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When menstruation does not come on time, many girls and women immediately begin to get nervous – someone is afraid of an unplanned pregnancy, someone is afraid of pathologies. The most popular reason for a missed period is, of course, pregnancy, but there are dozens of others. Most of them are a reason to immediately consult a doctor.
Reasons for delaying menstruation by a week
Pregnancy test was negative after a delay of seven days? So, you need to look for the cause further: they can be harmless and quite serious.
Adolescence
During the first couple of years after the first period, adolescents may have irregular periods. This is due to the fact that during this period the reproductive system of a woman is still being formed, and the ovaries do not produce an egg every month. Hence – a downed menstrual cycle and the sudden onset of menstruation.
stress and anxiety
Stress and constant anxiety negatively affect overall health. This is due to the fact that the activity of the pituitary gland is disrupted, which affects the organs responsible for the production of hormones, in particular the adrenal glands and ovaries.
Further along the thumb – poor ovarian function leads to a problem with the production of estrogens, hormones that are involved in the process of monthly thickening of the uterine lining and preparing a woman’s body for a potential pregnancy. If the ovaries are disrupted, this can lead to delays in changing the length of the cycle and even missed periods.
Of course, it is impossible to exclude stress from life. But you need to try to avoid them and find ways to cope with it.
Pathology
The harmless reasons for delaying menstruation for a week were listed above, but there are also negative ones – these are diseases of the female system. A week delay may be due to ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, hormonal failure. To understand the exact reason, you need to contact a gynecologist.
What to do if your period is delayed by a week
The first step is to do a pregnancy test, modern test systems are able to show an accurate result even with a delay of only a few days. If the test is negative, and you are not pregnant, then it is necessary to identify the cause of menstrual dysfunction. To do this, it is recommended to make an appointment with a gynecologist, undergo an ultrasound scan to exclude the most likely causes of menstrual irregularities. They can be polycystic ovary syndrome, functional ovarian cyst, fibroids, etc.
If periods are delayed by a week or more during the last 6 months, a specialist may recommend a hormonal profile assessment. In order to identify the exact cause of the delay, the gynecologist, in addition to examining the armchair and ultrasound of the small pelvis, may prescribe the following studies: an analysis for STIs (to exclude mycoplasmosis, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis), ultrasound of the adrenal glands, a blood test for the level of hCG, pituitary hormones, ovaries and other hormones.
Prevention of delayed menstruation
A girl and a woman need to visit a gynecologist once or twice a year, even if she has no complaints. In case of problems with the cycle, in addition to the gynecologist, it is also recommended to visit an endocrinologist and get tested for sex hormones.
To maintain a healthy state, including the female genital area, you should stop smoking, alcohol, drugs, overeating, lead an active lifestyle and engage in light sports.
Be sure to pay attention to your diet: is there protein, carbohydrates and the right fats in the plate, which are necessary for women’s health. Good fats include olive oil, egg yolks, butter, avocados, lean fish, and nuts.
In order not to have problems with the cycle, it is necessary to select safe hormonal contraceptives with the help of a gynecologist-endocrinologist (not on your own!).
A woman should consult a gynecologist for advice if the absence of menstruation is a week or more.
Popular questions and answers
According to obstetrician-gynecologist Anna Bykova, menstrual irregularity is an underestimated symptom of a deterioration in the reproductive state, and subsequently, possibly, the somatic health of a woman. Diagnostic search for violation of the menstrual cycle should begin with the exclusion of a possible pregnancy. For this purpose, an express pregnancy test or blood test is performed with a quantitative assessment of the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), as well as an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs. We asked Anna Bykova a few more questions.
In some cases, despite a negative pregnancy test result, a woman may be advised to repeat the test (or blood test for hCG) with an interval of several days.
Do not forget about the possible side effects of drugs and dietary supplements (BAA). Often, patients report taking “herbal” preparations, the name, composition and effect of which are unknown to either the patient or the doctor, and there is no way to find out from available information sources. Accordingly, the influence of these drugs on the state of the organs of the reproductive system, endocrine function, and the nature of the menstrual cycle cannot be excluded.
YAYI KYAU