How winter affects menstruation

The cold has definitely arrived, the beginning of winter is just around the corner and with the change of season many things change, have you noticed that with the cold and winter your menstruation also suffers alterations?

The cold not only affects our wardrobe change, but also our hormones and our menstrual cycle. Do you want to know how? Read on...

How does winter affect our menstrual cycle?

Similar to what happens with summer and heat, which we discussed in this article, winter and its low temperatures can increase the amount of blood. At the same time, the cold can increase its intensity. In addition, sudden changes in temperature can intensify premenstrual symptoms.

Winter also brings a reduction in sunshine, and the lack of sunshine can have a significant impact on the endocrine system, which controls the hormones responsible for regulating menstruation. This change can cause you to experience changes such as shorter cycles, heavier flow or earlier than expected.

Reduced hours of sunshine can lead to heavier periods, as mentioned above. The absence of natural sunlight can alter the levels of serotonin and melatonin (hormones that play a crucial role in regulating the menstrual cycle), and as a result can lead to heavy periods. Another factor that can affect heavy menstrual bleeding is that, in cold weather, blood vessels are compressed, leaving a narrower passage for blood flow.

How can cold affect menstrual cramps?

Did you know that cold can cause more intense menstrual cramps? Dysmenorrhoea, as excessive menstrual cramps are known, is usually caused by the secretion of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, and cold can trigger an increase in this hormone, making your periods more painful. To this, we must also add the blood vasoconstriction we have just discussed, which also contributes to increased pain.

As if that were not enough, cold and winter also affect premenstrual syndrome. Again, lack of sunlight plays a major role. The hormonal changes that occur with cold weather can cause a low mood, making PMS symptoms more intense. This can make you feel more irritable, more down or more anxious in the days leading up to your period.

How to alleviate menstrual changes during the winter?

Unfortunately, this is unavoidable. However, we can make small changes and make certain habits to help us alleviate and cope with these changes in menstruation during the winter and cold days.

Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and regular exercise can help regulate your hormones. For relief from cramps we recommend our electric menstrual belt, a natural (no need for medication) and comfortable alternative for when cramps become a nuisance, offering 3 levels of heat and 3 massage vibration modes. The heat from this menstrual belt helps to relax muscles and activate blood circulation, making it a great option to consider for reducing menstrual cramps.

Another of our recommendations, in this case to deal with changes in the abundance of bleeding is to have several types of menstrual cup sizes and use them depending on the amount of flow. In other words, larger or smaller depending on your bleeding and the time of year.

In conclusion, we often forget that we are natural beings and that our cycles, as in this case the menstrual cycle, are subject to the changes of nature and its symptoms are subject to seasonal changes. However, the changes and imbalances we experience in our periods in winter can be explained by the influence of sunlight and, in this case, the lack of it during the winter months. In fact, the specialised journal Gynecological Endocrinology carried out and published a study in 2011 which showed the influence of sunlight on changes in menstrual cycles. In fact, they state that the more sun exposure we have, the more our ovarian activity is stimulated by hormones.