The effect of a cold on menstruation
The monthly changes that the female body undergoes are due to the production of sex hormones. Most of them are reproduced by the ovaries. But this organ works under the subordination of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. All internal organs are interconnected with each other, since the brain is primarily responsible for their work.
In order for the endometrial layer to change every month, it is necessary to carry out many chemical and biological reactions. Anything can interfere with this process.
This begs the question, can a cold affect your period? The penetration of any infection significantly affects the functioning of the entire body. Microbes that grow and multiply leave behind the results of their vital activity. They are primarily toxins. Such substances become an obstacle to natural processes and the production of hormones. How a viral infection will show itself in the body is unknown, since everyone has their own individuality.
What are the reasons for the delay?
Most often, periods are absent for 5-7 days with:
- viral infections during an epidemic;
- respiratory diseases;
- bacterial and fungal infections.
In any case, if there is a delay, you need to check for pregnancy.
A delay can occur even when it seems that the disorder has not affected the body in any way and the condition is generally satisfactory. If you don't have your period, rule out pregnancy. In the early stages, the state of health deteriorates greatly and the woman thinks that she is getting sick. If you are late, purchase and use a pregnancy test.
Malaise due to colds and menstruation
Changes in hormonal levels during a cold are simply inevitable. The thing is that although the hypothalamus is a brain structure, it is very susceptible to the effects of various infections. As a result of this, there is not only a deterioration in the general condition, but also a delay due to a cold. But this does not mean that menstruation will not occur at all and the reproductive organs will rest, their work will simply stop for a while.
A cold greatly affects the phases, which leads to a lack of luteinizing hormone. This phenomenon occurs due to insufficient activity of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Because of this, there is a shift in ovulation, and therefore in the periods themselves.
With these events, menstruation may be delayed by seven to eight days. If menstruation does not come for a longer time, then this already indicates the presence of serious disorders in the body.
Delay in colds of the urinary system
When a woman has a cold, the organs of the excretory system often become inflamed: the kidneys and bladder. Can pathology cause delayed menstruation? The answer is yes. In this case, the delay occurs in various forms, depending on the severity of inflammation, the state of the immune system, and concomitant diseases.
Cystitis
A delay in a cold in the bladder is associated with an inflammatory process, since the infection spreads to the genitals, including, which leads to a cycle failure.
Chronic cystitis is difficult to treat; it provokes infection into the ovaries, which disrupts the functioning of female sex hormones and disrupts the menstrual cycle. The production of estrogen decreases, hormone deficiency thins the inner lining of the bladder, the mucous membrane is more easily injured, and any hypothermia provokes the proliferation of bacteria.
An advanced infection causes pain and burning when urinating. Lack of treatment has a negative impact on a woman’s health; the infection can move through the ureters and affect the kidneys.
Nephritis
Any ailments that appear during a kidney cold do not go unnoticed in the female cycle. It is quite possible that kidney inflammation will cause a prolonged absence of menstruation, since the cycle reacts to almost all problems in the body.
The anatomical features of a woman contribute to the fact that the infection easily penetrates from the urinary system to the reproductive system. The woman must undergo a full examination. Therapy is prescribed according to the diagnosis. Choosing treatment on your own is unacceptable due to the seriousness of the problem.
The nature of menstruation during a cold
A woman may experience not only a delay in her period due to a cold, but also a change in the nature of her discharge. The main signs of abnormal processes include:
- spotting at the beginning and end of menstruation. Hormonal disorders affect the development of the endometrial layer. Some areas may be thinner and others thicker, resulting in an uneven contour;
- duration of menstruation. Often after a cold, they last more than seven days. At the same time, the discharge is not always abundant;
- the formation of mucus clots and their darkening. When the temperature rises, the blood becomes viscous, which means it clots a little worse;
- soreness. When intoxicated, the nerve endings are affected. This process leads to increased contraction of the uterus and the occurrence of pain.
The influence of ARVI on menstruation
If you have a cold, the nature of your periods changes. The changes directly depend on the nature of the disease. They will be insignificant if the cold is expressed by a sore throat, runny nose and slightly elevated temperature. With a more severe form of the disease, the load on the internal organs increases, and significant changes may occur:
- Due to hormonal imbalance, the process of endometrial development and its rejection occurs unevenly.
- Your period may last longer than usual (about 6-7 days).
- Discharge in the form of brownish blood clots (due to increased temperature, the blood becomes thicker).
- Painful sensations.
There may be other changes. Each body is individual and reacts to the presence of infection and toxins in a certain way. In many ways, how menstruation occurs during ARVI depends on the attitude of a woman or girl to her health. If she spends a lot of time on her feet when she has a cold, trying to suppress the symptoms with medications, the disturbances in the menstrual cycle will be more significant than if she is on bed rest. Also, the characteristics of menstruation are determined by the effect of medications on the body. Antipyretic, immunostimulating and other drugs cannot but affect menstruation.
Menstruation and weakened immune function
Sometimes other external factors influence the onset of menstruation. And only those that lead to a weakening of immune function. The thing is that during menstruation a woman loses a sufficient amount of blood, which leads to fatigue and a deterioration in her general condition. In this case, even banal hypothermia can play its ominous role. Due to changes in hormonal levels, metabolic processes slow down and the production of antibodies occurs.
