Any woman, regardless of whether she dreams of becoming pregnant or not, worries when menstruation should begin, but does not come for a long time. Then she buys a pregnancy test at the pharmacy, but sometimes it shows a negative result. Why don't my periods come on time, what could be the reason for the delay? This issue needs to be sorted out, since the situation may indicate serious problems with the health of the reproductive sphere or the entire female body as a whole.
Missing periods with a negative pregnancy test may indicate health problems
How a pregnancy test works
Today, pharmacies offer women a huge range of different tests to determine pregnancy: from the cheapest to the most expensive. However, they are based on the same principle of action - a reaction to the hCG hormone. The developing embryo begins to produce this substance into the maternal blood a few days after fertilization. During other periods, the woman’s body practically does not produce it (the hormone content is minimal). The level of hCG in the blood of a pregnant woman steadily increases and reaches its maximum at 8–9 weeks, after which it gradually decreases.
This hormone appears in female urine a little later than in the blood. This happens approximately at the time when menstruation should begin. There is a delay - the woman does a test, which records the increased level of hCG in the form of a second strip that appears.
Under the influence of the hCG hormone in female urine, a second line appears on the test
However, the duration of the menstrual cycle is of great importance here: it can be shorter or longer. In the first case, the test may not show pregnancy immediately after a delay, in the second, it may detect it even before the expected period.
Modern tests have a very high degree of accuracy. The higher the sensitivity of the test (from 10 to 25 MME/ml), the earlier the period at which it will show pregnancy will be. The main thing is to carry out home diagnostics correctly, strictly following the instructions on the package. So, you need to immerse the strip in urine strictly to the intended line, and the waiting time for the result should not exceed 5 minutes (in the future, under the influence of sunlight and other factors, the result may be distorted).
As for interaction with urine, tablet and inkjet tests are more convenient in this regard. The first ones have a window where you need to drop liquid, and the second ones are placed directly under the stream. There are also electronic tests with replaceable cartridges that can even show a specific gestational age (most of them are inkjet).
Test strips are immersed in urine, jet strips are placed under the stream, and for tablet strips a couple of drops of liquid are enough
Video: how a pregnancy test works
Basal temperature norms
Measuring basal temperature is often used by women to determine the regularity of their menstrual cycle. Moreover, for greater information content, such measurements must be made at least 3 cycles in a row and only then display the result according to which:
- Hormonal disorders are detected;
- The chance of successful conception increases;
- Infertility is established;
- The sex of the child is planned;
- The correct functioning of the body is observed.
Temperature indicators are entered into a graph, where the picture of the processes currently occurring in the woman’s reproductive system is clearly visible. With a normal menstrual cycle:
- In the first phase, estrogen predominates, so the numbers on the thermometer do not rise above 36.2-36.6°C.
- There is a slight decline before ovulation.
- At the moment of follicle rupture, the temperature rises to 37.0-37.5°C and these values remain for the entire second half of the cycle.
During pregnancy, temperature indicators do not change until childbirth, and if fertilization does not occur, they decrease before menstruation
Possible reasons for a negative test during a delay
The absence of menstruation on time with a negative test can be caused by a variety of reasons. In some cases, the birth of a new life still occurs in the female body, which simply does not manifest itself yet. Another situation is a short-term failure under the influence of external or internal factors. And the most serious case is pathological diseases that can, to one degree or another, pose a threat to health.
Relatively safe reasons
Sometimes a delay in menstruation occurs as a reaction to an external or internal irritant, or to natural changes in a woman’s body:
- Postpartum delay. After childbirth, the level of prolactin in the mother’s body increases and active production of breast milk begins. This suppresses the hormones responsible for ovulation, so the woman will not have periods for several months. When the cycle resumes, there may well be delays at first. Even if the mother does not breastfeed, lactation does not stop immediately, and a regular menstrual cycle is established only when the hormonal levels return to normal.
- Abrupt climate change. This may be due to business trips or tourist travel. Prolonged exposure to the scorching rays of the sun also plays a role.
- Poor nutrition leading to rapid weight gain, or, conversely, sudden weight loss due to a debilitating diet. In the latter case, the amount of adipose tissue decreases, and it has a certain significance in the synthesis of estrogen, which is responsible for ovulation. As a result, delays may occur. In obesity, excessive accumulation of estrogen also negatively affects the cycle.
- Chronic fatigue, too intense training in the gym, just a lot of physical activity. Under such circumstances, the body seems to suspend its reproductive program - again, ovulation is blocked, and menstruation is delayed.
