Periods are a chief aspect in a woman’s life. It is a natural and a monthly occurrence, caused by hormonal changes in a woman’s body. Muscular contractions during periods can cause inflammation as well as pains. Women are likely to experience body pains, mood swings and tiredness. What is the maximum delay in period if not pregnant? It helps to have more insights into this.
Foremost of all, you need to remember the day you get your periods, every month. It is important to keep track of date(s); this practice helps know unusual changes in regular cycle(s) of monthly periods.
Actual cycle is once every 28 days. This can differ from one woman to another, and may range between 21 to 35 days. Duration of periods can last for a total of 5 days; initially – for 2 days, you can expect excessive bleeding.
How late can a period be?
During the beginning years of your period i.e. menstruation, you can expect longer cycles. In due course, duration of periods is likely to change. If you are having medical conditions like say, an overactive thyroid, diabetes or any heart associated ailments, your periods may tend to discontinue.
In some-18% of women – of childbearing age – menstrual irregularities are quite common. Therefore, a timeframe of 6-weeks is the maximum limit for delay in periods. However, if you are free from any complications or health conditions, you may expect periods cycle to commence in 24 days’ time.
In some cases, delays may touch up to 38 days, and past this it is taken as ‘missed’ periods. If you are missing your periods occasionally, it is not a big concern. You need to worry about this only if is turning into a recurrent issue.
Why is my period late?
Late periods can occur owing to many reasons. At a very basis level – it is related to an excessive stress level. Also, obesity turns out as another cause. It is likely a few medications may delay periods. Women who are diabetic or living with thyroid problems may also see irregular menstrual cycles. Lastly, pregnant women may also witness delayed periods. In some remote cases – an ovarian dysfunction fares as a reason for delays.
Also, there can be a few other reasons triggering late periods; those who follow an unhealthy lifestyle may see erratic periods. If you pursue intensive workouts i.e., pushing the limits more often, pursue imbalanced diet practices – like eating at late hours, intake of fried or greasy foods or drinking more amounts of carbonated drinks, etc., can also delay your periods.
A few likely triggers for late periods are sudden alterations in your daily lifestyle. For instance, pursuing travels or altering the time you eat lunch / dinner are case in point. Use of anticonvulsants or antidepressants are also linked to erratic occurrences of periods.
In all such cases, it is not required to see a medical specialist / gynaecologist to know what has caused the delay. It may however help to consult with a caregiver when you observe one-off signs delayed periods cause. Your doctor will conduct a physical examination, and may also order a few diagnostic tests / investigations.
Delayed periods are not uncommon among women who took antibiotics. However, there is no concrete evidence to pin down antibiotics as the sole reason for periods showing up late. A few clinical studies indicate that consumption of antibiotics is unlikely to trigger a change in your periods.
So, the next time you notice a delay in periods, do not blame it on antibiotics you took. These delays can occur due to many factors. For instance, living with stress is one of the key reasons for delay in periods.
Late period not pregnant
Late periods are labelled thus if their occurrence has crossed more than 7 days’ time i.e., from the normal date of occurrence. You also need to ensure a period stands completely missed. If you are pregnant, your body produces high levels of progesterone; this helps sustain your pregnancy. The first few signs – of pregnancy – include dizziness, being tired, tenderness of breast, cramping of muscles, etc.
However, the most distinctive sign of pregnancy is missing of periods; but each time you miss periods, it is not necessarily due to pregnancy. You may take a home-based pregnancy test. Above all, it helps to consult with a qualified medical specialist to know reasons for late period.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.
Education: Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of California, Berkeley; Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Experience: 10 years as a freelance health writer and editor, contributing to blogs and magazines focused on preventive medicine and fitness.
