It’s been a while since we last wrote about which external factors can have an influence on your monthly cycles, and thought it was time to give it an update in a handy FAQ format. So, if your monthly visitor is giving you cause for concern, take a look through these easy to digest bites of advice, from if anaemia can affect your period to how stress can alter your cycle. Here we go!
The monthly cycle. Whether you see it as a curse or a part of the miracle of life, it is as predictable and certain as bills and taxes. Except when it isn’t. Just one month of your body deciding to go off-kilter and you’re suddenly checking your calendar three times and wondering ‘Why is my period late?’ ‘Can alcohol affect your period?’ ‘Can a urine infection affect your period’ and any number of other scenarios, some rational, but many not.
There are actually a surprising number of things that can throw your menstrual cycle out of whack, from the obvious (pregnancy) to the truly bizarre (travel), and everything in between. We are here to put your mind at ease. So, let’s get started on the FAQs for what can affect your period.
Can A Urine Infection Affect Your Period
Ah, the dreaded UTI. Not the most fun at the best of times, but can a urine infection affect your period? No, a UTI will not directly have an impact on your cycle, but it can have an indirect effect. UTIs regularly cause inflammation and put your body under stress and strain. The physical (and sometimes emotional) stress of dealing with the infection -especially if it is one that is hard to treat or requires multiple treatments- as well as the associated symptoms of pain and frequent urination can really send your body’s stress response system into overdrive. This, in turn, can disrupt the balance of hormones needed for your regular cycle, potentially making your period late or even skipping it entirely. Think of it as a cascade of events that eventually leads down to your period, but please, try not to stress about it.
Can A Yeast Infection Affect Period
We know: yeast infections are icky to talk about. But we support all manner of women’s health issues, not just the comfortable ones. The good news is, a yeast infection isn’t a direct cause for period changes. However, much like a UTI, by being a stressful time and the use of certain medications in the same area as menstruation, can affect the timing of your cycle, but this is rare. It is also worth pointing out, in answering can a yeast infection affect periods, that the infection itself can become more noticeable or even worsen during your time of the month, due to the change in moisture and pH levels.
Can Mounjaro Affect Period
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or offline, which in today’s world is pretty much the same thing), you must have heard all about the new weight loss medication being used by celebrities and your next door neighbor. The rise in popularity of Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy has brought with them promises of a new skinnier way of life, but also a rise in questions regarding their side effects. One of which is ‘can moujaro affect periods?’ The short answer is yes, but not in the way that you might expect.
These types of medications are known as GLP-1 agonists, and their primary function is to help you regulate your blood sugar (making you less hungry) and aid in significant weight loss: which is what makes them ideal for those seriously overweight. When women lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, it frequently throws off the delicate balance in hormones that regulates their menstrual cycle. This could look like lighter, heavier, or even skipped periods. However, this would happen with any significant weight loss, and is not necessarily directly related to the medication itself. In fact, for those with conditions such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), medications such as this could help to regulate previously irregular cycles by improving insulin sensitivity.
As with all changes to your cycle, consult a medical professional if the effects are pronounced or if they go one for more than a few months.
Can Flying Affect Your Period (Or Travelling)
We all know that Aunt Flo and holidays are rarely fun when combined, but did you also know that extensive travel, or long haul flights, can affect your period? Okay, so the plane itself may not be having an impact, but the accompanying effects of the journey can. Jet lag, for example, plays havoc with your internal body clock -or circadian rhythm- confusing your hormones on a cellular level, and disrupting everything that they regular, such as sleep and, you’ve guessed it, your period. Add in huge step counts around new locations, weird eating habits, lackadaisical sleep patterns and the stress of the whole experience, and it becomes clearer why holidays can impact your cycle. Can flying affect your period? Absolutely, but only if it is a long-haul flight and you suffer from jet lag, but do nothing to counter its effect.
Will Antibiotics Affect Your Period?
