It can be distressing to wait for the arrival of your period, both around the holidays and when it comes to a simple delay. Don't panic! The irregularity or the momentary absence of menstruation are problems that frequently affect women. They generally do not indicate serious health problems. Unfortunately, there are no foolproof methods to stimulate the arrival of the menstrual cycle. The best thing to do is to consult your gynecologist to determine the source of the problem and make some lifestyle changes to regulate your period.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Regularize Your Menstrual Cycle
There are several reasons why you may have irregular periods and sometimes they depend on your lifestyle. You probably just need to make some changes. Keep in mind that none of the following tips allow you to induce your period without fail. However, they may help you regularize it and prevent it from jumping again.
Step 1. Get a pregnancy test to find out if you are pregnant
One of the most common reasons why your period doesn't come is pregnancy. If you have recently had sex and notice a delay, take a pregnancy test as soon as possible to rule out this possibility.
Technically, the test is 90% reliable starting from the first day of delay, so you can run it whenever you want
Step 2. Reduce Stress
At levels that are too high, stress negatively affects the regularity of menstruation. If you normally feel tense or anxious, this could be the cause of your delay. Try to relax to see if you can balance the cycle this way.
- Mindfulness techniques that allow you to keep your focus on the present, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing, are great ways to relieve stress. Choose one and try to practice it every day.
- Even light physical activity, such as walking or jogging, is an excellent way to reduce stress.
- But if all of this doesn't work, see a professional. Consult a therapist or psychiatrist to help combat anxiety.
Step 3. Adopt a balanced diet rich in nutrients
Underweight or malnutrition can also lead to menstrual delays. If you are on a restrictive enough diet or exercise a lot without eating properly, this could be the cause. Eat three balanced meals a day to get all the nutrients you need for your health.
- In order for the period to be regular, it is very important that women get enough calcium. The requirement is around 1000-1300 mg per day.
- If you have an eating disorder, you can fight it with the help you need. Do not hesitate to consult a psychotherapist to solve your problems and take care of your health.
Step 4. Lose weight if you are overweight
Menstruation can be irregular even if you are overweight. Consult your doctor to determine your ideal weight, then create an exercise program and follow a healthy diet to achieve your goal.
If you need to lose weight, do it responsibly. Do not try restrictive diets or extreme workouts because they can also promote amenorrhea, which is the absence of the menstrual cycle
Step 5. Temporarily stop exercising
Even sport practiced at a competitive level or in an excessive manner could delay the cycle. In this case, amenorrhea depends on whether high-intensity exercise upsets the hormonal balance or burns a significant amount of body fat. In both cases, the cause can be attributed to training, so try to reduce it or rest for a few days to allow the body to recover.
Often, the absence of menstruation is not directly due to exercise, but to burning more fat and calories than the body can replenish. So, if you are an athlete and you train regularly, you need to eat properly
Step 6. Avoid unproven remedies
On the Internet you can find numerous solutions that guarantee to stimulate the arrival of the menstrual cycle, including hot baths, sex, vitamin C, turmeric, ginger and herbal teas. Unfortunately, even if you are willing to do anything to solve the problem, there is no evidence of their effectiveness. While for the most part they are not dangerous, they will not help you in your intent.
Also, it is mistakenly thought that some herbal supplements, such as black cohosh, are capable of inducing menstruation. Do not take them without your doctor's advice. Not only are they not effective, but they can trigger adverse reactions that vary from person to person, so before taking them make sure they don't have any health contraindications
Part 2 of 2: Get Medical Care
While you may have heard of some home remedies that help stimulate the arrival of your period, they are generally not very effective. If your period is irregular or skipped, the best thing to do is to consult your gynecologist. This way, you will know exactly what the cause is and can take appropriate measures to fix the problem.
Step 1. Consult your gynecologist if the amenorrhea has lasted for at least 3 months
A period of absence of around three months can be alarming, but don't worry. This is not necessarily a serious problem. However, it is important to make an appointment with the gynecologist for a visit so that the cause of the delay can be determined.
- Normally, the reasons why your period does not occur for a long time are stress, malnutrition, hormonal imbalances and excessive physical activity. Hence, it is important to consult with the gynecologist.
- It is necessary to consult it even in the absence of menarche at the age of 15.
Step 2. Regularize your period with the birth control pill
Often the contraceptive pill is taken in the event of an irregular cycle because it favors the rebalancing of hormonal levels. Your doctor may prescribe it to prevent your period from delaying. For it to take effect, take it following its directions.
- This drug is also used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome, a disorder that can cause oligomenorrhea (altered rhythm of the menstrual cycle).
- The birth control pill is a prescription medicine. Do not take medications not prescribed directly by your doctor.
Step 3. Correct hormone imbalance by taking progesterone
Since progesterone regulates the menstrual cycle, a deficiency of this hormone can lead to a delay in menstruation. Therefore, your gynecologist may prescribe a therapy that can rebalance your progesterone levels. Get it by following its directions carefully.
- In addition, he may have blood tests to check progesterone levels and, if they are insufficient, prescribe a supplementation based on this hormone.
- Medroxyprogesterone is a progestogen drug that is usually taken if it has been 6 months since the last menstruation.
Step 4. Treat PCOS with hormone therapy
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder that causes irregular or heavy menstrual cycles. Usually we intervene with hormone replacement therapy, consisting of birth control pills or progestin drugs. This treatment helps stabilize hormone levels and regulate the menstrual cycle.
- If you are trying to get pregnant, your gynecologist may point you to a combination of several hormone medications to help you ovulate.
- If you have always had irregular periods and have never undergone a thorough examination to identify polycystosis of the ovary, find out by doing a gynecological examination.
Step 5. Consider surgery to remove scar tissue
It is also possible that the cause of this menstrual change is an accumulation of scar tissue in the uterus (such as a fibroid). Typically, treatment consists of a minor surgery to remove it. If necessary, the gynecologist will show you the possible surgical solutions to eliminate the problem.
The presence of scar tissue is also a common cause of female infertility, so your gynecologist may recommend surgery if you are trying to get pregnant
Health reminder
When your period goes off, it's really nerve-wracking, however it doesn't mean there's anything serious. To regularize your period and prevent this problem in the future, you can make some lifestyle changes. However, the only real way to stimulate the arrival of menstruation is to resort to medical treatments, such as those based on hormones. In case of amenorrhea, the best thing to do is to consult the gynecologist. It will tell you what steps to take to prevent the problem from happening again.