The same can be said about the occurrence of a cold before menstruation. The amount of hormones drops sharply, as a result of which the body focuses only on preparing for the renewal of the reproductive system.
It is also worth noting that when pregnancy occurs, a woman may also experience a sore throat, sore throat and runny nose. The gestation period is also characterized by a decrease in immune strength.
Menstruation after illness
If the cold starts before your period, then there may be a delay. If there is no pregnancy, then menstruation will begin sooner or later anyway. The quantity and quality of discharge may differ significantly from normal periods. They may be weaker or more abundant, paler or richer, more painful, etc. You should not be afraid, since this is a normal reaction associated with disorders in the body.
One of the main factors why women turn to a gynecologist is a change in the nature and intensity of discharge. After a cold or flu, they can become scanty, almost smearable. The main reason for this is hormonal imbalance resulting from weakness and disruption of intracellular processes due to exposure to viruses and bacteria. The endometrium may shed unevenly, so your periods may take longer, but their intensity will be weaker.
Toxins that appear in the body during illness can affect nerve endings, increasing their sensitivity. This may make your period a little more painful than usual, which is normal. If there are no contraindications, you can use painkillers from the NSAID group.
How does the disease affect the nature of the discharge?
In addition to delaying or missing a cycle, inflammatory processes in the body can also negatively affect the nature of menstruation itself.
At high temperatures, the discharge becomes very abundant and comes out heavily, with spasms. Elevated temperature increases blood viscosity and coagulability, which is why pronounced blood clots appear. For the same reasons, pain increases, a feeling of heaviness in the appendage area, chills and severe weakness appear.
Failures in the production of estrogen and progesterone can contribute to a longer period, with “spotting” discharge for 3-4 days after the main cycle has completed. A viral infection, on the contrary, prevents endometrial detachment, which is why the discharge is scanty, lighter than usual and lasts for a very long time, up to nine days in a row.
When to see a doctor
The delay can be caused by many reasons, including a cold. Hormones and endocrine glands usually react sharply to the appearance of a virus or infection in the body. That is why, with a cold, there is a high probability that a malfunction will occur in the formation of female sex hormones that affect the cycle.
This information applies to minor delays that do not exceed a week. For longer delays, you should first rule out pregnancy and then consult a doctor.
The following studies are usually prescribed:
- blood analysis;
- thyroid examination;
- kidney examination;
- Ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs.
If even after a doctor’s examination no pathology is detected, then you should direct all your efforts to strengthen your immune system. You need to start by taking a vitamin complex. This often helps restore the cycle without the help of hormonal drugs.
If there is a delay caused by a cold, the woman should first of all begin intensive treatment and rest as much as possible without getting too cold. During the illness that caused the delay, physical activity and drinking alcohol are not recommended. It is necessary to regularly ventilate the room and monitor the humidity level.
Every woman should remember that no matter what factors provoke a delay in menstruation, it cannot be ignored. A delay can occur either from a cold, overwork at work or a banal climate change, or from quite serious illnesses. A timely visit to a doctor will prevent the development of complications and free you from unnecessary assumptions and worries.
Menstruation is a regular change that occurs in the female reproductive organs at regular intervals. Its main biological purpose is to prepare the woman’s body for the period of pregnancy. In fact, this process is quite complex. It involves many body systems, including both the genital organs and the hormone production system, and even the brain.
Period reaction to a cold
The viral infection “loves” the hypothalamus, which reacts sharply to it. After which a woman’s hormonal imbalance occurs. Most often this is expressed in insufficient production of luteinizing hormone.
And this can lead to late ovulation and, as a consequence, to a delay in menstruation and various types of discharge.
Can menstruation be delayed for a long time after ARVI?
In fact, a viral infection does not have such a large impact on the reproductive system to cause a prolonged delay.
The maximum number of days your period is late can be no more than 7 days. Anything exceeding the time limit may mean violations in another area or the presence of an interesting situation for the girl. That is why it is recommended that girls who have had a cold and are more than a week late take a pregnancy test to refute or confirm conception. Based on the result, act.
Possible complications and consequences
In some cases, a bacterial infection also penetrates into the body, weakened by a viral infection. It can lead to the development of diseases of the internal and external genital organs. Deviations from the norm can be recognized by the following basic signs:
- The presence of uncharacteristic discharge with a pronounced odor.
- Persistence of pain at the end of menstruation and after its completion.
- Increased urge to urinate, pain or burning during deurination.
If you notice such symptoms, you should seek help from a doctor.
If you neglect hormonal imbalance, a seemingly insignificant disorder can result in very serious consequences. A failure in the production of female sex hormones leads to an increase in testosterone and the launch of processes uncharacteristic for the body. Subsequently, complications such as hirsutism (facial hair), ovarian dysfunction and even infertility may appear. Therefore, it is extremely important to detect the problem in time and decide what to do to eliminate it. Therefore, it is recommended that if the delay in menstruation lasts longer than a week, consult a doctor so that respiratory viral diseases do not develop into diseases of the reproductive system.
See also: When does menstruation begin after Buserelin?
