Why You Should Not Ignore Tiredness During Your Period
09 July 2019 by – Dr Demetri C Panayi
Feeling fatigued and tired is a common occurrence that can be a direct impact of excessive physical activity, lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, or a side effect of some types of medication. Although most of these causes can be controlled and avoided, tiredness during the weeks leading up to and during your period may be caused by an underlying health issue.
Many women suffer from menorrhagia, which is more commonly known as heavy periods. Around 1 in 3 women will seek treatment for the issue.
If heavy bleeding is interfering with your everyday life, you shouldnt ignore it, as your body could be telling you there is something seriously wrong.
An Introduction To Periods And Sweating
Do you find your temperature fluctuates at different times of the month? Do you get really hot and sweaty in bed as a result of so-called night sweats? But hot flushes and night sweats only happen to menopausal women, right? Not necessarily. Pre-menopausal women have the same sex hormones as women going through the menopause and believe it or not these hormones can fluctuate significantly during each and every menstrual cycle too.
Your hormones fluctuate month to month in order to give you your period and a host of symptoms can arise as a result of this including changes in your body temperature.
If you are worried about changes in your body temperature or they occur alongside other symptoms which arent a result of your period, it might be worth a trip to your doctor. Excessive sweating could also be a sign of another condition such as hyperthyroidism.
On this page I explain some of the mechanisms behind changing body temperature in and around the time of your period and what can be done to help. This includes a range of dietary changes, practical changes you can make at home or through the use of herbal remedies.
The Real Reason You Get Sick After A Stressful Period Has Ended
Have you ever wondered how you manage to get through a particularly stressful period whether it’s an intense deadline at work, final exams in school or a spate of holiday houseguests only to get sick after the stress has lifted?
It’s not a fluke. It’s a phenomenon that’s often referred to as “the let-down effect,” a pattern in which people come down with an illness or develop flare-ups of a chronic condition not during a concentrated period of stress but after it dissipates, explains psychologist Marc Schoen, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles and the author of “When Relaxation Is Hazardous to Your Health.”
Research has linked the let-down of perceived stress with an increase in flare-ups of pain and other ailments. One study found that people experience more panic attacks on the weekends, and a 2015 study from Taiwan found that holidays and Sundays have more emergency room admissions for peptic ulcers than weekdays do.
It’s long been known that stress can lead to illness but only recently has evidence emerged that some people tend to get sick after a pressure-packed period has ended. To understand how and why this can happen, it helps to review how stress affects the body.
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Feeling Nauseous Before Period: How To Find Relief
You can opt for home remedies, use herbs, or talk to your doctor to find an appropriate treatment option.
- Ginger: It has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties, so it proves beneficial against nausea and PMS symptoms. Drinking ginger tea may help.
- Take Vitamin B6: You can take supplements containing vitamin B6 or eat food rich in vitamin B6 to reduce nausea. It helps with nausea associated with pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome. Do not exceed 100mg a day or it may cause certain side effects.
- Avoid Fatty Food: Eating heavy, fatty food will make you feel bloated and nauseous because your stomach cannot digest these foods easily.
- Try Some Herbs: Agnus castus is an effective herb to treat nausea and symptoms associated with PMS. Avoid it though if you are already using hormonal treatments. Other herbs effective against nausea are cayenne, mint, ginger, and cloves.
- Try Acupressure: There is an acupuncture point on the wrist called PC6 that helps treat nausea. Even if you do not know much about acupressure, you do not need to worry because there are special wristbands available today to help relieve your symptoms.
What Can I Do To Help Myself
There are several measures you can employ at home to ease your symptoms:
- Ginger this has been used for many years to help with the symptoms of nausea and recent scientific research supports the tradition. Ginger can be taken in many forms, such as in a tincture, as a tea or uncrystallised sweet ginger
- Vitamin B6 this is often recommended for nausea, both nausea associated with PMS or with pregnancy. Take the correct dose . High doses are now known to be toxic and can lead to side effects
- Avoid heavy, fatty and greasy foods although your symptoms are caused by PMS rather than an intolerance to food, avoid eating foods which are hard to digest or make you feel full, bloated or nauseous, even if you are feeling well. Eat foods which are easy on your digestive system
- Acupressure the acupuncture point PC 6 on the wrist is famous for treating nausea. You do not necessarily need to go to an acupuncturist, as you can buy special wrist bands which apply constant pressure to the acupressure point to help relieve your symptoms.
