Women have monthly menstruation since about the age of 12 years. There are many reasons why menstruation stops temporarily, or stops permanently when a woman reaches menopause. To understand why your periods have stopped, you need to consider a variety of factors, from your medical condition to your lifestyle.
Step
Method 1 of 1: Considering Medical Factors
Step 1. Review the contraceptive method you are using
If you miss a menstrual cycle while taking the contraceptive pill, you need to be aware that your periods may become irregular or you may not have a period at all for a long period of time, depending on the method you are using and your body's reaction to it.
- Oral contraceptives are usually made to be taken within 21 days, including 7 days with a placebo pill that has no active efficacy. While taking this placebo pill, you should still have your period. If you skip the placebo pill and go straight to the next packet of active pills, you may miss your menstrual cycle.
- Some newer types of birth control pills are made in the form of packets of active pills for 24 days. This type of contraception usually causes lighter bleeding or sometimes no blood at all.
- Some pills are designed for a longer pack, which means you take the pills continuously for a year, without having any menstrual cycles at all. If this is the type of pill you are taking contraception, you can assume that your period has stopped and will not last until you stop taking the drug. However, many women sometimes experience brownish-colored bleeding even when using contraception properly. Do not worry if you sometimes experience menstruation while using contraception, because it is a side effect of the contraceptive method. However, if this method of contraception is used continuously, you should consult your obstetrician to find out if there are other causes and consider changing the method of contraception.
- Even if you're on the 21-day plan and haven't missed the placebo pill, you'll sometimes miss your menstrual cycle because you're on contraception. If you are not experiencing any pregnancy symptoms and are still taking all the pills on schedule, this may just be a side effect of the medication.
- There are few occasional health risks associated with skipping a placebo pill while taking the 21-day pill pack, and many women do choose this method of contraception to avoid having a period during an important big event. However, you should not skip a placebo pill every month. If you want to eliminate your menstrual cycle through birth control, talk to your doctor about switching to a type of medication that has a continuous cycle. If permitted by your doctor, you can also continue to take the 21-day or 24-day pill pack and skip the placebo pill, as this method is less expensive than the brand-name pills designed for this type of use.
- If you use a "spiral" (IUD), your periods will stop for several months after starting use.
Step 2. Observe the current lifestyle changes
Sometimes, lifestyle changes can cause menstruation to stop. This does not necessarily mean that menstruation will stop for a long time.
- Have you been exercising regularly lately? If you do vigorous exercise on a regular basis, it can change the levels of hormones associated with your menstrual cycle, and slow down your menstrual cycle or make it miss it altogether. Low body fat levels, stress, and excessive energy expenditure can stop the menstrual cycle. Your menstrual cycle may return to normal in the next month, but talk to your doctor if you continue to miss menstrual cycles after adjusting to a new routine.
- Stress can change the function of your hypothalamus. This is the area in your brain that regulates menstrual hormones. If you've been experiencing stress lately due to a significant lifestyle change, such as moving house or getting a new job, you may be missing your period. It won't last long, but you should talk to your doctor or therapist about how to better manage stress if you continue to miss your menstrual cycle because of stress.
Step 3. Get tested for hormonal imbalance conditions
Various types of hormonal imbalance conditions can cause menstruation to stop for a long time. You should talk to your doctor if your menstrual cycle stops suddenly, to see if you have a hormone imbalance that requires treatment with medication.
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) causes much higher levels of certain hormones to rise above the normal hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. If you have PCOS, your periods will usually become irregular but will not stop for a long time until you enter menopause.
- If your thyroid gland is overactive or otherwise underactive, your periods may become irregular until your thyroid levels are stabilized by medication. If you are diagnosed with a thyroid condition, your periods will not stop for a long time.
- Noncancerous tumors sometimes arise in the endocrine glands in one part of the brain, and these tumors need to be removed because they interfere with hormone levels and stop menstruation. Once this problem is resolved, your menstrual cycle should return to normal.
Step 4.
See a doctor to rule out the problem.
Sometimes, problems with the sexual organs can cause menstruation to stop. Depending on the problem, this condition may last a long time or only for a moment.
- Intrauterine scarring, a condition caused by scar tissue forming along the edges of the uterus, can prevent menstruation from occurring. This is because this condition prevents the normal shedding of uterine lining tissue during your menstrual cycle. Depending on how severe the scarring is, this may stop menstruation altogether or make the cycle irregular.
- The absence or incompleteness of the reproductive organs, which sometimes occurs in the process of fetal development, can cause a woman to be born without certain limbs. Depending on which limb is missing, menstruation may stop for a long time.
- Any abnormality in the structure of the vagina can stop menstruation because it prevents the bleeding that is seen in the vagina during menstruation. However, this does not mean that you are not ovulating or that your periods have stopped altogether. Talk to your doctor about your menstrual cycle if you experience any vaginal abnormalities.
Understand the effects of certain psychiatric disorders. Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, can stop your menstrual cycle because of the impact they have on hormone levels by prolonged malnutrition.
- Anorexia is characterized by the behavior of not eating or eating too small portions for a prolonged period, while bulimia is usually characterized by overeating behavior and expelling existing calories by vomiting or taking laxatives.
