum within 6 months after the end of their use, ovarian function is spontaneously restored. If the absence of menstruation persists for a longer period, drugs that stimulate the pituitary gland (CLOMIPHENE) or drugs that stimulate the maturation of the egg and its release from the ovary (PERGONAL, CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN) are prescribed. Until normal menstrual function is restored, it is necessary to use other methods of contraception.

Stress- long-term or strong short-term - is the cause of a malfunction of the central structures (cerebral cortex, hypothalamus) that regulate the functioning of the ovaries and uterus. An example of such disorders is the so-called wartime amenorrhea, when women stopped menstruating under conditions of stress.

Another reason for a significant delay in menstruation can be significant and rapid weight loss. So, doctors have such a concept as critical menstrual weight - this is the weight at which teenage girls, as a rule, begin to menstruate. However, we are more interested in the fact that with a strong desire to lose weight, having reached this critical menstrual weight (45-47 kg), a woman can get not only the desired result, but also a long delay in menstruation.

Most often this effect occurs when anorexia nervosa- eating disorder, characterized by refusal to eat and/or its rejection. This is accompanied by a disorder in the functioning of such regulatory systems of the body as the nervous and endocrine ones. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a sharp decrease in the production of pituitary hormones, which also regulate the functioning of the ovaries. In this case, reproductive dysfunction should be considered as a protective reaction in conditions of nutritional deficiency and mental stress. Therefore, to restore age-related hormone secretion, it is necessary to achieve ideal body weight and eliminate mental stress.

Anorexia nervosa in 50% of cases can occur with episodes bulimia(gluttony), after which the patient shows particularly obvious signs of anxiety, remorse and depression, and successful attempts to induce vomiting.

For this reason, when preparing for pregnancy, do not try to achieve the ideal “90 - 60 - 90”. If you are planning to lose weight, treat it wisely, or better yet, consult a nutritionist.

Pregnancy- this, fortunately, is the most common and most physiological cause of delayed menstruation in women of reproductive age. In this case, a delay in menstruation may be accompanied by such signs as changes in taste and olfactory sensations, engorgement, and soreness of the mammary glands. As a rule, a pregnancy test in this case gives a positive result. Delayed menstruation also occurs during ectopic pregnancy, when the fertilized egg attaches to the fallopian tube. In this case, all subjective sensations characteristic of pregnancy may also be present.

What can the doctor do?

In case of menstrual irregularities, you should immediately consult a doctor. An examination by an obstetrician-gynecologist will help rule out conditions that require immediate surgical intervention. This could be an ectopic pregnancy, frozen pregnancy, tumor diseases, etc.

To understand the cause of menstrual irregularities, the doctor may prescribe additional examinations:

  • measuring basal temperature and charting its changes- these measurements, along with other methods, make it possible to judge the presence or absence of such an event as ovulation - the release of an egg from the ovary;
  • Ultrasound of the pelvic organs- uterus, ovaries;
  • blood test for hormones- with its help, the level of hormones of the pituitary gland, ovaries, and, if necessary, other endocrine glands is determined;
  • computed or magnetic resonance imaging- methods that can be used to obtain layer-by-layer images of brain structures to exclude pituitary tumors.

If there are concomitant endocrine diseases, the gynecologist will prescribe a consultation with other doctors - an endocrinologist, a psychotherapist, a nutritionist.

Ildar Zainullin
obstetrician-gynecologist, Ufa

The woman’s body is still a mystery to science. But there are points that have been studied for a long time. Only not all citizens know about them. Today we will be interested in delayed menstruation. What it is? For what reasons can it appear? And how to deal with the corresponding phenomenon? We will have to figure out all this and more further. It's actually not that difficult. Especially if a woman carefully monitors her body.

Menstruation and its formation

What is menstruation? And when does she appear?

This is what menstruation is called. People call them critical days. A woman begins to bleed during menstruation. It is not dangerous to health. Critical days are a symbol of the fact that the egg in the body has not been fertilized.

The menstrual cycle is the period of time between the beginnings of the two “extreme” periods. During this period, the egg matures, leaves the follicle, travels through the fallopian tubes, fertilization or death of the female cell.

Accordingly, if conception does not occur, the egg dies. This period ends, then preparation for critical days begins.

Phases of the monthly cycle

In order to accurately judge a delay in menstruation, it is important to understand what phases the female reproductive organs have to go through at one time or another.

The monthly cycle is divided into 4 stages. Namely:

  • monthly bleeding;
  • follicular;
  • ovulatory;
  • luteal

As already mentioned, first the egg matures in the follicle. This period lasts about 14 days. Next comes ovulation - the time the female cell leaves and travels through the body. This is the best moment to conceive. Ovulation lasts up to 48 hours.

