can stress affect your period?
What is stress? Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Stress is not always a bad thing, it can be motivating and intentional. However, if stress is consistent and long-term, it can wreck havoc on your body. A heavy stress load can have an effect on your menstrual cycle. In this blog we will look at what types of stress can affect your menstrual cycle and what that looks like. These changes ultimately come from hormonal changes and fluctuations stemming from stress.
A woman's stress response is different from a man's due to fluctuations in hormone levels throughout her 28-day menstrual cycle, known as the infradian rhythm. Cortisol, which is a key stress hormone, varies between the first and second halves of the cycle. Being aware of these changes is important to avoid introducing additional stress that could further disrupt hormonal balance.
There are many ways that stress damages your hormone levels and in-turn negatively impacts your menstrual cycle:
Stress Interferes with blood sugar
Stress raises cortisol levels and can cause your blood sugar to be unbalanced. This disrupts your ovulation and your period. Imbalanced blood sugar harms your hormones. By making an effort to reduce your stress, you can improve your blood sugar, balance your hormones, and improve PMS, bloating, cramps, period-related acne, heavy or irregular periods, and missing periods.
stress Lowers progesterone
Cortisol blocks progesterone production and lowers the hormone’s levels. Your body uses progesterone to make cortisol so it can respond to stress, and the more stress you undergo, the more progesterone your body uses to make cortisol. This lengthens the luteal phase of your cycle. A sign that this could be happening is your period starts out slow, with a lot of brown spotting and blood before you experience your regular flow.
stress Delays ovulation
Increased cortisol levels can delay or even prevent ovulation. Stopping ovulation helps to preserve energy to deal with the stress before the body has to adjust to supporting a baby.
Stress Changes your period’s timing or causes it to go missing
If you’re dealing with stress after you ovulate, you can experience spotting, a period that arrives early, or a period that differs from your norm in terms of consistency, length, color, and/or symptoms like cramping. Intense stress can also cause months where you don’t ovulate at all.
stress Causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Excess cortisol depletes the body of essential vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. B vitamins, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids are most affected. Unfortunately, these are the most important nutrients to calm down your adrenal system, and an overworked adrenal system, can interfere with ovulation.
stress Disrupts up your gut
Stress disrupts the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the digestive system, which in turn affects hormone regulation. This occurs because gut flora, particularly a bacterial colony known as the estrobolome, plays a crucial role in processing and eliminating excess hormones. Elevated stress hormone levels can lead to irregular menstrual cycles.
How do you know if your period is being affected by stress?
The only way to know for certain if stress is the cause of period irregularity is to speak with your provider.
Many other reproductive health concerns can present as changes in your cycle or period. Some may pose serious health complications.
Speaking with your provider can help you rule out other potential causes, including weight changes, disordered eating, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
When to see a provider for a delayed period
There’s never a wrong time to speak with your provider about a change in your menstrual cycle.
Sometimes delayed periods are expected, like with a new pregnancy. Unusual delays in your cycle, however, could be signs of underlying health conditions.
We are here to help at Twin Cities Birth Center + Women’s Health Clinic…
