9 situations that can mess up your menstrual cycle –

Life would be so much easier if the menstrual cycle was right, wouldn’t it? You could schedule that quieter trip or book a pool day with friends, without having to worry about those days. What many don’t know, however, is that some common habits have the power to deregulate menstruation and bring not-so-pleasant surprises! Therefore, keep an eye on the situations below and find out if they are responsible for the failures:

1. Being overweight
Excess fat cells raise estrogen levels in the body, which can stop your ovaries from releasing eggs. As a result, the endometrial lining becomes thicker. In the long term, excess estrogen in the body increases the risk of endometrial cancer. Overweight women usually have heavy, infrequent and long-lasting flow.

2. Being underweight
Your body has the opposite reaction when you are underweight, i.e. it does not produce enough estrogen. And, to build the uterine lining, you need adequate levels of this hormone. It’s worth noting that if you’ve always weighed less than average, this may not be a problem. Or if you lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, your body should adjust in a few months.

3. Sleep little
People who work non-traditional hours, such as nurses and flight attendants, are more likely to suffer from irregular menstrual periods, according to research published in the journal Sleep Medicine. This is because these activities change your biological clock, which directly affects the reproductive hormones that influence the process of ovulation and menstruation.

4. Your age
Between the ages of 45 and 50, women are already beginning to experience some symptoms of menopause. This period is marked by irregular menstruation (the flow may not go down from time to time) and the first hot flashes. So if you are already suffering from some of these symptoms, talk to your gynacologist.

5. The contraceptive
When irregular menstruation is constant, most of the time, replacement of the female hormone progesterone in the second phase of the cycle is recommended. The use of regulators similar to birth control pills is also effective. But, don’t think that your body will adapt right away. The organism takes some time to get used to the hormonal stimuli it is receiving. Therefore, you may not know for a while when you will menstruate or not. To facilitate adaptation, remember to consume the medicine every day and always at the same time.

6. Stress
This is an evolutionary issue. Do not believe? We explain: the body understands that very tense situations are not conducive to generating a baby. In response, the organism makes your cycle irregular, preventing pregnancy.

7. Excessive exercise
The practice of moderate and frequent activity stimulates the body to release endorphins – a substance related to well-being that reduces stress and, therefore, helps to regulate menstruation. However, heavy training done beyond what is recommended favors an increase in prolactin – the hormone that prepares women for breastfeeding, causing failures in menstruation.

8. Controlled drugs
Any medication related to hormones such as thyroid medication, steroids or sedatives can influence your cycle. The first thing you should know is that hormones don’t act in isolation, and once they’re in the bloodstream, they’re all connected – even when they’re produced in different glands. A drug made for the thyroid can easily confuse your hormones, and target the fertility receptor, for example. So, you already know: don’t panic if your period is late, because in a few days it returns to normal.

9. Time zone
​The human brain releases melatonin to let the body know it’s time to sleep. However, if you are traveling in a different time zone, the body suspends the release of this hormone until nightfall. This adaptation process is not good for your flow, because once again your biological clock is modified, affecting the reproduction part, i.e. irregular menstruation.