Irregular period cycle does not always mean you are pregnant!

In today's time, women tend to miss their ongoing period cycle, but missing out on period does not always mean that a woman is pregnant. An irregular menstrual cycle signals that something is wrong in a woman's body and that she is not pregnant.

So, what happens when periods suddenly stop?

Dr. Shweta Goswami, a gynecologist, and IVF Expert explained that if a young woman has regular periods but misses out one for three months, she should look out for her doctor because it could be a serious problem. Lifestyle changes and environmental factors like shift work can disturb the menstrual cycle but absent periods (amenorrhea), especially at the early age, should always be checked out. These four factors can lead to an irregular period:

Stress: Severe stress have a major effect on periods. High levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in body interfere with menstrual hormones surges, resulting in a cycle that's delayed or that just stops.

Low body weight: Being too thin is also not really great for a woman's body. It may prevent pregnancy. Little body fat is a good chance that one will begin to skip periods and have anovulatory cycles.

Excessive exercise: Working out is good but if there is too much exercise, then hormones will be disrupted. Just as with stress, it can impede ovulation.

PCOS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is very common today especially at a young age due to lifestyle habits. It's an endocrine disorder that has many symptoms, such as lack of or irregular periods, 'cysts' on the ovaries, fertility issues and weight gain. It can also cause excess body hair, acne, thinning hair, and depression.

A couple of irregular periods per year are usually nothing to worry about. Any more than that can be an ovulation problem. However, one might want to rule out pregnancy first.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from ANI)

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates