Irregular periods can be a complicated issue to fix, since women’s hormones are impacted by some different factors and bodily systems.
Aside from being pregnant and going through menopause, which both normally stop a woman from getting her period, here are the other major causes for irregular periods or amenorrhea.
Here are five causes of irregular periods every woman should know.
1. High Stress Levels
When you’re under a lot of stress for an ongoing period, your body can start to conserve energy by preventing ovulation.
Experiencing a traumatic event, or even a lot of “ordinary” stress, can suddenly cause the adrenals to work overtime, which can disrupt the production of thyroid hormones, estrogen, and other reproductive hormones.
2. Poor Diet
A poor diet low in nutrients, antioxidants, and probiotic foods yet high in stimulants can tax the adrenal glands and thyroid. For example, a high intake of sugar, hydrogenated fats, and artificial additives, or pesticides, is linked with thyroid issues and adrenal fatigue that can raise cortisol.
3. Body Mass Index (BMI) Changes
When your body mass index (BMI) falls below 18 or 19, you can start to miss your period due to having too little body fat. Body fat is important for creating enough estrogen, which is why very thin women or those with serious conditions like anorexia and bulimia can experience absent or missed periods.
Increased physical activity and nutritional demands of intensive exercise can sometimes lead to a low body weight that puts you at risk for hormonal problems.
4. Over-Exercising
Although moderate exercise is very important for ongoing heart health, mood regulation, sleep, and maintaining a healthy body weight, too much exercise can also put excess pressure on your adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary glands. Women who rapidly start exercising at high intensities — for example, by training for a marathon or some other major event that requires a high level of physical exertion — can suddenly stop getting their period.
ALSO READ: 9 Things You Should Avoid Doing When You Are On Your Period
5. Food Allergies
Undiagnosed gluten sensitivity or celiac disease can both impact hormone levels. Because these conditions can cause nutrient deficiencies, negatively impact gut health, and add chronic stress to your adrenal glands, they can affect sex hormone production, thereby affecting your menstrual cycle.
How to Rebalance Hormones
As you can see, a woman’s diet, level of stress, relationship with family and friends, habit of exercise, environment, and a host of other factors contribute to the quality of her life and, therefore, her state of hormonal health.
While hormone imbalances can often go ignored, all women must pay honest attention to how each element of their lifestyle affects their health — this way, they can make choices to eliminate or tweak any aspects that are causing irregular periods.
- Make appropriate diet, lifestyle, and stress-reduction changes first.
- Use natural herbs and remedies when extra support is needed.
- Then consider trying hormonal pills or procedures with a healthcare provider, if need be.