If fertilization does not occur, the body enters the luteal phase. This is a condition in which the egg dies and the organs prepare for their critical days. A new cycle begins with another menstruation. But what to do if there is a delay?

Puberty

There is no clear answer to this question. It all depends on the circumstances under which the deviation from the usual cycle occurred.

Delayed menstruation most often occurs in adolescents. Girls first encounter their period during puberty. Hormonal changes in the body occur, and the cycle is just being established.

Accordingly, several years after the first menstruation, a teenage girl may experience a delay in her period or early menstruation. The situation does not require medical supervision and is completely normal.

For those who have recently given birth

Can menstruation be delayed after childbirth? Yes, and this is also normal.

The thing is that after giving birth, a woman faces a serious restructuring of her body. At first there will be no critical days. And after their resumption, “jumps” in the cycle are possible. It lengthens and shortens. This situation can last up to several years after childbirth.

Important: some girls do not experience menstruation throughout the entire lactation period. This phenomenon is very common. If a woman gets her period while breastfeeding her baby, it will be established throughout the entire lactation + about 1.5-2 years after its cessation.

Hormone disruptions

A problem that many women and girls of different ages face. But why does this happen?

Quite often, the cause of untimely periods is hormonal imbalance. It either speeds up ovulation or delays it. And therefore, menstruation comes earlier/later accordingly.

If you suspect a hormonal imbalance, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will prescribe a series of tests to clarify the situation. It is possible that the cause of the hormone imbalance is some disease or illness.

Everything is okay

The reasons for delayed menstruation vary. And among them you can get confused. Especially if you don’t take care of your body.

You don’t always need to panic if your critical days come sooner or later. The point is that even a healthy woman may have a standard deviation from the norm.

This means that critical days may come a little earlier or disturb the girl a little later than expected. A deviation of 5-7 days in one direction or another is considered normal.

However, more often than not, problems with the menstrual cycle make a girl wonder what’s wrong. What other scenarios may occur in practice?

"Interesting situation", or I'll soon become a mother

What does a delay in menstruation indicate? Pregnancy is what women suspect when their periods are delayed or completely absent.

The menstrual cycle ideally stops immediately after successful conception. The fertilized egg attaches to the uterus, and then the development of the fetus begins. New female cells do not mature. Ovulation does not happen, and menstruation does not come.

To determine pregnancy, it is better to do a home test and go to the gynecologist. Research is recommended to be carried out on days 1-3 of the delay. Otherwise, you may encounter false results.

Important: sometimes a girl experiences menstruation during pregnancy. This happens in the first trimester. It is better to consult a doctor with the relevant problem.

The test is negative, but there is a pregnancy

Has your period been delayed? Test negative? Some girls believe that such a situation guarantees the absence of pregnancy. Is it so?

Not at all. A woman may see a false negative pregnancy test result if the test is of poor quality or expired. In addition, in the first days of delay of critical days, the level of hCG in the urine is often too low. And that's why the pregnancy test shows one line.

To exclude an “interesting situation”, you will need to repeat the test on the 5-7th day of delay. If you don’t want to wait, you should do an ultrasound and donate blood for an hCG test.

Ectopic pregnancy

A woman's period is 5 days late, but the test is negative? If there is a possibility of pregnancy, you should hurry with its diagnosis. Why?

The thing is that sometimes girls hear a disappointing diagnosis - an ectopic pregnancy. In this case, menstruation will not come, and the pregnancy test will either show a negative result, or it will show a second line, but its color will be dim.

This happens because when the fetus is attached outside the uterus, the hCG level does not rise as quickly as when it is in the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy is dangerous for a woman and almost always ends in miscarriage or abortion. And therefore, you should not hesitate to visit a specialist.

Important: no one is immune from ectopic pregnancy. Doctors still cannot say exactly under what circumstances this type of “interesting situation” occurs. But healthy girls living in a calm environment have less chance of encountering the disease.

Late "Day X"

Are your periods delayed? Test negative? If a girl is confident in her health, perhaps her ovulation came later than expected. This led to a delay in the menstrual cycle.

In fact, “Day X” is influenced by various factors. For example, emotional shock or severe stress. Overloading the body also negatively affects ovulation. And sometimes it comes earlier or later due to hormonal imbalance or standard deviation.

As a rule, late ovulation occurs as a one-time occurrence. The easiest way to diagnose it is by looking at your basal temperature chart. During "Day X" BT rises to 37-37.5 degrees Celsius, and then stays at 36.8 to 37.2 degrees.

Lack of ovulation

A delay in menstruation by a week is a cause for concern. Especially if the woman had protected sex.

