If you are a woman and you have a regular cycle (between 21 and 32 days) when the dates do not add up, the alarms go off. The inevitable relationship between delay and pregnancy is one of the ideas that first appear in the mind (provided, of course, that the sexual act has occurred).

But before running to the pharmacy to verify the fact, you should know that there are other causes that can cause the period not to appear in the usual period.

The origin of the delay

“Almost all women throughout their fertile lives suffer from an amenorrheic period (lack of menstruation),” indicates Dr. Ignacio Cristóbal, head of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Sanitas La Zarzuela University Hospital.

The most common thing is for cycles to last 28 days, until they disappear due to menopause. However, factors including hormonal imbalances, stress and lifestyle habits can disrupt these levels.

Specialists consider an absence of up to 45 days normal. This is what they call a long cycle. “It happens to more than 30% of patients who come to consultation for this matter,” adds the expert.

These are the most common causes that can cause delay and have nothing to do with a possible pregnancy.

When sport puts the body to the limit, the body reacts.

One of its wake-up calls is the lack of menstruation. “Now that elite athletes are preparing for the Olympic Games, it is common for their periods to be removed,” says Dr. Cristóbal. The body has to save energy and one of the ways to do this is by avoiding bleeding.

“The hypothalamus sends a defense signal to the brain that translates into a decrease in the hormones responsible for this process,” continues the doctor.

The lack of fat in the body can be another reason that causes the amenorrheic bump. “The problem appears when you lose a lot of weight very quickly or there is an anorexia problem,” says the doctor.

According to the World Health Organization, low body weight is considered when the Body Mass Index (BMI) is less than 17.5 kg/m2 and can be due to both dietary restriction and increased energy demands of the body.

“If there is no minimum amount of fatty tissue, there is no production of estrogen and the symptom is amenorrhea, the lack of menstruation,” indicate the Association against Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa.

In these cases, hormonal imbalances occur (related to the pituitary gland) that cause difficulties in ovulation and therefore, menstruation does not appear.

“Amenorrhea is caused by non-ovulation,” says Dr. Cristobal.

It is essential to go to the specialist to implement a specific treatment.

Some people who receive menopause appear earlier than desired, with the consequent loss of menstruation. “As long as it occurs before the age of 45, it is considered precocious,” says Cristobal.

Estrogens (hormones produced by the ovary) decrease and although the hormones produced by the pituitary gland increase to try to stimulate it, they are not enough.

The doctor indicates that, although the number of cases has not increased compared to the past, there are now more diagnoses of this pathology.

After processes such as chemotherapy, or certain diseases such as cancer, female bleeding may disappear. There are also medications, some of them related to birth control, that can cause imbalances.

“In certain circumstances, including the intake of certain drugs, prolactin (a hormone produced during pregnancy) increases abnormally, slowing down the activity of the ovary and causing a lack of menstruation,” the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) indicates. ).

It is another of the causes related to the secretion of hormones from the hypothalamus that justify the lack of bleeding.

In situations of sustained stress such as exams, oppositions, very demanding jobs, unemployment or states of emotional tension in general, the process can slow down. “Some psychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety and difficulty adapting to daily stress can also cause amenorrhea,” the SEF indicates.

If you are clear that you are not pregnant, the best solution is to go to a specialist to diagnose the case and adopt healthy physical and mental lifestyle habits to resolve the situation.