The majority of women have between 11 and 13 menstrual periods a year, but you might have more or less and so you may be interested in causes of irregular periods.

Usually it is normal during the first year of menstruation to have irregular periods. It could take a long period of time for the hormones controlling the periods to achieve a balance.

At the end of the menstrual years the periods could get irregular again and this is another one of the irregular period causes. Another one of the most usual causes of irregular periods is being pregnant. In case there is the possibility for you to be pregnant you should treat yourself as being pregnant until you are sure that you aren’t.

In case you aren’t expecting a baby, there are also some other irregular period causes, such as major changes regarding your weight. It is known that in case you lose a lot of weight, the periods could become irregular, but the same thing may happen also in case you gain a massive amount of weight.

The eating disorders could also become one of the irregular period causes, such as bulimia or anorexia. Athletes are also known to have problems with missed periods caused by the increased amount of exercise. Stress on the emotional level could also be one of the causes of irregular periods, as well as illness or travelling.

Medication could also represent one of the irregular period causes, including different methods of birth control. These may cause fewer, lighter, skipped, more frequent or no periods. On the other hand illegal drug use could bring the same results.

Hormone problems should also be considered when thinking about causes of irregular periods. If you happen to have hormone problems, there could be an irregularity regarding the balance of the hormones which are supporting menstruation.

The pelvic organs could also have an effect on the menstruation cycle, including the imperforate hymen, Asherman’s syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome. Breast feeding is another one of the situations that is unusual for the body, and this is why it may become an irregular period cause. Naturally the effects disappear once breastfeeding is completed.

You have to keep in mind that you could become pregnant even though you don’t have periods anymore. This is why in case you do not wish to have babies you should be using birth control methods.

It could be good to know about ovarian failure that is premature. This happens in case menstruation stops before the age of 40. There are certain reasons for which this might occur, including surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy to the pelvis or the abdomen.

There are also some illnesses that could represent causes of irregular periods, such as irritable bowel syndrome, liver disease or tuberculosis and also diabetes. These could cause irregular periods or even missed periods, but this happens only rarely.

Nonetheless in case you have irregular periods and you have one of these illnesses, most probably you will have some other symptoms as well.