The Types of Trauma Often Associated with Menstrual Problems | What You Can Do about It
When you’re in a car accident, suffer a work-related injury, or bump your head in a slip-and-fall, you expect certain types of injuries—whiplash, headaches, tendon, muscle, or ligament damage. But changes in your menstrual cycle? If you’re hurt in any type of accident and suddenly experience menstrual irregularities, don’t be surprised.
What Types of Injuries Are Commonly Associated with Menstrual Changes?
The most common type of injury associated with menstrual abnormalities is traumatic brain injury, including concussions. Studies have long shown that women respond and react differently to head trauma. They may be more prone to concussions, and they often take longer to recover from a concussion or other TBI. There’s evidence, as well, that brain trauma can alter your menstrual cycle, causing you to miss a period or experience uncharacteristically painful cramping.
Studies also indicate that the severity of the impact on a woman’s menstrual cycle typically depends on where she was in her cycle when she suffered the injury. Data shows that women who suffer TBI or head trauma during the last week of a cycle typically fare worse than those who sustain the same types of injuries at other times.
How Does a Brain Injury Cause Changes in Your Menstrual Cycle?
The proper regulation of your menstrual cycle requires complex communication between your brain and your body. When you suffer any type of concussion or traumatic brain injury, the communication channels between your hypothalamus, your pituitary gland, and your ovaries can be compromised. That typically leads to changes in hormone production, which in turn lead to changes in your menstrual cycle.
What Can You Do When Your Menstrual Cycle Changes Due to Traumatic Brain Injury?
Recovery from menstrual irregularities differs from person to person, but there are ways to be proactive in reestablishing your menstrual cycle. Your doctor will likely schedule blood tests and may even prescribe hormone replacement therapy. There are also things you can do at home:
- Track your cycle
- Make certain you get good sleep
- Stay physically active—exercise is a good thing when you’re trying to recover
- Pay attention to what you eat
