Lifestyle

How is the pandemic affecting the menstruation cycle?

How irregular periods become new stress?


During the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, it is possible that people are feeling more stressed than ever. Even if they don’t realize it. This constant stress can cause strange problems in the body. For women, this pandemic creates even more concern, because it can worsen their menstrual cycle. Many women have said that they are having problems related to periods. In this, there are problems like irregular periods, a lot of pain and discomfort during periods, apart from missing periods. The reason for this is the stress felt during the lockdown. Actually, it has been found that during the corona pandemic, women are feeling a lot of stress. Which is also affecting their health and periods.

How Covid stress affect the menstrual cycle?

Women have faced irregular menstruation since the beginning of the pandemic. According to doctors, there has been a jump of 20-25 percent in menstrual-related complaints. They have attributed this to the stress created by Covid. Sudden travel, meeting office deadlines, and emotional discomfort are the main causes of stress. But the stress arising out of the pandemic and lockdown had a greater impact on women. Women had to face a double whammy for working from home.

Menstruation related problems on rise during Lockdown:

As in, most of the people are locked in their homes during the lockdown. Work from home, child care and safety measures related to Covid are not only very tedious. Rather, women are getting a lot of stress because of them. According to experts, there has been a drastic change in the sleeping patterns, diet, and physical activity of women due to being locked in homes for a long time. Due to which women are facing problems related to periods.

Women faced double whammy in lockdown

Economic uncertainty, along with household chores and taking care of children, added to the stress. This affected their monthly cycle. The corona pandemic has been an active factor due to which imbalance was seen in the menstrual cycle of women.

How covid vaccine affect the menstrual cycle of women?

Many females have reported that after getting a shot of the COVID vaccine, their menstruation cycle changed. Some women experience light bleeding or no bleeding at all on their due dates while others experience heavy bleeding. We do understand that hormones are really important in a menstrual cycle and there is a role for the immune system in the uterus if there are changes, perhaps due to a vaccine, maybe that would subtly affect the behavior of the immune system in the uterus. According to the report by The Quint, many Women across the globe has shared anecdotes on how the coronavirus had disrupted their menstrual cycles.

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Side effects of stress:

1. The level of cortisol hormone in the body increases greatly. These are stress hormones. When, if there is an excess of cortisol in the body, it starts affecting the hormones that help in reproduction or reproduction.

2. Hormonal imbalance can occur in women due to stress.

3. There is an increased risk of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Which increases the chances of panic creation in women.

What does the doctor have to say?

Oneworldnews talked to Doctor Meenakshi Ahuja who is Director of OBG, Fortis La Femme. She is also an Academic Sec. of Delhi Gynae Forum and President of the Indian menopause society. She told Oneworldnews that after the second wave we have realised that the menstrual cycle may go haywire for a couple of months if you have suffered from covid recently. It could be attributed to the disease itself, the medication especially blood thinners and steroids, or even because of the stress and fear of the disease itself. Psychological stress is one of the reasons why cycles may go haywire for a couple of months, and that’s why irregular periods have been seen after COVID vaccination too.

What is the solution?

A healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercises and a balanced diet is the most important factor in women’s health. Weight-bearing exercises keep bones strong and weight in check which prevents hormonal imbalances. Although the situation is tough, we all are supposed to fight back. It is alright to get mentally affected by the pandemic but it is also necessary to maintain mental sanity. Keep your mental health prime which is associated with one’s overall wellbeing. Take good care of nutrition. Avoid eating unhealthy foods. Lack of nutrition can make you anaemic which can affect bleeding patterns during periods. Take iron and calcium-rich food.

Have a news story, an interesting write-up or simply a suggestion? Write to us at info@oneworldnews.com

Jagisha Arora

MA in History and has worked as a freelance writer. She writes on issues of gender, caste and democracy.
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