Stress Awareness Month: Know How Stress Can Affect Your Menstrual Cycle

April is celebrated as the stress awareness month. Healthcare workers talk about stress, its effects and how to manage it. But do you know that stress can alter your menstrual cycle as well?

If you have been wondering why your periods are delayed and cannot pinpoint a physical reason, we have got all the answers. To speak about the effects of stress on the menstrual cycle, Dr Jyoti Bhaskar, Additional Director - Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Patparganj, New Delhi, connected with us.

Stress Is The Leading Cause For Delayed Periods

Dr Bhaskar has noticed that an increasing number of patients often come with complaints of missing or late periods. Some women say they are late for 15 to 20 days, while others tell her that they haven’t bled for as long as three months.

In such cases, the doctor first tries to rule out physical causes for the delay. It includes checking for pregnancy (if the patient had been sexually active), Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), hyperthyroidism, etc.

In case, every report comes out negative, the doctor dives into the detailed history of the patient. They talk about their personal life and try to understand the psychological causes behind the delay in the menstrual cycles. Dr Bhaskar said that a large number of women these days are experiencing delayed periods because of stress. It is one of the crucial factors that has been affecting the menstruators.

How Stress Affects Menstrual Cycle

Hypothalamus in the brain controls the body and acts as a coordinating centre. It sends the signal to the pituitary gland to release hormones that would activate the ovaries and send them a signal to release the egg. It also helps to send the signal to the uterus when it is time to start shedding the lining, resulting in mesntruation. This cycle ensures that periods are regular.

However, when a person is stressed, the levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone, released by the adrenal glands increase. Dr Bhaskar said that it causes hormonal imbalance in the body leading to delayed, irregular and painful periods.

The gynaecologist pointed out that acute stress for 15 days or a month might not be able to affect the menstrual cycle. However, if it turns chronic or if a person is depressed and they cannot handle the stress, the cortisol levels will shoot up, and periods will be delayed.

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Tips To Manage The Stress

Dr Bhaskar shared a few tips to manage stress:

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• Must indulge in things they love to do
• Spend more time with friends and family
• Read books
• Listen to music
• Go on holidays
• Reach out to loved ones

In case you have tried everything and still cannot manage your stress, you should reach out to a psychologist. When a doctor has ruled out all the psychological reasons for the delayed periods, they would start hormonal therapy in case of chronic stress. It would maintain hormonal balance and help the woman get regularity in her menstrual cycles. The doctor also mentioned that stress does not have a permanent effect on periods. If a person can manage, the cycles can get back to normal.