Sudden consequences: what has the new virus in store for women?

Postform check-up is a must!

An active study of the effects of covid on women’s health is just beginning. So far, too little time has passed to obtain statistically reliable conclusions, but women who have faced the unpleasant consequences of this virus associated with abrupt changes in hormonal levels have increasingly begun to turn to doctors.

Many diseases – infectious, autoimmune, including coronavirus – can lead to a hormonal imbalance. Disruptions in the production of estrogen, progesterone and follicle-stimulating hormone – the main hormones responsible for women’s health, can cause menstrual irregularities, provoke early menopause in women 40-45 years old, can aggravate unpleasant symptoms of menopause, if it has already been, cause early and rapid the appearance of wrinkles, weight gain, loss of skin elasticity, hair loss, changes in posture, that is, lead to external signs of aging.

Some women who have had coronavirus noted that for the first time, for no reason, the menstrual cycle was disrupted: for some it became shorter, for others it extended to 45 days or more, and for some critical days did not come at all. Another manifestation of hormonal imbalance was the appearance in women of symptoms characteristic of menopause, although they did not have anything like this before the coronavirus disease.

It would seem, what else can this ill-fated virus bring to our lives unpleasant? Lockdown, closed borders, overcrowded hospitals, mandatory mask wearing, and now an earlier climax! Therefore, the transferred virus, even if it is asymptomatic, is a reason to check the entire body and, in particular, the hormonal background.

Look for the following signs:

• weakness and fatigue;

• mood swings;

• hot flashes and sweating;

• a feeling of heat in the hands and feet;

• increased heart rate;

• lack of menstruation or failure of the cycle;

• increased hair loss;

• decreased libido;

• insomnia;

• weight gain.

This is how the symptoms of early menopause appear. To check whether the above symptoms are a manifestation of early menopause, and to exclude other diseases, it is necessary to visit a gynecologist-endocrinologist and check the level of hormones. The onset of early menopause is evidenced by a deficiency of estrogen and an increase in the level of follicle-stimulating hormone.

Women who have undergone covid at the age of 40+, as well as women who have had early menopause, are at a special risk zone. Sharp changes in hormonal levels and estrogen deficiency weaken the immune system, as a result of which chronic diseases are exacerbated, the risk of developing infectious and inflammatory diseases and neoplasms increases. Therefore, it is important to regularly visit doctors: a gynecologist and mammologist, undergo examination and ultrasound of the pelvic organs.   

An unexpected guest: why did she come and what to do with her?

Usually, hormonal changes in women occur after 45 years of age, but menopause has recently become younger for various reasons, including stress, a busy rhythm of life, chronic diseases, and now also a coronavirus. Despite the fact that most of the menopausal changes are irreversible, their negative manifestations can be postponed for a long time, provided timely qualified assistance.

To eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of menopause and premature aging, doctors usually recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but this is not always possible due to the large number of contraindications and possible side effects, so women often do not want to take hormones. An alternative to HRT are phytoestrogens – plant compounds from some plants and herbs that have a structure similar to estrogens. Unlike artificial analogs of sex hormones, phytoestrogens do not have dangerous side effects, which makes their long-term use possible.