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‘break Chains Of Transmission’
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth called on the government to set out possible post-Christmas restrictions to give the public and businesses time to plan ahead.
The shadow work and pensions secretary told BBC Breakfast he welcomed the change to isolation rules as medical officials had given it the “stamp of approval”.
And the rail industry said the move should reduce the number of trains being cancelled due to Covid-related staff sickness.
Another 90,629 new Covid cases were reported across the UK on Tuesday – slightly down on the all-time highs announced last week. Meanwhile, a further 897,979 people received their booster jab or third dose.
Announcing the change to isolation rules, the UK Health Security Agency said Omicron’s rapid spread posed a threat to critical public services this winter.
The agency said the new self-isolation rules reflected updated medical advice, which would be published “in due course”.
Its chief executive, Dr Jenny Harries, said the new rules would “help break chains of transmission” while minimising “the impact on lives and livelihoods”.
Mr Javid said the UKHSA was “very comfortable” that the protection provided by lateral flow tests was “very similar to 10 days of isolation without tests”.
Speaking on a visit to a London hospital on Wednesday, the health secretary said analysis of the severity of Omicron is not yet complete.
“The best advice to everyone is continue to remain cautious and keep looking forward to Christmas,” he said.
Period Cold Might Be The Reason Why You Feel So Sick During Menstruation
As if all the typical period side effects aren’t bad enough, there are also a lot of us who face cold and flu-like symptoms during our periods.
Those of us who menstruate know that periods can come with some truly annoying side effects. They can make us bloated, mess with our skin, and even affect our moods. It ain’t easy shedding that uterine wall lining, and the hard work sometimes takes a toll on us.
But as if all the typical period side effects aren’t bad enough, there are also a lot of us who face cold and flu-like symptoms during our periods as well. It’s like we’ve been hit with a nasty cold the week before our period arrives, complete with a slight fever, stuffy nose, and body aches.
Your period can result in a host of nasty symptoms, and many women are unaware of what constitutes normal.
Sometimes the flu-like ailments can be clearly explained, while other times they’re a mystery. Then there is the small chance they are pointing to something more serious.
No matter what, if you’ve had a fever before on your period, or are wondering why you always seem to get a cold on your period, just know you’re not the only one.
Continue reading to learn more on the reasons why you get those hard symptoms and how you can minimize your suffering from them.
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Common Symptoms Of Period Flu
Period flu can lead to many symptoms that are familiar if you’ve ever had PMS, such as breast tenderness, irritability, and fatigue, Dr. Culwell says. But the most common symptoms are reminiscent of the real flu: joint pain, muscle aches, low-grade fever, nausea, headaches, and dizziness.
Period flu symptoms get more intense the week before your period begins, but the good news is that once you get your period and your flow decreases, period flu symptoms generally decrease as well, says Dr. Cross.
What Is A Period Cold And Is It A Myth
Periods are already bad enough thanks to the inevitable cramping and overall irritability that seems to come along with them , but now theres period colds? Its true, period colds really are a thing. In the week or so leading up to your period, you may feel particularly under the weather, with a runny nose, body aches, nausea, and flu like symptoms just before menstruation. While you might chalk this up to allergies or a funny coincidence, it could actually be linked to your monthly cycle. Lets get into what a period cold is and why it happens.
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To Prevent Future Bouts
Here are some things you can start doing to improve your periods and prevent, or at least reduce, those icky period flu symptoms during your next cycle:
- Exercise regularly.Exercise has been shown to improve a lot of the discomfort associated with periods, including cramps, depression, and lack of energy.
- Eat healthy foods. Eating healthy is always a good idea, but making healthier choices in the two weeks leading up to your period can reduce PMS symptoms. Cut back on your alcohol, sugar, salt, and caffeine intake.
- Quit smoking.
Two Serious Causes Of Nausea During Your Period
PMS is often harmless. However, there are two causes of nausea during your period that can be serious.
The first is endometriosis. If you have this disorder, the tissue in your uterus that sheds and causes your period each month grows outside your uterus instead. Sometimes, endometriosis is so painful that it can make you sick.
