When I went to the bathroom, sure enough, my period had arrived.
But seriously, ouch.
Im not the only one wondering if thestress of living during a pandemicis capable of affecting menstruation.
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A Twitter search turned up dozens of questions and affirmations about quarantine stress affecting periods.
Heres what you should know about how this works and when period changes warrant a call to your doctor.
First, a quick physiology lesson on how you get a period.
Yourperiodand many of the symptoms that may come along with it dont all originate in the ovaries or uterus.
The brain actually controls this whole show.
The whole thing is designed to get you pregnant, Dr. Minkin says.
Suffice to say, there are a lot of moving pieces.
Im amazed every time a period happens, Dr. Minkin says.
I wish I shared her awe.
Stress can affect your periods timing (and if it shows up at all).
Wonky ovulation from stress can also delay your period even if it doesnt do away with it entirely.
Its not as clear if and how stress can impact your PMS symptoms.
Lets use cramps, a notorious PMS hallmark, as an example of this interplay.
(The researchers followed 250 of the women for both cycles, so the vast majority.)
But what about if youre taking birth control?
The estrogen in these contraceptives suppresses or prevents ovulation.
[Combined hormonal birth control] overrides the whole system, Dr. Minkin says.
Can stress throw your cycle out of whack even on combined hormonal birth control?
Its theoretically possible, but way less likely, Dr. Minkin says.
For example, you might see some spotting for a few monthsafter starting birth control pills.
Its better to have a test on hand than have to do an emergency pharmacy run.
If your period isreallyweird right now, talk to your ob-gyn.
Bleeding for more than seven days when you have a period is another big one.
Whether you think you’re dealing with stress-induced coronavirus/period weirdness or something else, get in touch.
For now, Ill see you on Twitter to compare pandemic period notes.
