Menstruation symptoms can be more severe in winter, especially if you are iron deficient, warn three researchers.
- In winter, some symptoms of iron deficiency may worsen.
- Iron deficiency can explain menstrual pain.
- Women who have heavy or prolonged periods are more prone to iron deficiency because they lose a lot of blood each month.
30% of women have more pain related to their periods during the winter, according to a study. These mainly include bloating, cramps, migraines, anxiety, nausea, fatigue, irritability, etc. But why is this season more difficult for women?
Period symptoms: lack of iron to blame?
“There is also no good evidence to suggest that changes in seasons can make period-related symptoms worse.” recognize Jahnavi Daru, Ewelina Rogozinska, Varsha Jainthe three authors of an article on the subject in The Conversation. But they add “That doesn’t mean there isn’t a scientific explanation for why you might feel that some of your menstrual symptoms are worse during the colder months.”
For the three scientists, the intensification of disorders linked to periods such as fatigue, irritability or even lack of concentration could be linked to iron deficiency. This mineral is, in fact, very important for the human body, because it participates in the transport and use of oxygen by red blood cells, as well as in the functioning of certain enzymes, according to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES).
In their article, the researchers recall that women who have heavy or prolonged periods are more prone to iron deficiency, because they lose a lot of blood each month. However, many of them are unaware of having heavy periods, assuming their flow is “normal”. They therefore do not make the connection between their disorders (fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating) with a possible lack of iron. If left untreated, symptoms persist or even worsen.
Iron deficiency: symptoms can worsen in winter
Moreover, “some symptoms of iron deficiency may worsen during the winter months”, write the three authors. They add that the disorder affects the proper functioning of the immune system. What “could explain why you may feel worse in cold weather.”
According to one another study, the lack of sunlight and therefore of vitamin D could also explain symptoms linked to menstruation such as pain or fatigue which are more severe in winter. Indeed, usually, vitamin D stimulates follicle-stimulating (FSH), hormones linked to the menstrual cycle.