Anything requiring antibiotics is generally going to be a stressful time for. And wondering will antibiotics affect your period is a common worry. The short answer is, for the most part, no. Common antibiotics that are used to treat everyday infections generally won’t have a direct impact on your menstrual cycle. The most likely culprit for any changes to your period isn’t the medication by itself, but the illness you’re taking it for. When your body is fighting a bug, it’s under a lot of stress, and as we’ll get into later, stress is a major factor in period irregularity.
Does The Morning After Pill Affect Your Period?
The morning after pill, or emergency contraception, is specifically designed to dysregulate the hormones that control your menstrual cycle. Depending which type you take, they all work in different ways to prevent pregnancy, and are pretty much guaranteed to affect your period. The high dose of hormones that they contain can cause your period to start immediately, a bit early or even later than usual, as well as making your next one lighter or heavier than usual. While this may seem a bit drastic, it is completely normal, and you may find the effects last a few cycles. However, if after taking the morning after pill your period is more than a week late, it is wise to take a pregnancy test to check if it has worked.
Can Alcohol Affect Your Period
We all like a glass or two with friends, but have you ever wondered ‘can alcohol affect your period?’ The good news is no, catching up over the odd pint or wine is unlikely to affect your period in any significant way. However, regular, heavy drinking or binge drinking sessions can. Alcohol, like most fun things, can disrupt your balance of hormones, especially oestrogen and progesterone, which could then lead to irregular periods, anovulation (not releasing an egg) or even missed cycles altogether. It may also contribute to, and exacerbate, pre existing conditions, such as PMS and even have an impact on your fertility in the long run.
Can Anemia Affect Periods
Here is the wonderful catch 22 of the period world. One of the leading causes of Anemia (Or Anaemia) is heavy periods, and anemia can cause a loss of periods. Let us explain: Anemia is a condition where your body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your organs. It is most often caused by a lack of iron, of which heavy blood loss is a major (but definitely not the only) cause of; such as the monthly bleeding that makes up a period. This two-way-street is vastly more complex than that, and recent research has shown that paradoxically, low iron levels can even cause heavy periods, especially in younger women. The link between iron deficiency and periods is clear, but more research is needed to understand it fully. Can anemia affect periods? Absolutely. Try to eat an iron-rich diet when menstruating and talk to your doctor if you believe you may be anaemic.
How Can Stress Affect Your Period?
In our other blog post we look at the more intense ways that mental and physical health can affect your cycle, and answer the ever concerning question of how can stress affect your period?
The TL;DR is that stress is one of the most common causes of skipped or irregular periods. When you’re under chronic stress, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode and causes your cortisol to skyrocket. This, in turn, messes with your internal command centre. Specifically, the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, which is responsible for regulating your menstrual cycle. A stressed-out HPO axis can lead to delayed or missed periods, a condition known as hypothalamic amenorrhea. It’s your body’s way of saying, “Hold on, we’re too busy dealing with this stress to think about procreation right now.
When to See a Doctor
While it’s normal for your period to be a little unpredictable from time to time, there are certain signs that warrant a trip to your GP. It’s always a good idea to seek medical advice if:
- Your periods suddenly become unusually heavy or painful.
- You miss three or more periods in a row without being pregnant.
- Your cycle is shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days.
- You experience bleeding between periods or after sex.
- You’re concerned about any new or unexplained symptoms related to your menstrual cycle.
For all of the ways in which it can go wonky, and for how delicate the balance can be, we must remember how important and amazing the menstruation cycle is. After all, it is the very thing of life. By paying close attention to it, and being kind to yourself when external factors conspire against you, you can ensure that both you and your period remain healthy, happy and doing what you do best.
Here at VR Sani-Co, we champion everything related to positive menstruation, from discrete sani bin collection services, to supporting charities and causes that help to make the world a fairer place, in the one location when we can all feel the most vulnerable: the washroom.
