What causes delayed menstruation?
A delayed period can be due to several different reasons, and should not cause you alarm. Here are some reasons your period might be late:
- Stress. Feeling overwhelmed can wreak havoc on your hormonal levels, causing any number of changes in your menstrual cycle.
- Being sick. An illness such as a cold or flu virus can affect your sensitive ovulatory patterns, thus delaying your period.
- A change in sleep patterns. Changing shifts at work or sleep disturbances such as insomnia can cause your hormones to shift in balance.
- You've had a dramatic change in your weight. While obesity is certainly an illness in and of itself, losing weight drastically is not healthy either, as one of the consequences may be a disruption of your menses.
- You're exercising too much. While you may be training for a race or a particular reason, be cautious about exercising too much for too long – it can affect your hormonal balance.
- You've changed your medication. Talk to your doctor if you've recently changed any prescriptive medications and have then experienced a delayed period.
- Your thyroid is out of whack. Often one of the last possibilities checked, a thyroid imbalance (either hypothyroid or hyperthyroid) can affect your periods.
- Pre-menopause. Are you of the age? Even if you don't think you should be, you might actually be, but don't just stop using birth control until you're sure that your ovulation has stopped.
- You are pregnant! That's right – although it may be hard to believe, it may actually be a simple pregnancy that's delaying your period. An easy test from your doctor or pharmacist can confirm the possibility.
How can natural medicine help with delayed menstruation?
Once your medical doctor has done what he/she can for you in terms of regulating your period (and be sure to discuss the side effects of any and all medication prescribed), seek the help of our natural therapies at Yellow Gazebo Natural Health Care. Nutritional counselling can ensure that you have the right nutrients for a healthy cycle. Acupuncture and TCM can re-balance your hormone levels, and yoga and massage therapy can help you reduce stress.
Contact us for a FREE consultation on how natural therapy can help you regulate your menstrual cycle.
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