- The condition of amenorrhea, namely the absence of menstruation, is one of the criteria for the diagnosis of anorexia disorders. In contrast to people with anorexia, bulimia sufferers only miss half of their menstrual cycle.
- If you suffer from an eating disorder, seek immediate medical attention as the disorder can be life threatening.
Detect Menopause
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Understand the basics of menopause. To find out if you are experiencing menopause, you need to understand the basic biological processes that cause menopause.
Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped Step 6 - Menopause is the point when your periods will stop forever. The egg cell stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The years leading up to your last menstrual period, with the usual symptoms of a hot flush (a sudden feeling of heat in the body, followed by sweating and a pounding heart), are often mistaken for menopause. However, this is actually a period of menopausal transition known as premenopause.
- Typically, women experience menopause between the ages of 40 and 55, with an average age of 51. However, you may experience premature menopause, especially if you have had surgery to remove certain reproductive organs.
- Menopause is a natural body process that does not require medical treatment. However, many women benefit from hormone replacement therapy during the premenopausal transition. Talk to your doctor to see if this therapy has the potential to help you physically and emotionally as you head into menopause.
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Track how much time has passed since your last menstrual cycle. Depending on how long you've had it since your last period, you may not have gone through menopause. If so, you may experience another menstrual cycle at some point, before your cycle completely stops.
Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped Step 7 - Irregular periods are normal during premenopause. Several missed menstrual cycles in a row does not necessarily mean menopause, so talk to your doctor if you miss several cycles in a row. You need to find out if there are potential health problems, such as cancer, before assuming that you are heading into menopause.
- It is good to monitor your monthly cycle to know when your period is late. You should get into the habit of noting this cycle if you are in your 40s, because this is when you start to enter menopause. Just a dot on the calendar can be a pretty good sign to know when you're having your period.
- If your period has stopped for a year, it means you have gone through menopause. You will no longer have menstrual cycles.
- If after a year, you suddenly experience bleeding, call your doctor immediately. This is postmenopausal bleeding, which needs to be evaluated immediately.
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Stay tuned for other symptoms. Track any other symptoms you're experiencing to find out how long you've been experiencing these premenopausal symptoms. Knowing that you are premenopausal can help you detect menopause itself.
Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped Step 8 - Hot flushes are normal in premenopause. This is a sudden burst of heat in your upper body. Red patches may also appear on your skin and arms.
- During premenopause, your feelings about sex will change. Women become less interested in having sex due to hormonal changes. Sex will be uncomfortable, because of the dryness of the vagina in women who experience menopause.
- Vaginal and urinary tract infections are common as you head into menopause.
- Trouble sleeping, frequent mood swings, difficulty concentrating, and weight gain in the midsection are other symptoms of menopause.
Looking for Natural Causes
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Take a pregnancy test. During pregnancy, women do not experience menstruation. You may experience some spotting of blood, but you will not have a period during pregnancy. If your period suddenly stops, it may be due to pregnancy.
Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped Step 9 - Many types of pregnancy tests are accurate enough to take on the first day you don't have your period. In most tests, you just need to dip a small stick-shaped test kit in your urine and wait a few minutes for the results. A plus sign (+), color change, or “pregnant” text indicates pregnancy. The display of the results of this test varies in each test tool.
- Home pregnancy tests are usually very accurate. Most are 99% accurate, but some are not as good as others at detecting pregnancy as advertised. It's better if you test with two different test kits to ensure accuracy.
- It is important to see a doctor immediately to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test.
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Consider the effects of breastfeeding. Usually, after pregnancy the menstrual cycle will return to normal. However, if you are breastfeeding, you may not experience regular menstrual cycles immediately. Breastfeeding can usually slow the return of the menstrual cycle in the first month after pregnancy. If your period is delayed for a prolonged period of time, you should discuss it with your doctor to find the cause.
Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped Step 10 -
Understand that periods can become irregular after pregnancy. The menstrual cycle after pregnancy takes time to return to normal. This does not mean menstruation will stop for a long time.
Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped Step 11 - Usually, when you stop breastfeeding you will start to see a little bit of blood. Your menstrual cycle should return to normal within the first few months after you notice the slight spotting of blood.
- You may experience heavy bleeding during your first menstrual cycle after pregnancy. It's nothing to worry about, but if you've been bleeding profusely for a week or more, talk to your doctor right away.
- Remember, even though you may not see the physical signs of your period, you are still fertile even after your pregnancy is over. Be sure to use birth control if you want to avoid future pregnancies, even if you haven't had your period.
Tips
- Seek medical advice if your menstrual cycle has stopped for more than 90 days and the cause is not due to lifestyle changes, pregnancy, menopause, or other natural factors.
- There are two types of conditions where menstruation does not occur (amenorrhea), namely primary and secondary. The primary condition is if the woman has never experienced menstruation, while the secondary condition is if the woman previously had normal menstruation and then stopped. Primary amenorrhea usually occurs due to chromosomal or structural abnormalities, while the most common cause of secondary amenorrhea is pregnancy.
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