It is safe to say that a stable menstrual cycle is the main sign of the healthy functioning of organs important to the body. But, unfortunately, in the modern rhythm of life, jumps in the menstrual cycle are a problem that most often sounds like a complaint in the gynecologist’s office. Let's look at the features of the menstrual cycle. Is it always when the delay is 7 days, the test is negative, the reasons for this are serious diseases?
Regularity is the main thing
For the first time, each representative of the fair sex learns what menstruation is, aged 12-14 years, during the teenage period, accompanied by puberty. This indicator can vary depending on the individual and hereditary characteristics of a certain organism (in some girls menstruation begins at 10-11, while others do not know what it is up to 15). The first two years after the beginning of the discharge is the period of formation of the cycle, when its jumps are considered normal (however, this is not an occasion in order to ignore regular preventive visits to the gynecologist). If after 2 years from the beginning of menstruation a woman is still worried about a delay of 7 months, this is an alarming bell that requires examination of the body.
The menstrual cycle itself is the period between menstruation. It is calculated from the first for a new menstruation to the beginning of the next. This interval should remain in approximately the same range (usually from 21 to 35 days, for most women it is 28 days). Deviations of 1-2 days are considered within normal limits, since even taking antibiotics, changing the climate zone or stresses affect the frequency of menstruation.
Immediately after bleeding in the ovary, the next egg matures. The endometrium builds up in the uterine cavity, which should further contribute to the consolidation of the fertilized egg. All this is accompanied by an increase in the level of female hormone in the blood. The peak of the cycle is ovulation - the 12-14th day, when the egg begins to move through the fallopian tube to the uterus. A yellow body derivative of the progesterone hormone is formed in its place . If sexual intercourse took place during this period, then pregnancy occurs, the fertilized egg falls into the uterine cavity, fixes on its wall and develops there. If there was no conception, the level of progesterone and female hormone in the blood drops, and after a while menstruation occurs.
From this we conclude that if a woman has a 7-day delay, the test is negative, the reasons may lie in malfunctions of the hormonal regulation of the body. But not always!
Is it possible to 100% trust the tests?
How does a pregnancy test work, and can its results be trusted? This is the first important question. The principle of the pharmacy pregnancy test is to determine the level of hCG (chorionic gonadotropin) in the urine. After attaching a fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus, its concentration in the blood and, accordingly, urine, begins to grow rapidly. Manufacturers claim that 97% of the tests show a reliable picture, that is, if a woman is pregnant, he will definitely find out. It is quite logical, because they will not do the anti-advertising of their products.
There are also many articles on the Internet calling to believe in pregnancy tests, because if it is not expired, then everything is correct. But in the gynecologist’s office you can hear a completely different opinion. Doctors are not inclined to show so much confidence in tests. They are repelled by the hCG in the blood. At an early stage of pregnancy, it may be in small quantities, since each organism is individual. When a woman has a delay of 7 days, the test is negative, the reasons for this result can be associated with changes in the hormonal background.
Typically, gynecologists strongly recommend that you take the test again after a week or two, or even better - do an ultrasound of the uterine cavity and take a blood test for hCG. Sometimes two test strips can be seen by women suffering from some gynecological diseases. Therefore, a gynecologist after examination will tell women who have a 7-day delay in what to do.
Delayed menstruation in young mothers
Another aspect worth mentioning is that a woman after childbirth due to the active production of the hormone prolactin has a delay in her periods - this is a normal phenomenon. If the child is on artificial nutrition, the woman’s cycle will recover in 1-2 months. Moms who breastfeed their baby may not remember what menstruation is for a year, or even 2-3 years. The main thing is to know during this period that the absence of menstruation is not a sign that a woman cannot become pregnant again (many young parents forget about this, neglecting contraceptives).
Ovarian dysfunction
In principle, ovarian dysfunction and a skipping menstrual cycle are almost synonymous expressions. Often, when a woman has a delay of 7 months, the reasons lie in precisely dysfunction. But thyroid malfunctions can provoke it. Here, in addition to the gynecologist, it is necessary to pay a visit to the endocrinologist and go through all the examinations prescribed by him.
Ovarian inflammation and serious gynecological diseases
When a woman has a delay of 7 months, the reasons may be in various disorders of the functioning of the reproductive system, that is, diseases. Moreover, diseases are not the simplest ones: starting from inflammatory processes that cover the organs of the woman’s reproductive system, and uterine fibroids, and ending with cervical cancer. Of course, putting off solving such problems in the long run is unacceptable. Moreover, it can have unpleasant, and sometimes fatal consequences. Especially if any discharge is observed. When the delay is 7 days, bloody discharge in this case are clear signs of inflammatory processes in the body that require immediate medical attention!
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
A gynecologist can make such a diagnosis to a woman at the first glance at her. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have increased levels of testosterone in the blood. As a result, they have atypical growth for body hair (for the male type), overweight, and increased oily hair and skin. However, these external signs may not necessarily be direct indicators (in contrast to a blood test for testosterone) of polycystosis.
When a woman has a delay of 7 days, the test is negative, the reasons may well be in the increased level of testosterone, since its high concentration in the blood slows down the regularity of the onset of menstruation. The most unfavorable consequence of this is female infertility. However, this problem is easily solved with the help of oral contraceptives, which doctors often attribute to women with PCOS. Their reception will not only normalize the cycle, but will also positively affect the woman’s appearance, so you should not be afraid of the diagnosis of PCOS: the main thing is to seek medical help in time.
Low body mass index
Not always a delay in menstruation can indicate serious diseases, sometimes its cause is quite simple. For example, low body weight. To determine whether a certain mass corresponds to growth, you need to calculate BMI. If the resulting figure is in the range of 18-25, the woman's weight is in an ideal ratio with her height. An indicator above 25 is evidence of excess weight, and below 18 is evidence of its lack. It is the lack of weight that can cause a woman to have a delay of 7 months. As soon as the woman’s weight returns to normal, her cycle becomes regular.
Some other explanations
Also, a delay can occur in a perfectly healthy woman with a normal weight in the absence of pregnancy. The matter is in external circumstances. As mentioned above, the menstrual cycle is a fragile mechanism, many factors affect its stability. Nervous stress, stress, hard physical work, a change in the climatic zone when traveling, taking antibiotics - all this can provoke a delay. It is likely that menstruation after a delay of 7 days, caused by external factors, will go fine, as usual.
What are the consequences of cycle jumps?
In general, nothing. Lack of menstruation is not a disease. However, this is an alarming bell for a woman that there is something wrong with the body, and it needs to be examined. Of course, it is better that when a woman has a delay of 7 days, the reasons are not associated with diseases. But to find out, it is advisable to see a doctor.
He will determine whether pregnancy can be ruled out, whether there are gynecological problems. In some situations, a visit to the doctor is extremely necessary, since delaying can lead to serious consequences. For example, when a woman has a 7-day delay, brown discharge, which suddenly appears, indicates possible health problems.