However, untimely periods should not always cause you to panic. Even a healthy girl experiences a lack of ovulation. This process is called anovulation.

Usually can be observed up to twice a year. For more frequent manifestations, you will have to consult a doctor to prescribe treatment.

Important: with anovulation, the menstrual cycle is delayed by 1 month or more. It all depends on the duration of the cycle. After two full monthly periods, critical days will still come.

In women aged

Immediately after birth, the body begins to develop. This is an inevitable process. It's called growing up. At one point, a person begins puberty, and then he becomes ready to procreate.

However, at a certain point the body begins not to grow, but to age. Life processes undergo certain changes. And girls after 40 years old experience delayed menstruation.

Why is this happening? Usually late periods are a sign of aging and the onset of menopause. The body simply stops producing eggs for fertilization. And therefore the menstrual cycle first “jumps” and then stops altogether.

Important: in the rhythm of modern life, even women 30-35 years old can suffer from menopause. Therefore, you will not be able to determine it yourself. You will have to go to the gynecologist and take all the tests he prescribed.

Diseases and cycle

Delayed menstruation? Test negative? If a woman thinks about the causes of deviations in the monthly cycle, we must not forget about such a factor as disease.

During illness, the body begins to work differently than before. All his forces are aimed at strengthening the immune system and fighting the disease. Therefore, critical days come later than expected.

It follows that even a common cold can become an impetus for adjusting the monthly cycle. After complete recovery, the process under study will return to normal.

Important: STDs also affect menstruation. If a girl has gynecological diseases, her periods will return to normal after undergoing a full course of treatment with recovery.

Tumors and cancer

A long delay in menstruation (2 months or more) with a negative pregnancy test is a serious cause for concern. After all, sometimes periods can indicate the presence of hidden or chronic diseases.

Most often, adjustments to the menstrual cycle occur with tumors and cancer. Diseases of the endocrine and genitourinary systems, as well as inflammatory processes, also have an impact on critical days.

The most common ailments are:

  • ovarian dysfunction;
  • polycystic disease;
  • multifollicular ovaries;
  • endometriosis;
  • uterine fibroids;
  • inflammation of the uterus and its appendages;
  • kidney problems;
  • disorders of the thyroid gland.

In any case, only a comprehensive examination will help identify the disease. You cannot diagnose yourself based on signs and symptoms.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Delayed menstruation is possible due to poor nutrition or leading a passive lifestyle. It's hard to believe, but even diets can trigger early or delayed ovulation.

Bad habits are another factor that negatively affects the body. If you abuse alcohol, tobacco or drugs, your critical days may be adjusted. The cycle is disrupted, ovulation comes earlier/later.

Obesity or dystrophy also often negatively affects menstrual periods. The cycle returns to normal immediately after weight adjustment.

Other circumstances

We studied the main points associated with the untimely arrival of monthly bleeding. But, as already mentioned, there are a lot of options for the development of events. And you can look at them endlessly.

Among other things, a woman’s menstrual cycle can be disrupted under the following circumstances:

  • stress;
  • emotional shocks (including positive ones);
  • depression;
  • being under physical, psychological or mental stress;
  • use of a number of medications;
  • abortions;
  • undergoing infertility treatment;
  • taking hormonal medications;
  • use of oral contraceptives (especially if they are selected incorrectly);
  • long trips;
  • acclimatization or sudden change in weather.

In fact, the reasons for delayed menstruation are varied. And not all of them can be easily diagnosed. Sometimes you have to go through many doctors and take a huge number of tests to clarify the situation.

Signs of delays

A few words about how in some cases one can suspect the untimely arrival of critical days. Let's consider several options for the development of events.

A girl may experience the following signs of delayed menstruation:

  1. The basal temperature chart does not indicate ovulation. The worst thing is when BT has no schedule. The points marked on it are a chaotic set of temperatures. A similar picture occurs during anovulation.
  2. Nausea, fatigue, vomiting, minor bleeding from the vagina (usually bloody smears) indicate pregnancy. Sometimes there is pain in the ovaries.
  3. Pain in the lower abdomen and elevated body temperature for several days may indicate an illness or inflammatory process. Most often - for problems in the genitourinary system and tumors.
  4. Increased hair growth, weight gain and deterioration of skin are signs of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Perhaps in other cases you will just have to go to the hospital and get tested. It is advisable to stop at:

  • general blood test;
  • hCG study;
  • visit to an endocrinologist, urologist, gynecologist.

All other tests will be prescribed by a specific specialist. Usually you have to donate blood for various hormones and do a tomography. Going to a psychologist and nutritionist would also be a good idea.