Long Covid, there is a new symptom associated with the menstrual cycle

Long Covid, or that set of symptoms that continue to persist in some people after the successful recovery from the Coronavirus, and which most often include a sense of fatigue, tiredness, shortness of breath, various kinds of ailments. Disorders that persist even for weeks, to which a further aftermath due to the disease now seems to be added and which concerns changes in women’s menstrual cycles.

In some cases it is irregular menstruation, in others of particularly abundant blood clots. Some women interviewed by Medical News Today, they noted, a couple of weeks after passing Covid, that the period did not come on schedule. Not only that: one, in particular, in the eight months after recovering from the disease, had only five menstrual cycles. Generally speaking, many women have stated that their periods have changed in frequency, duration, flow, intensity and pain.

POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS: FROM ATTACK TO FERTILITY TO STRESS

Experts recognized shortness of breath, muscle aches and excessive fatigue among the wide-ranging symptoms identified in those who contracted the virus. However, It is not clear why menstrual cycles could be affected by Covid even long after recovery. According to some, this could be due to the fact that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid, it also attacks the female reproductive organs.

As reported by Medical News Today, according to Dr. Linda Fan, assistant obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at la Yale School of Medicine, the research published so far on the virus is scarce in this regard, however there may be some “biological plausibility” in the fact that the virus “attacks ovarian function” based on some of the effects it has had on other organs.

A small study in China, published on Reproductive BioMedicine Online in September, found that 25% of women with Covid undergo menstrual changes. Of the 177 participants, all patients from Shanghai’s Tongji Hospital, 30% reported lighter bleeding or longer periods. Commenting on the study, for the intimate wellness brand INTIMINA, gynecologist Dr Shree Datta said: «It is not uncommon for viral infections to impact female hormones, cycle and fertility. Although the evidence is limited, there is still nothing to suggest a long-term impact on fertility, but transient cycle changes have been reported in some women who have had Covid-19. It `s important to note that the stress of experiencing a pandemic and the lifestyle changes it has triggered can also affect hormone balance, with consequent changes in menstrual cycles ».

Reiterating the fact that stress could also be a possible explanation is Dr. Sarah Jarvis, general practitioner and clinical director of Patientaccess.com, who, interviewed by The Sun, he stressed: “A couple of post-Covid patients told me their cycles had been affected. It hasn’t been particularly reported in medical journals, but there are some possible explanations. The most obvious is that being sick is also a huge stress on the body, and stress is well known for the fact that it can disrupt the brain-ovarian hormonal communication that regulates menstrual cycles. Also, the body tends to stop doing “nonessential” things when it is sick. If much of the body’s energy is focused on fighting the virus and maintaining essential bodily functions, there will be less to focus on hair and nail growth or hormone regulation. ‘

Dr. Linda Fan also reassured women that while a delay on a cycle or two may be worrisome, it shouldn’t cause too much anxiety in connection with Covid-19 infection. However, she urges anyone who has experienced changes in their menstrual cycle and is concerned to contact their family doctor.