Your period can be delayed for a variety of reasons, ranging from stress to pathology.
Although many women think about pregnancy every time, they have a late period, in reality, this can be due to a number of issues.Â
It should be noted that late period does not always mean something serious. In other words, variations in the menstrual period are not strange. In fact, they are part of the process.
Possible causes of late period
1. Pregnancy
Sometimes a late period means exactly what you think you’re pregnant! Because early pregnancy symptoms such as cramps, bloating, fatigue, and breast tenderness are similar to what you may experience in the days leading up to your period, it can be difficult to know if your cycle is just “off” for a few days or you’re pregnant.
The quickest and easiest way to find out if this is the cause of the delay is to choose to take a pregnancy test. These tests detect human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone released during pregnancy, in your urine. The test is reliable from the second day of delay, and much more reliable when you have already been a week.
2. Stress
You already know that stress can have a number of unpleasant side effects, such as headaches, weight gain, and acne. This can also affect your menstrual cycle. When you are under physical or emotional stress, your body produces stress hormones(adrenaline and cortisol).
Elevated levels of these stress hormones force the brain to decide which bodily functions are essential and which are not, until the event that produces the anxiety is over.
Blood flow to the muscles and oxygen to the lungs increase. This is part of the “fight or flight” response you’ve probably heard of. While others, such as digestion and the reproductive system, can be temporarily stopped in extreme cases. When the reproductive cycle slows down, so does your period.
3. Thyroid disorder
When the thyroid is not working properly it can cause abnormal menstrual changes. An overactive thyroid( hyperthyroidism ) can make your periods lighter and less frequent.
Additional symptoms include weight loss, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, and trouble sleeping. An underactive thyroid( hypothyroidism ) can also cause your period to be less frequent. It can also cause weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, and hair loss. A blood test helps rule out  this option.
4. Hormonal imbalance
Syndrome Polycystic ovary(SOP) is a condition in which female sex hormones are deregulated. It can cause cysts on the ovaries and prevent ovulation regularly.
In addition to missed or irregular periods, PCOS can also cause excess hair growth, acne, weight gain, and possibly infertility. Through a blood test, the state of hormone levels can be checked.
5. Weight
Extreme weight loss, low calorie intake, or very low weight stress the hypothalamus and the body does not release the estrogens necessary to build the lining of the uterus.
Eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia also cause estrogen levels to drop. On the other hand, being overweight or gaining a lot of weight in a short time can cause your body to produce too much estrogen. Both one extreme and the other are harmful to health.
The overload can make you spend months without ovulating or the lining of the endometrium grow too much and become unstable. Which results in heavy, irregular or missing periods.
6. Medications
Both  hormonal contraceptives and other drugs can alter the menstrual period. Among the most prominent are: antidepressants, some antipsychotics, corticosteroids and drugs used for chemotherapy.
7. Perimenopause
The Perimenopause is the period of time preceding menopause, which begins to decline estrogen production. Therefore, during perimenopause, it is not uncommon to have changes in the menstrual cycle.
The periods can be more or less frequent, shorter or longer, lighter or heavier. But you’re also likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, and mood swings.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that a delay in the period can have an emotional origin. The key is not to jump to conclusions until you find out what is really going on. A visit to the doctor can help identify the cause.
Remember, it is not advisable to resort to self-medication in any case or to natural remedies, as they could have counterproductive effects.
The Perimenopause is the period of time preceding menopause, which  begins to decline estrogen production. Therefore, during perimenopause, it is not uncommon to have changes in the menstrual cycle.
The periods can be more or less frequent, shorter or longer, lighter or heavier. But you’re also likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, and mood swings.
