Amenorrhoea: 8 reasons you fit miss your period and you no dey pregnant

To miss periods for women of childbearing age na amenorrhea, and although di best-known cause na pregnancy, many reasons dey why period fit delay or miss.

Normal-normal, women of reproductive age dey get dia period every 28 days, although e dey common to get slightly shorter or longer cycles, between 24 and 35 days.

Occasional missed period no dey considered as serious problem, but if na issue wey dey happen again and again, e fit be signal to underlying issue.

"You need to know yourself and how your body dey work, so you go know wen sometin no dey right. And every woman dey function differently; no two women dey di same," gynaecologist Dr Amira Alkourdin Martinez tell BBC.

Di UK National Health Service (NHS), recommend say make you dey consult doctor if you get missed periods for three months back to back and you no dey pregnant, or if your period stop bifor di age of 45.

Di Mayo Clinic for United States also recommend medical consultation for girls wey never start to menstruate by age 15.

Dis na di eight common causes - excluding pregnancy - wia woman fit experience amenorrhea, according to both institutions.

1. Stress

"Stress na di most important reason and a real pandemic of our time," Dr Amira Alkourdin Martinez tok.

Stress dey trigger di production of hormones like adrenaline, put di body in a high state of alert as defence mechanism in dangerous situations.

Long exposure to dis hormones fit affect menstruation - make cycles dey longer or shorter, cause missed period, or make periods more painful.

In some cases, e fit cause make woman experience two periods within di usual four-week cycle.

If stress na di cause of a late or missed period, di NHS recommend to take measures like regular exercise or to practice breathing techniques.

If dis measures no dey effective, e get cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT) wey fit help individuals cope with stress and anxiety.

2. Too much or sudden weight loss

To seriously restrict calories wey you dey consume fit stop di body from producing di hormones wey dey needed for ovulation.

Registered nutritionist fit help patients wey dey underweight, including adults wey get body mass index (BMI) below 18.5, gain weight in a healthy way.

Wen weight loss dey caused by eating disorder, like anorexia, di help of a psychiatrist usually dey necessary.

3. Overweight or obesity

To dey overweight fit cause di body to produce excess oestrogen, one of di hormones wey dey regulate woman reproductive system.

Increased levels of oestrogen fit affect di frequency of periods and, in some cases, cause periods to stop altogether.

For women wey dey experience amenorrhoea wey dey overweight or get BMI over 30, doctors often dey refer dem to nutritionist for support to achieve healthy weight.

4. Extreme physical exercise

Di physical stress of intense exercise fit also affect di levels of hormones wey dey regulate menstruation, and di loss of too much body fat fit prevent ovulation.

For professional athletes, sports medicine specialists fit advise on how dey fit keep performance at di right level of intensity.

5. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovaries dey contain large number of follicles wey be underdeveloped sacs wia eggs dey grow. In women wit dis condition, dis sacs most times no dey able to release eggs, and therefore ovulation no dey happen.

For UK, NHS estimate say PCOS dey affect one in 10 women. E dey account for missing periods in 33% of cases.

6. Menopause or Premature Menopause

Along wit pregnancy and breastfeeding, menopause na one of di natural causes of amenorrhea.

As women dey approach menopause, oestrogen levels begin to drop, and ovulation go become less regular.

Menopause normally dey happen between di ages of 45 and 55.

However, medical studies estimate say one in every 100 women dey experience menopause bifor di age of 40, a condition wey dey known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure.

7. Contraceptives

Some birth control pills, injections, implants and intrauterine devices fit also cause amenorrhea.

Even afta di stop of oral contraceptives, e fit take some time bifor di body ovulate regularly again.

8. Oda medical conditions and long-term medications

Menstruation fit also dey absent sake of result of long-term medical conditions like diabetes or hormonal disorders like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

Amenorrhea fit happen sake of certain medications, like antipsychotics, chemotherapy, antidepressants, and treatments for high blood pressure and allergies, according to di Mayo Clinic.