- Experienced stress.
- Injuries or illnesses accompanied by a long recovery period (for some, ordinary flu or ARVI may have such consequences).
- The individual reaction of the body to taking a drug (hormonal, psychotropic drugs). A certain oral contraceptive may not be suitable for a woman, resulting in delays (up to 20 days). In this case, the tablets must be changed.
- Intoxication due to food or drug poisoning.
- Bad habits: consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs.
- Climax. Before menopause, women often experience delays, and this is a completely normal phenomenon, signaling the decline of reproductive function. In rare cases, this is observed even before the age of 40 - early menopause.
Photo gallery: safe reasons for delayed menstruation
A common cause of false negative tests is an irregular or too short cycle in a woman, for example, when she does not know exactly the day of her ovulation. In such situations, the most reasonable solution is to repeat the test after some time (2-3 days), having tried products from different manufacturers, or in the laboratory take a blood test for hCG.
One of the above cases happened to my friend. The tests gave negative results for a very long time, even when the delay was already two weeks. The doubts of the woman and the doctor were resolved by an ultrasound, where the fertilized egg was clearly visible. As a result, the gynecologist suggested that, most likely, late ovulation had occurred. Moreover, the pregnancy turned out to be absolutely normal (no fading or ectopic).
Negative test for pathological pregnancy
The most dangerous reason for a false negative test during pregnancy is its pathological course. We are talking about the freezing of the embryo at very early stages or its attachment outside the uterus (the production of hCG stops, or it is produced in reduced quantities). If the first case usually ends with heavy menstruation (the woman may not even realize that she was pregnant), then the second is already a very dangerous condition, which is manifested by the following symptoms:
- Cramping pain in the lower abdomen.
- Brownish or bloody discharge.
- General malaise.
Such signs are a reason to immediately contact a gynecologist, who will prescribe an ultrasound to clarify the patient’s condition.
Ectopic pregnancy often makes itself felt with acute cramping pain in the abdomen
Video: false negative pregnancy test reaction (gynecologist talks about various nuances of using the test)
Tactics for a woman’s behavior when there is a delay in a negative test
Of course, if the delay in menstruation was an episodic case (it occurred for the first time in a long time, and menstruation then began), then there is no need to worry too much. But if this happens more than once, then the woman should not delay her visit to the gynecologist. Also a reason to visit a doctor is a one-time delay, accompanied by abdominal pain, strange discharge and general malaise.
If cycle disruptions occur periodically or a one-time delay is accompanied by abdominal pain and pathological discharge, you should definitely go to a gynecologist
In addition to the examination on the chair, the doctor will prescribe the necessary tests to find out the cause of the cycle failures (ultrasound, blood test for hormones, vaginal smear, urine test, etc.). Depending on the nature of the identified pathology, a therapist or endocrinologist may be involved in treatment. In this case, the main task is to eliminate not the delays in menstruation themselves, but the pathological condition that causes them (after this the cycle will improve).
It is unacceptable to induce menstruation using folk remedies. This can lead to exacerbation of the underlying disease and uncontrolled bleeding. The menstrual cycle is controlled by hormones, and they need to be influenced extremely carefully - only under the guidance of a doctor.
In itself, a delay in menstruation with a negative test is not dangerous to health; diseases manifested by cycle instability can pose a threat. If this situation recurs periodically, then the woman should definitely contact a gynecologist. Another case is a false negative test during an existing pregnancy. In this case, the “interesting situation” will soon make itself felt anyway.
Higher philological education. Experience as a proofreader, editor, website maintenance, teaching experience (first category).
When to worry
The safest reason for observing a delay in menstruation and elevated body temperature is pregnancy. In other cases, it is extremely important to determine the cause in advance and undergo full treatment of the detected diseases.
You should be concerned, first of all, if your basal temperature is elevated (at 37 degrees), as well as if other dangerous symptoms appear and a general deterioration of your condition. This includes vomiting, dizziness, itching and burning in the genital area (especially during urination), low blood pressure, as well as severe cutting pain in the lower abdomen.
As a rule, the listed symptoms signal not only severe forms of inflammatory processes, but also other types of diseases that provoke damage to the uterus and other organs of the reproductive system of the female body. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to undergo examination by a gynecologist every six months. At the same time, it is important to keep a diary with timely entries about the beginning and cessation of menstruation, the level of profuse bleeding, and the duration of ovulation. In such records, uncharacteristic or side effects are also necessarily noted, for example, the manifestation of cutting pains and their total duration.
