May 23, 2012
Parenting & Pregnancy Missed Period What to do When Period is Late
What to do When Period is Late |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: I have a regular period, my last one was on aug 13, i havent got one for sept. i am sexually active, i took a pregnancy test and it came back negative. What should I do? Dear Sonia: I can understand your anxiety. Everywomen will have irregular periods at one point in their lives but when it happens to you, it can be very anxiety provoking. Information that would be helpful to your doctor to further understand your issue would be the age you first had menses, the pattern of your menses over time and current and past use of birth control or medications. He or she will also ask about any other symptoms and your general medical history. The number one cause of a missed period is pregnancy. Home urine tests are accurate as early as seven days after conception. If pregnancy is a possibility, a blood test can also confirm the diagnosis. Once pregnancy is ruled out, it is common to perform blood tests to rule out hormonal causes or nutritional deficiencies. Depending on the results of the test, your doctor may also perform an ultrasound to rule out any anatomical causes. However, in my practice, I often advise women a period of observation. Stress is a leading cause of irregular periods and they often become regular again on there own. When they don't, that is when I begin investigations. I hope this helps. |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 February 2011 ) |
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