- July 10, 2025
If you ever miss your period, it is likely that the first thought in your mind is that you might be pregnant. If you weren’t trying to conceive, an unplanned pregnancy can cause you a lot of unnecessary stress. However, pregnancy is not the only cause of missing periods. A lot of factors, including lifestyle, age, and chronic diseases, can delay your periods.
In this blog, we have covered the most common reasons for this phenomenon. If you are interested in learning about all the reasons for missing your periods besides pregnancy, this blog is for you.
1. You Just Started Menstruating
If you just started getting your periods less than three years ago, it is all too common to miss your periods. During your preteens and teens, your body is still adjusting to the hormonal changes, leading to irregular and delayed menstruation. Some patients may even miss their period for a couple of months without any issues. It may take a few years before you start getting your periods every month.
2. Perimenopause and Menopause
Perimenopause is the transition period between reproductive age and menopause. This typically starts near the age of 40. If you have not had a period in over 12 months after perimenopause, it is called menopause. During this time, the hormone levels start to fluctuate unpredictably, causing heavy or light flow. These changes are natural and expected with age. The changes in hormones can cause you to miss periods every once in a while.
3. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a bacterial infection occurring in the female reproductive organs. It is caused by a sexually transmitted disease that is left untreated. The inflammation can affect the normal functioning of the lining of the uterus(endometritis), fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It can interfere with ovulation , which may result in missed or irregular periods. If you notice symptoms like pelvic pain, unusual discharge, or fever accompanied by delayed periods, you must get a clinical diagnosis for PID at the earliest. If left untreated, PID can cause infertility or chronic pelvic pain.
If your bleeding is accompanied by a stinging or burning sensation in the vagina, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, or an abnormal discharge, the condition needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
PCOS is one of the most common gynaecological conditions in women today. This condition can either lead to missed, delayed, or light periods. If you are diagnosed with PCOS, you are likely to have other symptoms as well, including rapid weight gain or loss, hair thinning, and acne. Regular exercise and a tailored PCOS diet can help you manage the symptoms.
5. Leading a Stressful Lifestyle
If you are in constant stress, it will start affecting your mental and physical health. A stressful lifestyle affects the production of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), which regulates ovulation and the menstrual cycle. We recommend that you take precautions to reduce stress, such as journaling or consulting a professional counsellor.
6. Sudden weight [gain/loss]
Rapid weight gain or weight loss due to factors like illness, medication, or dietary changes can significantly affect your hormonal balance and lead to irregular menses. You need to reach and maintain a healthy body weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise for regular menstrual function and overall reproductive health.
7. Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases are often some of the most overlooked reasons for missed periods. Conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, liver dysfunction, non-cancerous tumours, and coeliac disease can delay or prevent periods. These conditions affect the normal functioning of the reproductive system and may even lead to prolonged fertility issues. Additionally, some congenital conditions may even go undiagnosed if regular care is not provided.
8. Acute Illness
Similar to chronic conditions, acute illnesses can also disrupt the menstrual cycle. If you are suffering from fever, infections,severe blood loss, any recent surgery and anemia, it is natural for your body to prioritise your recovery and overall health. This reduces the nutrition available for a healthy menstruation cycle. Once your body recovers, your cycle usually returns to normal. However, if irregularities continue for multiple months after an illness, we recommend that you consult a gynaecologist at the earliest.
9. Overexercising
Regular exercise is essential for a healthy menstrual cycle and overall health. However, doing it beyond the point of exhaustion every single day can leave your body in nutritional deficit. Over-exercising negatively affects different hormones, which are responsible for healthy and regular menstruation. High-intensity exercise should be complemented with a diet rich in all macro- and micronutrients. You must also get checked for iron and vitamin deficiency, hormonal imbalances, and dehydration.
10. Certain Medication
If you are currently on certain medications, such as antipsychotics, antidepressants, chemotherapy drugs, or blood pressure medications, you may experience some delay in your menstruation. These medications affect the hormonal balance in your body to treat their respective condition; however, this also affects your menstrual cycle. If the medication causes significant or prolonged changes to your cycle, you must consult your gynaecologist at the earliest.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is not the only cause of delayed or missed periods. Several reasons, including age, body fat, infectious diseases, chronic and acute illnesses, exhaustion, and stress, can be at play. If you miss periods for more than 2 months in a row or frequently experience delayed periods, a medical diagnosis becomes necessary. If such is the case with you, visit our gynaecological clinic in Andheri East today for comprehensive diagnosis and personalised treatment.
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Dr. Milind Chauhan
Gynaecologist & Obstetrician
Dr. Milind Chauhan is a trusted and reputed gynaecologist and obstetrician in Andheri East, Mumbai, specialising in infertility treatment in both males and females, pregnancy care, medical termination of pregnancy, normal vaginal delivery, and general women’s healthcare. Dr. Milind also offers other women’s healthcare services such as pregnancy counselling, PCOS treatment, menstrual disorder care, and menopause advice.
