Almost every single person in this world is experiencing some sort of stress right now. If you are in the same boat, you probably know what I'm talking about. Stress can affect our bodies in more ways than one and it might be taking a different kind of toll on the female body.?
Women, including myself, are experiencing irregular periods during this lockdown period and apparently, there is a reason behind it all. While some women are facing intense cramps and light spotting for the first time, others are getting their period way too early.
If you are someone who is going through the same, fret not because you are not alone.?
In an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, Dr Sarah Toler, Doctor of Nursing Practice?said, "Stress activates a hormonal pathway in the body called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Together, these three components (that's the HPA axis, cortisol, and CRH) help to control stress response in the body."
Dr Toler who is also?a science writer at female health app Clue, added,?"Excess release of cortisol can suppress normal levels of reproductive hormones, potentially leading to abnormal ovulation, which can disrupt your cycle."
She further explains that this disturbance to the body could push the period to start early or later than expected. In some cases, some women might not get their period at all.
Stress also has the potential to affect the length of your menstrual cycle by making your periods longer or shorter than your usual cycle.?To make matters worse, women are finding themselves in more than usual painful menstrual cramps.
The doctor also mentions that if you haven't experienced any of it, there are chances you just might in the coming future. She explains that the changes might not be clear enough initially and could take their sweet time to be evident.
She said, "Stress from the preceding month may also affect the frequency of dysmenorrhea, so someone might not experience painful menstruation as a result of stress until their period the following month."