Know how your periods affect your hormones

From premenstrual mood swings to cramps during menstruation, all these occur due to hormonal changes during periods.

Do you experience mood swings during your period? Is it hard to keep track of your schedule? A woman’s body goes through constant physical changes during menstruation. The first day of her period is the beginning of her menstrual cycle, and the last day is the end. Your body and mind will go through so many changes that you’ll wonder how this happened. So, let’s take a closer look at the hormonal changes you need to know during your menstrual period.

Can periods cause hormonal changes?

There is a relationship between your menstrual cycle and hormonal changes in your body. Menstruation involves a surge of hormones that can have many physical and emotional effects on the mind and body. The menstrual cycle affects one’s hormones in many ways, and at different phases, including the menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulation phase, and the luteal phase.

During this time, your hormones are affected by your menstrual cycle. For example, the hormone progesterone (important for controlling the uterus in case of possible pregnancy) can cause PMS-like symptoms such as irritability or depression even when the body is calm. Similarly, the increase in estrogen during the follicular phase allows the uterine lining to heal after menstruation, while also helping to regulate mood, improve skin health and bone density. Experts add that hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle contribute to reproductive health and help regulate mood swings. Therefore, they are necessary and it is important to understand them.

Stages of a Menstrual Cycle

Your period affects hormones at every stage of the menstrual cycle. It is important to understand the different phases of the menstrual cycle and how they affect hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are two hormones that play a role in menstruation. It works on the woman’s body, emotions and sexuality during the four phases of menstruation, including:

    1. The Menstrual Phase

This is the first phase of menstruation and is the time when you will get your period. It begins when the egg from the previous cycle is not fertilised. Estrogen and progesterone levels will also decrease. These two hormones work together to ensure the healing of the uterine wall. Since pregnancy has not occurred, this lining is shed through the vagina at this stage. Your body secretes blood, mucus, and tissue from the uterus. You may experience mood swings during this period of your menstrual cycle.

    2. Follicular Phase

This period begins with menstrual phase, the first day of your period, and ends with ovulation. This stage begins when your pituitary gland secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is responsible for stimulating your ovaries and producing 5-20 tiny sacs called follicles, each of which is an immature egg. The healthy part of these eggs matures and allows the woman to menstruate. The average follicular phase lasts 11 to 27 days, depending on your cycle. During pregnancy, follicles produce estrogen in the follicular phase and thicken the uterine wall to support pregnancy.

    3. Ovulation phase

Your pituitary gland secretes luteinizing hormone (LH) in response to increased estrogen during the follicular phase. This is the beginning of ovulation. Ovulation is when the ovaries produce eggs. The egg then enters the uterus. This is the period when your chances of getting pregnant are highest. If you notice a slight increase in body temperature or egg white discharge, this may be a sign that you are ovulating. If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, ovulation occurs on the 14th day.

    4. Luteal Phase

After ovulation, the luteal phase occurs. The main purpose of this stage is to prepare the uterus for pregnancy. During this time, the egg passes from the ovary to the uterus through the Fallopian tubes. If the egg is fertilised by the sperm, it implants in the uterine wall and causes pregnancy. If the egg is not fertilised, you cannot get pregnant and your period will come. This period lasts 14 days and ends as soon as you menstruate. This is the stage where you experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include:

• Headache
• Bloating
• Cravings
• Mood swings
• Headache
• Weight gain
• Swollen, tender breasts
• A change in sexual desire
• You may also experience food cravings in the luteal phase of your cycle.

Hormonal changes at each stage of menstruation

The main hormones involved in each phase of the menstrual cycle are estrogen and progesterone. Some changes also occur in other hormones, such as luteinizing hormone at some level. Hormonal changes you may experience during pregnancy include:

• First, progesterone and estrogen work together to thicken the uterine wall for repair, the possibility of pregnancy, or removal of the uterine lining. This will change your behaviour.
• During pregnancy, two hormones cause the uterine walls to contract, removing unused material. If pregnancy is to be established, the roots produce estrogen in the follicular phase and encourage pregnancy by thickening the uterine wall.
• During ovulation, estrogen becomes the main hormone for high libido, mood and sexual desire in women, in sync with the fertility level.
• The luteal phase is the phase in which both hormones are at rest. However, you may experience premenstrual syndrome during this period.

Do hormonal changes during pregnancy affect daily life?

Hormonal changes that occur during different periods of menstruation will be different. They can cause physical, emotional and behavioural changes.
These include:

• Appetite changes are common as hormonal changes can cause feelings of hunger.
• Social withdrawal is also a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy.
• Stress can cause anxiety and depression due to changes in estrogen and progesterone levels.
• Physically, people experience fatigue and bloating, which affects daily life.

These changes are usually caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels in the body.

What are the most common hormonal changes during pregnancy?

1. One of the most common side effects of hormonal changes during pregnancy is mood swings.
2. PMS-like symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, and depression occur during the luteal phase (sometimes before menstruation).
3. Likewise, after ovulation, some women will experience increased sexual desire and feel better due to the increase in estrogen. Sometimes it manifests itself with physical discomfort caused by the flu, sometimes headaches or cramps. All physical and emotional changes can be attributed to changes in hormonal levels throughout the cycle.
4. Depression and schizophrenia
   You may go through mood swings changes at different times of your menstrual cycle.

Is there a way to control hormonal changes during menstruation?

Although some hormonal changes cannot be changed, experts agree that they can be controlled with lifestyle changes. Such as:

1. Regular exercise and adequate sleep can improve your mood while maintaining a healthy pace.
2. A healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help balance your hormones.
3. Increase your water intake to reduce some symptoms of hormonal changes, such as bloating and fatigue.
4. In severe cases, there is a therapeutic intervention such as SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors used to control symptoms associated with PMS and PMDD).
5. Don’t drink too much caffeine or alcohol.

Here are some changes you can make in your daily life. However, if you are experiencing significant hormonal changes that make it difficult for you to do daily activities during your period, you should talk to your doctor.