I haven't had my period for 12 days.

Menstruation is a process that every woman must go through. The first menstruation occurs when a girl is around 12 years old, which is called menarche. The average menstrual cycle is about 28 days. Due to different individual circumstances, the time may be longer or shorter. The menstrual period is about three to seven days. Menstrual irregularity refers to the fact that the physiological cycle is too different from the normal cycle or the menstrual volume, causing women to experience some uncomfortable symptoms. Is it normal to miss your period after 12 days of your menstrual cycle?

Generally speaking, the menstrual cycle is 28-30 days, and a week earlier or later is still within the normal range. If you have sexual intercourse, you should rule out the possibility of pregnancy first. Women's menstruation is regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian gonadal axis. In addition to pregnancy, mental factors, mood swings, environmental changes; local inflammation of the reproductive organs, tumors, developmental abnormalities, malnutrition, intracranial diseases and other endocrine dysfunctions, drugs, nutritional status and other factors can cause dysfunction of this gonadal axis and lead to menstrual abnormalities. It is recommended to go to the hospital to check six sex hormones and B-ultrasound to find out the cause and then receive targeted treatment.

The factors that affect menstruation mainly include endocrine disorders, uterine diseases, gynecological inflammation, mental factors, mood swings, environmental changes, drug effects, fatigue, excessive stress and nutritional status. If you have sex during ovulation, you should also consider the possibility of early pregnancy. It is recommended that you observe carefully. If your menstruation stops for a week, go to the hospital for a check-up to confirm the situation.

It is normal for menstruation to be one week early or late. Of course, if you have sexual intercourse, you should first pay attention to whether there is a possibility of pregnancy. You can check the early pregnancy test paper one week after the menstruation is delayed to confirm it. Other factors that may cause delayed menstruation include fatigue, lack of rest, mental stress, anxiety, environmental changes, gynecological inflammation, and endocrine disorders. There are four situations:

1. Pregnancy

You can use the "Early Pregnancy Test Strip" to test your urine 7 days after your period is delayed. If the result is positive, you are very likely pregnant. If the result is negative, then vice versa. But if you are pregnant, there will be other symptoms such as nausea, breast tenderness, etc. Of course, the last resort is to go to the hospital for an ultrasound examination.

2. The amplitude of the drug effect

For example, endocrine disorders after long-term use of contraceptives can also cause delayed menstruation. Doctors also found, based on patient feedback, that a new generation of gastric motility drug, metoclopramide, also known as domperidone, may also cause this condition. Since metoclopramide does not easily cross the blood-brain barrier, it is believed that it has no inhibitory effect on central dopamine receptors. Central dopamine receptors are inhibited, resulting in a decrease in the amount of hypothalamic release factors entering the anterior pituitary. As a result, the anterior pituitary secretes less gonadotropin and corticotropin, leading to amenorrhea and delayed ovulation.

3. Caused by surgery

For example, intrauterine surgery may cause cervical adhesions, which may lead to menstrual blood stasis and thus delay menstruation.

4. Others

Such as psychological factors such as mental tension, stress, environmental changes, and some diseases that affect endocrine system. Can cause delayed menstruation.

Expert tip: If menstruation is delayed only 1-2 times occasionally and there are no other accompanying symptoms, it does not fall into the category of menstrual disorders. When the interval between menstrual cycles is more than 35 days, it is called oligomenorrhea, and when menstruation stops for more than 3 menstrual cycles, it is called amenorrhea. The absence of ovulation after amenorrhea can also lead to problems such as osteoporosis and endometrial hyperplasia, which must be taken seriously. You should go to the hospital immediately for a comprehensive examination.

