June 6, 2023 — As doctors and researchers increasingly find out about long COVIDAn interesting fact has come to light: women who menopause And Perimenopause appear to have more severe complications because of the virus.
British researchers have newly discovered that ladies in midlife who've long COVID appear to develop specific and severe symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, fatigue, new-onset dizziness, and sleep disturbances.
Doctors also consider it is feasible that Long COVID worsens symptoms Perimenopause and menopause. Lower levels of Estrogen and testosterone appears to be the rationale.
“A long COVID theory is that there is a temporary disruption of the physiological production of steroid hormones in the ovaries, which [worsen] Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause,” said JoAnn V. Pinkerton, MDProfessor of Obstetrics on the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Executive Director Emeritus of North American Menopause Society.
Long Covid symptoms and menopausal symptoms may also be very difficult to differentiate from each other.
Another British study warns that the sort of symptom overlap can result in misdiagnosis in midlife women. Research The North American Menopause Society believes that many ladies could have difficulty recovering from Long COVID if their hormone deficiency just isn't treated.
Read on to take a more in-depth take a look at the connection between Long COVID and menopause so you possibly can give your doctor the appropriate information for the right diagnosis and get the treatment you would like.
What are the symptoms of Long-COVID?
There are over 200 symptoms related to Long COVID, in response to American Medical AssociationSome common symptoms are currently defined as follows:
- I feel extremely drained
- Feeling of exhaustion after exertion
- Cognitive problems corresponding to brain fog
- Your heart beats over 100 times per minute
- Loss of smell and taste
Symptoms of Long COVID begin several weeks to months after a COVID infection. They can last indefinitely, but “the hope is that Long COVID will not last a lifetime,” said Clare Flannery, MDEndocrinologist and associate professor within the departments of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and internal medicine on the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
Some symptoms of menopause contain:
- Vaginal infections
- Irregular bleeding
- Urinary problems
- Sexual problems
Middle-aged women experience additional symptoms which may be just like those of perimenopause/menopause.
Learn more: Join our webinar, Overcoming hot flashes – treatment options for perimenopause and menopause symptoms
“Common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, which may also be symptoms attributed to Long COVID, include hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, depressed mood, depression or anxiety, decreased concentration, memory problems, joint and muscle pain, and headaches,” Pinkerton said.
Can Long-COVID actually trigger menopause?
In short: possibly.
A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Patient-Led Research Collaborative/University of California, San Francisco notes that Long COVID can disrupt a girl's menstrual cycle, ovaries, fertility, and menopause itself.
This is also because of chronic inflammation attributable to Long COVID on hormones. This style of inflammatory response could explain irregularities in a girl's menstrual cycle, in response to the study from Newson Health Research and Education.
“For example, if the body has inflammation, ovulation can occur,” Flannery said.
The mechanism that determines how long COVID can trigger menopause may additionally affect a girl's ovaries.
“Because the theory is that COVID affects the ovaries and leads to a decline in ovarian reserve and ovarian function, it is logical that long COVID may trigger symptoms of perimenopause or menopause more acutely or severely and prolong the symptoms of the transition from perimenopause to menopause,” Pinkerton said.
How can hormone substitute therapy help women affected by Long COVID during menopause?
Estradiolprobably the most powerful estrogen hormone in a girl’s body, has already been shown to be positive against COVID.
“Estradiol therapy treats symptoms associated with long COVID more aggressively,” Flannery said.
Estradiol can be a type of Hormone replacement therapy or HRT, for menopausal symptoms.
“Estradiol has been shown to reduce hot flashes, night sweats, sleep, and improve mood during perimenopause,” Pinkerton said. “So it's likely that women in perimenopause or menopause with long COVID would see improvements both because of the effect of estradiol on the ovary that was seen during COVID and because of the relief of symptoms.”
Estrogen-based hormone substitute therapy is related to an increased risk of uterine, breast and ovarian cancer, in response to the American Cancer SocietyThis signifies that before starting such therapy, you need to fastidiously consider how comfortable you might be with these additional risks.
“What are your symptoms that are most difficult to manage? You can see if you can manage one to three of them. What are you willing to do about your symptoms? If a woman is willing to sleep better over the next six months to a year, she may also be willing to change her perception of her cancer risk,” Flannery said. “What risk is a woman willing to take? I think if someone has very little concern about cancer risk and has a disrupted life, taking estradiol for a one- to two-year trial period could be critical.”
Discussing your specific risk aspects and concerns together with your doctor can make it easier to make the appropriate decision.
What else helps with long COVID during menopause?
Getting a COVID vaccination (if you happen to haven’t already) and a booster shot may also help. This won't only prevent a recent COVID infection, which may make your symptoms worse, but additionally a recent Swedish study says there isn't a evidence that it would cause postmenopausal problems corresponding to irregular bleeding.
“Weak and inconsistent associations were observed between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and healthcare contact with respect to bleeding in postmenopausal women, and there was even less evidence of an association with menstrual disorders or bleeding in premenopausal women,” said the study co-author. Rickard Ljung, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Analysis within the Department of Utilization and Information, Swedish Medicines Agency, Uppsala, Sweden.
As a part of self-care, attempt to alleviate any hormonal symptoms which will have existed before Long COVID.
Treating perimenopause symptoms may help, Flannery said, and it may additionally ease your discomfort from Long COVID in case your two health issues are indeed linked.
“A good diet – avoiding carbohydrates and sweets, especially before your period – as well as getting at least seven hours of sleep and regular exercise, reducing stress and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption can improve a woman's ovarian function during ovarian fluctuations,” Pinkerton said.
Taking these sensible steps can make it easier to feel higher.