{"id":17040,"date":"2020-04-10T11:34:51","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T09:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=17040"},"modified":"2021-01-18T10:52:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T09:52:45","slug":"covid-and-period-sickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 and Your Period: Sickness, Stress & Shopping for Menstrual Products"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was medically fact-checked by Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr. Shree Datta<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

As if you didn\u2019t have enough freak-out material for your anxiety-ridden brain to process during the corona crisis, now your period is acting up, or, seemingly worse, it\u2019s coming right on time and you\u2019re out of tampons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you frantically call up the nearest, overworked nurse practitioner or start planning for the bloodiest mess your bathroom has ever seen, make sure your whacked-out cycle isn\u2019t experiencing it\u2019s own (temporary) crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot can happen to your period when you\u2019re stressed or sick, and sometimes menstruation can cause weird, illness-like symptoms all it\u2019s own. We\u2019ve got the facts on what\u2019s going down between your legs (and between your ears) during COVID-19 and how to sanely manage your period woes while staying safer at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

First Thing\u2019s First \u2013 Don\u2019t Panic Over Tampons and Pads<\/b><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been singing the praises of <\/span>reusable period products<\/span><\/a> since day one. We <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> a menstrual cup company, after all!<\/span><\/p>\n

But seriously, when has there ever been a better time to finally test out a body-safe, silicone period cup? If you can\u2019t leave the house on the regular to re-up on tampons and pads, how can you be expected to manage your period?<\/span><\/p>\n

In light of the corona craziness \u2013 and obvious difficulties in reaching a grocery store on the regular \u2013 we\u2019ve discounted our entire collection of reusable menstrual cups. <\/span>Click here<\/span><\/a> to check out the sale, and then keep reading.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t been keeping up with <\/span>everything period-related<\/span><\/a> at INTIMINA, we\u2019ll fill you in real quick. In short, a menstrual cup is a small, flexible piece of medical-grade silicone shaped into a cup that\u2019s tiny enough to double as a water dish for a hummingbird. Whenever you\u2019re bleeding, simply squeeze the cup, gently insert it into your vagina (with a little help from <\/span>some lube<\/span><\/a> if necessary) and you can leave it in place for up to 8 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter the strength or stretch of your vagina, there\u2019s a cup made to fit your body, and <\/span>all <\/span><\/i>the cups in our collection can handle even your heaviest days without leaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

While you\u2019re stuck on lockdown, the awesome folks at INTIMINA headquarters will ship a cup straight to your doorstep. In the lonesome freedom of your home, get to know your new favorite period routine. Practice inserting it and removing it. Pretend you\u2019re in a public bathroom and find the most comfortable position and routine for managing your cup while out.<\/span><\/p>\n

We promise this will be the <\/span>best takeaway<\/span><\/a> from all that time indoors.<\/span><\/p>\n

While you await your new cup\u2019s arrival, <\/span>read up<\/span><\/a> on how to care for and clean this amazing little piece of silicone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stress & Illness = Menstrual Cycle Disruptions<\/b><\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019re already set up for a manageable menstrual cycle, your period might be in a quarantine of its own.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>the MD team at MedicalNet<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s easy to make the connection between COVID-19 and unexplained period oddities. Stress is one of the most common causes of late or missed periods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you haven\u2019t caught the coronavirus or another seasonal illness, the hormones at play while you\u2019re feeling anxious and nervous, depressed or over-stressed can still wreak havoc on your body.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a <\/span>medically-reviewed article<\/span><\/a> on stress and menstruation, we learn a less-than-encouraging fact: the relationship between period irregularity and stress isn\u2019t well known, even in the medical community.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, doctors <\/span>do <\/span><\/i>know that stress suppresses the function of the hypothalamus in the brain, which controls the pituitary gland \u2013 the organ in charge of your ovaries, thyroid and adrenal glands. Together, those body parts are <\/span>supposed<\/span><\/i> to work to maintain your hormone production levels \u2013 at least until stress comes stomping through.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same thing happens when you\u2019re sick. Colds, fevers and the flu disrupt the way your body normally functions and are well-known for <\/span>causing missed or irregular periods<\/span><\/a> for up to a month.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your period is late, heavier or lighter than usual, or just plain off while stuck inside and you\u2019ve got no reason to suspect it could be <\/span>pregnancy<\/span><\/a>, stress or illness may likely be playing a part. However if this keeps happening, be sure to pay your Gynecologist a visit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While we know you\u2019re limited on remedy options right now, the <\/span>medical experts at Healthline<\/span><\/a> have a handful of recommendations that are still functional from within your home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Practicing yoga and meditation; mindful deep breathing in front of your favorite candles; listening to soothing music in a comfortable spot; reducing your daily caffeine intake; and \u2013 our favorite \u2013 calling up your friends and family for a good laugh from afar \u2013 all these simple practices can help return your body and mind to a more calm state.<\/span><\/p>\n

Put down the smartphone, stop checking the news more than twice a day, and you\u2019ll ride this out, weird period or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it COVID-19 or just PMS?<\/b><\/p>\n

You\u2019re nauseous, experiencing constipation, diarrhea or another digestion-related discomfort, and topping it all off with chills, a fever and muscle cramps. Understandably, you\u2019re now terrified. These are the same symptoms associated with the onset of the coronavirus.<\/span><\/p>\n