Delayed menstruation

A delay of more than one week in the menstrual cycle is called late menstruation. A person whose menstrual period is normal but whose menstrual flow is reduced is called oligomenorrhea. Late menstruation and scanty menstruation often occur together. This disease can be divided into deficiency and excess. If you see symptoms such as sore waist and cold limbs, tinnitus and dizziness, abdominal pain with a feeling of emptiness and sagging, and likes to be pressed and warmed, it is generally a deficiency and cold disease caused by kidney and blood deficiency. If you see lower abdominal distension and pain that refuses to be pressed, dark menstrual blood with clots, pain and distension under the clots reduced, and depression, then these are signs of blood stasis and qi stagnation. The self-treatment of this disease adopts two methods: tonifying and clearing.

Self-treatment precautions

(1) If menstruation is delayed or the menstrual flow is reduced but there is no obvious discomfort, there is no need to rush to self-treat. We can observe for 2-3 cycles before making a conclusion.

(2) Food and drinks should be nutritious and well-balanced. Eat less cold foods, such as watermelon, cucumber, clams, snails, mussels, lily, potatoes, mung beans, etc. Avoid acidic foods or foods that have astringent effects, such as black plums, ginkgo nuts, pomegranates, etc. (3) Be cheerful. Depression can cause obstruction of qi, poor blood flow and difficulty in menstruation.

(4) Late menstruation is associated with low menstrual volume and physical weakness. Patients should participate in more recreational and sports activities to improve their body's resistance. (5) Reduce sexual intercourse.

Self-therapy

1. Self-treatment with ready-made medicines: (1) Take Wu Ji Bai Feng Wan, 1 pill each time, twice a day, with warm water.

(2) Compound Placenta Tablets, 4 tablets each time, 3 times a day, swallow with warm water. (3) Take 5 tablets of Tiaojing Huoxue Tablets 3 times a day with warm water. Used for those with blood stasis and qi stagnation.

2. Prescription for self-treatment: (1) 15g of Chinese rose and 3 slices of ginger, decoct in water, take 1 dose per day, divided into 2 doses. (2) Decoction of 30g Leonurus japonicus, 12g Atractylodes macrocephala, and 12g White Peony Root. Take 1 dose per day, divided into 2 doses. (3) 12g of Astragalus, 12g of Epimedium, 10g of Curculigo, 24g of Salvia miltiorrhiza, 10g of donkey-hide gelatin (melted separately), 12g of Angelica sinensis, 5g of cinnamon twig, decoct in 2 doses, 1 dose per day. Used for those with kidney deficiency and blood deficiency.

3. Dietary self-treatment: 1 pigeon, 30 grams each of turtle shell and tortoise shell, 12 grams of Achyranthes bidentata, 15 grams of red dates. First pack the medicine separately, add seasonings and cook for consumption. (2) Take 30g each of black soybeans and hawthorn and an appropriate amount of brown sugar, decoct in water and take once a day. (3) Cook and consume 1 black-bone chicken, 30g whole angelica, 15g salvia miltiorrhiza, 3g Baiyao, green onion, ginger, and 50g rice wine.

4. External treatment: (1) Apply moxibustion plaster to Guanyuan, Sanyinjiao and Zusanli acupoints, and change them every other day.

Guanyuan Point: three inches below the navel. Sanyinjiao Point: Four horizontal fingers (on your own) above the inner ankle bone, on the posterior edge of the tibia. Zusanli Point: Four finger widths below the outer kneecap and one finger width away from the tibia. (2) Apply the blood nourishing and menstruation regulating ointment to the lower abdomen and change it every two days. Heat compress can achieve better results. (3) Grind 10g of Chinese angelica, 5g of Evodia rutaecarpa, 5g of cinnamon bark, 10g of Curcuma zedoaria, 5g of fennel, and 10g of Ligusticum chuanxiong into powder, mix with ginger juice to make a paste, apply to the navel, and bandage it to secure. Warm with a hot water bottle for 20 minutes at night. Change once a day.

Avoid misdiagnosis

Occasionally, if the menstrual period has passed, it is not advisable to use aggressive medication to regulate the menstruation, otherwise it may easily damage the body, increase the menstrual volume, and deplete the yin blood. If the menstrual period is delayed, the possibility of pregnancy is ignored, and the misuse of blood-activating and menstruation-regulating drugs can easily lead to miscarriage.