Do you experience the feeling of dizziness when on periods? Dizziness is a normal symptom of the menstrual cycle faced by many women worldwide. It usually comes with wobbliness, lightheadedness, and a false sense of motion. In some cases, the dizziness can persist for a longer time, and in some cases, it vanishes within a few minutes. Though it is a common menstrual cycle symptom, in some cases, dizziness may indicate an underlying issue like anemia or heavy bleeding.
So why does a female go through dizziness and deal with such feelings? Before jumping directly over the dizziness issue, let’s know more about the menstrual cycle.
What do you Understand about the Menstrual Cycle?
Menstrual, also termed a menstrual period, cycle, and menses is simply the monthly shedding of a woman’s uterus lining. In this monthly process, the blood and the tissues from the inside of the uterus start flowing from the uterus via the cervix and out of the body via the vagina.
The menstrual cycle or period is the sequence of events inside a woman’s body as it prepares for the likelihood of pregnancy each month. The cycle usually starts on the first day of the period. The average cycle is about 28 days long and may range from 21 days to 35 days, depending upon the body’s functioning. A menstrual cycle is triggered due to the rise and fall of certain chemicals in the body, known as hormones. The pituitary gland, present in the brain and the ovaries inside the female reproductive tract, produces and releases certain hormones throughout the menstrual cycle, causing the reproductive tract organs to respond differently.
Girls usually start menstruating at the average age of 12. In certain cases, the menstrual cycle begins as early as eight years or as late as 16 years of age. The cycle stops or starts becoming irregular at the menopause stage, in which a woman’s body stops producing eggs, or we can say stops ovulating. The menopause stage generally occurs at the age of 51. If you are wondering what menopause is, then it can be defined as one year without periods, after which a woman can no longer become pregnant.
To prevent leakage and maintain hygiene during the menstrual cycle, girls and women usually wear soft cotton sanitary pads. These products help to keep a woman comfortable and worry-free throughout the day. These products are easily available at any supermarket or modern trade store. One can even order sanitary pads online by choosing the right pad type (for heavy flow, medium flow, or very little flow).
Symptoms of the Menstrual Cycle
Some of the most common symptoms of the menstrual cycle are:
- Bloating
- Cramps in the back and lower abdomen
- Food cravings
- Moodiness
- Irritation
- Trouble sleeping
- Tenderness in the breasts
- Acne
- Dizziness
This blog will focus on one of the most common menstrual cycle symptoms, which is dizziness. Feeling dizzy along with cramps and fatigue can make a woman feel uncomfortable and light-headed. This feeling usually vanishes in a short time. However, in some women, it may persist for a longer time due to an underlying condition like anemia from blood loss, severe cramps, and the activities of hormones called prostaglandins.
Health Conditions that Indicate Dizziness Condition
Some of the common indicators of dizziness include:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Fainting
- Headaches
- Vision loss, etc.
All the above-mentioned health conditions start occurring in the body of a female before and during the periods mainly because of hormonal changes. As soon as the PMS stage starts approaching, the female body experiences several changes. Let’s know more about PMS.
What is PMS?
PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome, a combination of signs that your body gives that your periods are about to come. PMS has various signs and symptoms such as tender breasts, mood swings, fatigue, food cravings, depression, bad temper, etc. These symptoms are likely to return in a predictable pattern. However, the physical and emotional changes that a woman experiences may vary from just slightly noticeable to an extreme one.
It is estimated that four out of every five menstruating women have gone through some form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). When the PMS stage starts, women start experiencing various changes in their bodies, mainly due to estrogen and progesterone hormones. These changes lead to different health conditions like nausea, headaches, dizziness, etc.
What Causes Dizziness During Periods?
Dizziness, also known as a lightheaded feeling, is the most common symptom in women while on periods, especially during heavy period days. Here are some of the key reasons behind feeling dizzy during periods:
- As mentioned above, heavy periods are the major cause of dizziness in women. This is because heavy periods or excessive blood loss can create temporary changes in blood pressure.
- The release of progesterone hormone causes contraction of blood vessels, which further leads to a temporary reduction in the flow to blow to the brain, thereby making a person feel lightheaded.
- Few women may face the issue of being anemic due to heavy periods, which affects the oxygen saturation of the blood traveling to the brain. This ultimately leads to increased chances of feeling dizzy.
- Another key reason for feeling dizzy or lightheaded could be the painful cramps that occur before and during periods.
So how to manage or reduce the signs of dizziness? With proper treatments and a few lifestyle changes, one can lessen or manage the signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Let’s look at some of the key ways to get rid of dizziness during periods.
Ways to deal with the feeling of dizziness
Here are some of the key ways that women must follow during their menstrual cycle to eliminate or reduce the feeling of dizziness.
- Follow Proper hydration: During periods, dehydration can make the blood pressure down, leading to dizziness. To prevent such a situation, it is advisable to drink plenty of water and other fluids. Staying well hydrated throughout the menstrual cycle helps maintain the normal blood pressure level and prevents dizziness.
- Eat a wholesome diet: Flickering blood sugar levels in the body also causes the feeling of dizziness and lightheadedness. Craving for eating sweets before and during the periods is natural due to the changes in hormones. However, eating a lot of sweets can badly affect blood sugar levels. It is advisable to eat a wholesome diet throughout the day to keep a balance. One must also avoid eating refined sugar. Try to consume a protein-rich diet to gain strength.
- Include iron in diet: During periods, especially in the heavy flow days, excessive blood loss in the body. To cope with excessive blood loss in the body, it is advisable to include iron in the diet. Different food items that are a good source of iron are green vegetables, fish, meat, tofu, broccoli, quinoa, etc. Including iron-rich food in the diet helps meet body requirements and prepares a woman to handle the situation of anemia.
- Eat multivitamins: Eating multivitamins before and during periods helps manage the symptoms of dizziness. Multivitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin B12, and iron help boost energy and eliminate the chances of feeling dizzy throughout the day.
- Drink tea: Yes, during or before the start of periods, one must start drinking ginger and menthol tea. It helps in dealing with dizziness and period cramps.
- Practice breathing techniques: Practicing breathing techniques also help control dizziness symptoms. It helps reduce the amount of pain in the body and prevents the chances of dizziness. During periods, it is also common to feel anxious and irritable. Practicing breathing techniques can also help to deal with mood swings and anxiety. Besides, these techniques are also said to improve the quality of blood as it increases oxygen and remove Co2.
These are some of the key techniques to deal with dizziness during and before the periods. One important thing to note is that the girls and women must not skip their meals before and during the periods. Skipping meals at this time can cause severe weakness, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. They must eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals and include fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet to decrease the feelings of dizziness.
Every woman has different hormonal structures and menstrual cycles. Some have normal hormonal balance and some need hormonal treatments that help them to regulate cycle and help them in pregnancy. Gynaecologist will help in many ways to you in the menstrual cycle with its changes and prevent you from many problems. Our best gynaecologist in Gurgaon are dedicated to keeping women young and healthy.
If hormonal changes are the cause of your premenstrual dizziness, best gynecologist suggest their patients to reduce symptoms by making certain lifestyle adjustments, such as drinking more water, get sufficient rest, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, routine exercise etc.
On the whole:
The key reason behind feeling dizzy before periods is due to the hormonal changes in the body. The hormone known as estrogen rises twice during periods, firstly during the follicular phase and later during the luteal phase. Since estrogen rises directly before menstruation, this increases the chances of dizziness. By practicing all the above-mentioned tips, girls and women can easily handle the situation and stay normal during their periods. Besides, various products are there, like the soft cotton sanitary pads that keep women comfortable and hygienic throughout their menstrual cycle.