Other times, that tissue grows near your intestines. This can also make you nauseous. Other symptoms you may have include fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and heavy bleeding during your period. Some women with endometriosis also find sex to be painful. They may even feel pain while urinating or having a bowel movement.
Pelvic inflammatory disease is another serious cause of nausea during your period. Most women get this when bacteria move from the vagina to the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can cause cramps, pain during sex, pain during urination and pelvic pain. In more serious cases, you may have a fever and chills. PID is usually due to bacteria from a sexually transmitted disease. It can also develop during childbirth.
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What Are Some Less Common Signs Of Early Pregnancy
There are some additional signs of early pregnancy that arent as common. Just like with the most common symptoms, these signs of pregnancy may or may not happen. Its important to remember that everyone is different and will experience unique symptoms.
Less common signs of early pregnancy can include:
Dealing With Nausea During Your Period
If you find yourself feeling nauseous during your period, there are some things you can do to feel better. Sometimes, just getting some fresh air or going for a walk can help. A cool compress may also do the trick.
Make sure youre drinking plenty of water and sticking to a bland diet. Ginger may also help. Drink some ginger ale or keep some ginger-flavored candy on hand. Many people swear by drinking peppermint or chamomile tea. If none of those help, try taking an antacid.
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Why Does Pms Cause Nausea
There are several reasons why you might develop nausea with PMS:
- Period pain can give rise to nausea. The chemicals causing menstrual cramps in the uterus, particularly prostaglandins, cause the muscles to go into spasm. They can also cause spasm in the digestive tract, giving rise to nausea
- Any other pain experienced with PMS such as breast pain or menstrual headaches can also lead to nausea
- The hormonal changes in PMS can directly disturb the function of the digestive tract and this in turn can give rise to nausea
- The same hormonal imbalances can also affect the part of the brain responsible for controlling nausea and vomiting, in a similar way to that seen with morning sickness during the early stages of pregnancy.
Why Do You Seem More Likely To Get A Cold When You’re Pmsing Or On Your Period
While Dr. Cackovic says there’s not a great deal of science behind this phenomenon, some research suggests that your immune system may temporarily decline when you’re PMSing. We know for sure that prostaglandins play a big role in the whole thing too. Prostaglandins are a fatty acid compound that affect the body much like hormones when your body is preparing for a period, they are released from the uterus in order to make way for bleeding. But they can have a nasty effect on the rest of the body. Dr. Molly O’Shea, a pediatrician in Oakland County, Michigan, says prostaglandins can find their way to the intestines, resulting in flu-like traits like vomiting, nausea, and “general achiness.” Not fun.
Not all experts are in agreement, though. Dr. Steven R. Goldstein, OBGYN professor at New York University School of Medicine, told Cosmopolitan that some people confuse cold symptoms â runny nose, sore throat, etc. â with preexisting allergies or similar conditions that are simply exacerbated by the hormonal changes of your period. So it’s possible you’re not really, truly getting a cold. You’re just experiencing whatever health issues you had before, only more aggravated. Awesome.
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If I Do Feel Like Crap Around My Period How Can I Find Some Relief
These are the best cures for those pesky flu-like symptoms:
- Pop a NSAID. These are technically known as prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors. “They block the making of more prostaglandins,” Dr. Minkin says. “So the key there is taking them early when you start feeling achy and fluish.” These pills include aspirin, Motrin, and Advil.
- Move around. Exercise helps everything . “Exercise has been shown over and over again to help with menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms overall,” Dr. Dweck says. Aerobic exercise will bring you right back to life by also reducing water retention and excess fluid in your joints.
- Talk to your doc about birth control. Your estrogen levels decline when you get your period, as you learned. So taking birth control can be a huge help. “Birth control pills keep your hormone levels steady throughout the month by preventing ovulation,” Dr. Dweck says.
- Monitor your diet. Instead of upping your caffeine intake to stay awake or eating more junk food , which can create inflammation that leads to flu-like joint pain, try drinking tea . And next time you want to go in on that entire bag of potato chips, try a snack lower in sodium instead.
If no intervention is really working for you and you keep feeling horrible when flow is comin’ to town, speak with your gynecologist. They can do a proper workup and help you feel A-okay when your period comes your way.