There are 20-25 days delays in my menses, what may the causes?
The female menstrual cycle is typically 28 days. During this 28 day cycle, a woman will menstruate for about 3 to 4 days. Often, menstruation is early or late by a few days and this is quite normal as menstruation is determined by a variety of factors such as hormone levels, stress levels and the natural cycling of the body.
Causes Of Late Menstrual Cycle
In case of a period that is delayed by several days, there may be several possibilities to consider. The primary possibility is pregnancy. If a woman becomes pregnant, she will not have menses. To confirm this, there are several off the shelf home pregnancy tests available. These are not always 100% accurate, so it is always advised to try the test two or three times before confirming whether the woman is pregnant or not.
Another cause for delay of menstruation is the onset of menopause. Menopause is, as the name suggests, the end of the monthly cycles in a female. This is the end of the reproductive life of a woman where her monthly cycles cease permanently. The average age in the developed world for a woman to undergo menopause is approximately 51 years. Statistics vary in the developing world for the same. Menopause has many symptoms that one can check for. These include hot flushes, rapid heartbeat, joint pains, depression, irritation and fatigue. If the woman is suffering from a combination of these symptoms, it is likely that she is passing through her menopausal phase.
Other causes for delayed menses include the adverse effects of medication. Certain medications, particularly those containing hormones or hormone imitating substances may cause hormonal imbalance in women. In this situation, consult your doctor immediately to seek an alternate medicine for whatever you are being treated for. Some hormonal birth control pills seek to disrupt the menses completely in order to prevent pregnancy. In this case, a late menses is the effect of the drug and not a side effect.
Late periods may also be attributed to certain environmental conditions. If the woman is suffering from stress, this may delay the onset of menses. Severe emotional trauma caused by the loss of a near one and stress due to marital problems are noted as possible causes for delay of menses. Stressful situations such as shifting house may also be responsible for late menstruation.
However, prolonged delay in menses may be a clue to some other underlying condition. In this case a doctor must be consulted to check for any diseases or conditions that might cause the delay.
