Periods na aane ke karan and periods jaldi kaise laye: reasons, tests and what is safe

01Periods na aane ke karan: common reasons

Often there is more than one reason at once¹²:

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Stress, poor sleep, illness or travel.
• Weight change and exercise: sudden loss, gain, or a lot of hard exercise.
• Hormonal conditions: PCOS, an under- or overactive thyroid, or a raised prolactin level.
• Contraception and other medicines, including after stopping the pill or an injection.
• Perimenopause: in the years before periods stop, cycles often become irregular. Menopause and perimenopause explains the usual signs.

Has your cycle been unpredictable for a long time? Irregular periods explains early or frequent periods, how they are assessed and what treatment can and can't promise.

In Hindi, Punjabi and Hinglish

The words below are the ones people commonly say or search.

Common questions in Hinglish:

• Periods na aane ke karan kya hote hain? Pregnancy comes first, so test before anything else.¹ Stress, weight change, thyroid, prolactin and PCOS are common reasons.¹ Full answer: "Periods na aane ke karan: common reasons"
• Period na aaye to kya kare? If pregnancy is possible, take a home pregnancy test first.¹ If not, and you have missed three periods in a row, the reason is worth finding.¹² Full answer: "The short answer"
• Periods jaldi kaise laye? Test for pregnancy first. If it is positive, take nothing sold to bring a period on and see a doctor. Hormone tablets that cause a bleed are a prescription decision, not an over-the-counter buy. Full answer: "How can I bring a period on? What is and isn't safe"
• Period lane ke gharelu upay kaun se hain? Home remedies such as papaya, ajwain, haldi, pineapple, jaggery or ginger are widely shared. There is no good evidence that they bring a period on, and none of them tells you why it stopped. Full answer: "How can I bring a period on? What is and isn't safe"
• Period kaise roke, ya period ki date aage kaise badhaye? There is no home remedy with good evidence for delaying a period. Hormone tablets for this are a doctor's decision; do not take someone else's. Full answer: "Can I delay or postpone my period (for a trip or a function)?"

02Kab chinta karein: when it is worth acting

As a guide, cycles shorter than about 21 days or longer than about 35 days, after the first few years of periods, are called irregular.³ A period a few days late is common. If it is more than a week late and pregnancy is possible, take a test.

If the test is negative and the period still doesn't come, repeat it after a few days or see a doctor. Three missed periods in a row, when you are not pregnant, is a reason to see a doctor.¹

03Kaunse test karayein: which tests help

Tests follow your history; not everyone needs all of them.² Commonly useful ones are:

• A pregnancy test, first.
• Thyroid (TSH), as thyroid problems often change the cycle.
• Prolactin, especially with milky nipple discharge, headaches or vision changes.
• Blood sugar and haemoglobin, depending on symptoms.
• Hormone tests or an ultrasound, if PCOS or another cause is suspected, and only if the result would change the plan.³

Bring every earlier report, with dates. A doctor explains the reason for each test before you decide.

04How can I bring a period on? What is and isn't safe

The safe first step is always the same: take a pregnancy test before any tablet, herb, kadha or syrup.

• If the test is positive, see a doctor. Don't take anything sold to "bring the period on"; some tablets sold this way are hormones or pregnancy-ending medicines, and taking them without a doctor can be harmful.
• If the test is negative, repeat it after a few days if the period still hasn't come. Hormone tablets that cause a bleed are a prescription decision, made after the reason has been looked for, not something to buy over the counter.
• Home remedies such as papaya, ajwain, haldi (turmeric), pineapple, jaggery or ginger are widely shared. There is no good evidence that they bring a period on, and none of them tells you why it stopped. Whether papaya or pineapple is safe to eat during a period is answered in painful and heavy periods.

Nothing is given here to start a period, whether in minutes, hours or days. When the reason is found, such as stress, a change in weight, thyroid or PCOS, the cycle often settles once that is addressed.

05Belief vs fact

Belief: "A late period means the body is run down, and a tablet to bring it on will set it right."

What is more accurate: a late period means something changed, and the reason can usually be found.¹ Forcing a bleed doesn't treat that reason, and if pregnancy is possible it can be harmful.

07When reading is not enough

If your period is late and the reason is not clear, a consultation can help work out why and what, if anything, needs checking next. Dr. D.K. Sharma (BAMS) starts with your cycle dates, pregnancy, what has changed, and your medicines and reports. No medicine is named or sold before you are assessed. The consultation is ₹500, in person in Ludhiana or by video, and a personalised Dinacharya (daily-routine) guide follows. Book a consultation · Consult by video

Irregular periods · PCOS or PCOD · All women's health concerns

08What to note before you go

• If pregnancy is possible, the result of a home test, and the date you took it.
• The first day of your last few periods.
• The longest gap between periods this year.
• Any change in weight, sleep, exercise, stress or travel in recent months.
• Every medicine and contraception you use or recently stopped.
• Any thyroid, blood or scan reports.