While we absolutely recommend calling up a local health clinic and seeking a COVID test if that\u2019s the case, take a peek at your calendar before assuming the worst. Is your period on the horizon? If so, you might be experiencing PMS. Regardless, seek proactive advice if COVID is suspected, self isolate and get tested if possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>medical menstrual experts at HealthLine<\/span><\/a> explain that cycle-related chemical changes in the body can cook up a perfect storm of estrogen, serotonin, and prostaglandin. These respective hormones, brain chemicals and hormone-like fatty acids are essentially triggering an insane version of <\/span>PMS<\/span><\/a>. Remember, if these are the same symptoms that are appearing every month, then that can be a good indication of the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

PMS can range from annoying to awful, with symptoms like cramps, moodiness and bloating. Your head may pound, your stomach may ache, and your temperature may rise. All of these symptoms can be exacerbated by feelings of anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of where you are in your cycle, if you exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, or feeling unwell, and you have any reason to believe you could have been exposed to it, <\/span>please <\/span><\/i>call a doctor, explain your symptoms and learn your virus testing options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t be surprised if it\u2019s just the ol\u2019 monthly flow taking your already stressed-out brain and body for a ride (and <\/span>phew!<\/span><\/i> on that).<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Facts checked by:<\/h3>\n

Dr. Shree Datta<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Dr.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shree Datta is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in London, specialising in women’s health including all menstrual problems such as fibroids and endometriosis. Dr. Shree is a keen advocate for patient choice, having written numerous articles and books to promote patient and clinician information. Her vision resonates with INTIMINA, with the common goals of demystifying periods and delivering the best possible care to her patients<\/p>\n

Medical<\/a><\/strong> | LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong> | Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Written by:<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article was medically fact-checked by Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr. Shree Datta. As if you didn\u2019t have enough freak-out material for your anxiety-ridden brain to process during the corona…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":17041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1,2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Handle Your Period During Corona Virus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You may be concerned about how quarantine lock down will effect your menstrual cycle and overall period health. We have the solutions to help save your sanity and menstrual wellness during COVID-19.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"INTIMINA\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"INTIMINA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f50537a97d16dabefc697e8585013e87\"},\"headline\":\"COVID-19 and Your Period: Sickness, Stress & Shopping for Menstrual Products\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-10T09:34:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-01-18T09:52:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/\"},\"wordCount\":1209,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Women's Health\",\"Menstruation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/\",\"name\":\"How to Handle Your Period During Corona Virus\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-10T09:34:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-01-18T09:52:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"You may be concerned about how quarantine lock down will effect your menstrual cycle and overall period health. We have the solutions to help save your sanity and menstrual wellness during COVID-19.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Intimina\",\"description\":\"A Health and Wellness Resource for Women\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Intimina\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/INTIMINA_logo-02.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/INTIMINA_logo-02.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":543,\"caption\":\"Intimina\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intimina\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intimina\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/intimina\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/intimina\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCR_3_GPO6pkhDiFU9TZRdYA\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f50537a97d16dabefc697e8585013e87\",\"name\":\"INTIMINA\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d41ce57083541d7ecfdc50159a46958f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d41ce57083541d7ecfdc50159a46958f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"INTIMINA\"},\"description\":\"A collective group of \\\"lady experts\\\" at Intimina who love sharing our personal experiences, even when they are a little\u00a0too\u00a0personal. We believe it's time to start breaking down the taboos around menstruation, motherhood, and menopause, and start owning our female health.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/author\/intimina\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Handle Your Period During Corona Virus","description":"You may be concerned about how quarantine lock down will effect your menstrual cycle and overall period health. We have the solutions to help save your sanity and menstrual wellness during COVID-19.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"INTIMINA","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/"},"author":{"name":"INTIMINA","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f50537a97d16dabefc697e8585013e87"},"headline":"COVID-19 and Your Period: Sickness, Stress & Shopping for Menstrual Products","datePublished":"2020-04-10T09:34:51+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-18T09:52:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/"},"wordCount":1209,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Women's Health","Menstruation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/","name":"How to Handle Your Period During Corona Virus","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-04-10T09:34:51+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-18T09:52:45+00:00","description":"You may be concerned about how quarantine lock down will effect your menstrual cycle and overall period health. We have the solutions to help save your sanity and menstrual wellness during COVID-19.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/covid-and-period-sickness\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/","name":"Intimina","description":"A Health and Wellness Resource for Women","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Intimina","url":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/INTIMINA_logo-02.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/INTIMINA_logo-02.png","width":1000,"height":543,"caption":"Intimina"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intimina","https:\/\/twitter.com\/intimina","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/intimina\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/intimina\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCR_3_GPO6pkhDiFU9TZRdYA"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f50537a97d16dabefc697e8585013e87","name":"INTIMINA","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d41ce57083541d7ecfdc50159a46958f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d41ce57083541d7ecfdc50159a46958f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"INTIMINA"},"description":"A collective group of \"lady experts\" at Intimina who love sharing our personal experiences, even when they are a little\u00a0too\u00a0personal. We believe it's time to start breaking down the taboos around menstruation, motherhood, and menopause, and start owning our female health.","url":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/author\/intimina\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17040"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}