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What Causes Missed Periods?
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Hyacinth Nicole Browne, MD posted:
The first thing that comes to mind when a woman tells me that she's missed her period is that she must be pregnant. But, besides the obvious, missed periods can sometimes signify a more serious problem that can affect long-term health (i.e. development of osteoporosis) or one's chance of getting pregnant. A missed period usually indicates a problem at the level of the brain, ovaries, or uterus, and it can be due to a hormonal dysfunction at any level in the reproductive system, an acquired disease, or a congenital abnormality. The list of potential causes for a missed period is long, but some common reasons include: stress, extremes of weight, eating disorders, chronic illness, and excessive exercise.

In order to establish the cause for missed periods, a thorough history and physical examination should be performed with additional testing that addresses each level of the reproductive axis (i.e. brain, ovaries, uterus). The evaluation may reveal that more than one system is involved here. I generally recommend that women be evaluated if they have had complete cessation of menses for 3 months or irregular periods for fewer than 9 cycles per year. When in doubt, always contact your physician.
1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:What Causes Missed Periods?The first thing that comes to mind when a woman tells me that she's missed her period is that she must be pregnant. But, besides the obvious, missed periods can sometimes signify a more serious problem that can affect long-term health (i.e. development of osteoporosis) or one's chance of getting pregnant. A missed period usually indicates a problem at the level of the brain, ovaries, or uterus, and it can be due to a hormonal dysfunction at any level in the reproductive system, an acquired disease, or a congenital abnormality. The list of potential causes for a missed period is long, but some common reasons include: stress, extremes of weight, eating disorders, chronic illness, and excessive exercise. <br /> <br />In order to establish the cause for missed periods, a thorough history and physical examination should be performed with additional testing that addresses each level of the reproductive axis (i.e. brain, ovaries, uterus). The evaluation may reveal that more than one system is involved here. I generally recommend that women be evaluated if they have had complete cessation of menses for 3 months or irregular periods for fewer than 9 cycles per year. When in doubt, always contact your physician.
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LouiseJohnson responded:
Hello my name is Louise and Im 28 yrs old and i get regular periods each month im actually calculated as every 26 days but Ive been ttc for 22 months with no luck Im very healthy I also got my thyroid and egg reserved checked and it came back normal but I have a small fibriod could this be hindering me what should I do about this matter....
Report This| Share this:What Causes Missed Periods?Hello my name is Louise and Im 28 yrs old and i get regular periods each month im actually calculated as every 26 days but Ive been ttc for 22 months with no luck Im very healthy I also got my thyroid and egg reserved checked and it came back normal but I have a small fibriod could this be hindering me what should I do about this matter....
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