Why is it possible to delay menstruation with a cold and is it dangerous? Delayed periods due to a cold How long can periods be delayed due to a cold?

During the period of colds and flu, the body weakens, which affects the functioning of all systems. ARVI during menstruation can cause a delay and change in the nature of discharge. We will talk in more detail about what happens in the body during a cold and how ARVI and menstruation are interconnected.

ARVI affects the nature of menstruation

It is known that many factors can cause a delay and affect the normal course of menstruation. In addition to pregnancy, this could be:

  • Stress;
  • Ovarian dysfunction;
  • Climate change;
  • Problems with excess weight;
  • Intoxication;
  • Bad heredity.

ARVI and menstruation are also interconnected. Cyclic changes are directly related to the release of hormones and changes in the epidermal layer. Once in the body, the virus poisons us with toxins and prevents hormones from being released and replaced by the epidermis in time. Such delays can be associated with both serious flu, a temperature of 39-39.5 degrees, and a common cold.

How does general weakness affect the cycle?

Hormonal disruption is inevitable, and, consequently, problems with menstruation. This is due to the effect on the hypothalamus, which reacts extremely negatively to an infection that has entered the body.

Temperature can change the nature of discharge

When you have a cold, your period can change its appearance, meaning the discharge itself, especially if you have a fever and a runny nose. Another problem that worries many women is the delay of menstruation after ARVI. This is usually due to the fact that the necessary hormones were not released during the illness. If a woman has had an infection, then ovulation is delayed along with menstruation.

It is important that the delay should not exceed more than a week. Otherwise, you need to take a pregnancy test or visit your gynecologist to get examined. A delay may indicate serious health problems, so do not be careless about it.

How does menstruation go after illness?

Despite the delays, your period will still begin. But, their appearance and the nature of the menstrual period may differ markedly from what it was before. A woman needs to be prepared for this and not be afraid of the unusual behavior of her body. We will list the main parameters that may change.

The first thing that scares women is a change in the nature of the discharge. After a cold, they can become spotty. Moreover, after suffering from a severe form of influenza, spotting may become the new norm, which is associated with a hormonal imbalance that has occurred in the body. This appearance of the discharge is explained by the fact that the epidermis does not peel off evenly.

The second factor is the duration of menstruation. According to the norm, they should last no more than a week, however, due to the impact the disease has on the body, this period may increase significantly. Discharge does not occur profusely for everyone, so its intensity may also differ from normal.

Periods become more painful

A more painful process. If previously the girl did not feel strong discomfort during menstruation, now, due to toxins that have affected the nerve endings, uterine contractions will be more noticeable and painful.

Color of discharge. If you are sick with a high fever, you may have dark brown discharge with mucus and clots. There is no need to be afraid of this. This appearance of the discharge is due to the fact that due to the high temperature suffered, the blood coagulated inside the body, which is why the clots acquired this appearance.

It is important to note that changes in the menstrual cycle and its characteristics directly depend on how a woman treats ARVI, is on sick leave or continues to work. Carrying an illness on the legs causes even more stress in the body, which in the future will negatively affect the functioning of the excretory system during menstruation.

Why do ARVI and menstruation occur at the same time?

It happens that a cold overtakes a woman exactly at the time when her period has already begun. This is not surprising, because during menstruation the body’s immune system noticeably decreases and it becomes more vulnerable to viruses and external irritants.

Menstruation reduces immunity

Protective antibodies are released much more slowly due to hormonal changes during menstruation, so the virus that has entered the body does not feel much resistance from the body. Other processes, such as metabolism, also slow down.

It is not uncommon for the disease to occur immediately before menstruation, which is due to the same reasons: decreased immunity and preparation of the body for renewal.

However, gynecologists warn women to be extra vigilant, because it is known that a sore throat and runny nose may indicate that a woman is pregnant. In this case, the immune system also weakens, allowing the harmful virus into the body without a fight.

What to pay attention to after illness?

The body may not immediately recover from an illness. This is due not only to stress, but also to the need to take medications, which are not always harmless to the body. Therefore, your periods may not proceed as usual.

But it’s worth taking a closer look at your feelings about the functioning of the urinary system. Having suffered such a serious blow, they may not function as well as before. You can notice this by:

  • Unpleasant odor of normal discharge;
  • Changes in the color of vaginal discharge and its texture;
  • Frequent urge to go to the toilet;
  • Continuous pain in the abdominal area.

Seeing a doctor is very important

The disease could negatively affect the condition of the uterus and genitourinary system. Therefore, after recovery, you need to go to your clinic and be examined by a therapist. A woman should not neglect her health, because such little things can contribute to the development of serious pathologies, as well as interfere with the process of bearing a healthy child.

Can periods be delayed due to a cold, and if so, why does this happen? These and other questions related to the cycle sooner or later arise in every woman.

Monthly menstruation is one of the indicators of the health of the female body. As a rule, the absence of menstruation is always alarming if becoming a mother is not part of your immediate plans.

The effect of a cold on the female body

Any cold suppresses the immune system. For this reason, viruses that were previously in a latent state may become active in the human body, metabolism may be disrupted, sudden weight loss may occur, hormonal levels may change, etc. It is impossible to predict exactly what complications the disease will leave behind.

The female body is designed in such a way that one violation can disrupt the entire previously established chain of physiological processes. For this reason, you should not be surprised if your period does not start as scheduled after a cold. As a rule, in such situations, red days on the calendar can be delayed from 1 day to a week. When menstruation does not come after 7-8 days, this symptom should not be ignored. Contacting a specialist will help resolve the question of what exactly provoked such changes.

Many women, due to their reluctance to go to the doctor to rule out pregnancy, do a test that can be purchased at the pharmacy. Not many people know that high body temperature during illness can change the ovulation period. For the same reason, fertilization of the egg occurs faster.

If the pregnancy test gives a negative result, then, as a rule, the worries end there, but in vain. There are many other reasons that can affect the menstrual cycle.

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Reasons for the delay

Usually, most women go to the hospital only when they can no longer bear it. But if a girl wants to maintain her health for a long time, such ignoring the problem can only cause additional harm. In medical practice, cases are often recorded when a married couple seeks help with an infertility problem, the true cause of which is an untimely treated disease of the genitourinary organs.

The cause of the menstrual cycle failure may be the following:

  • hypothermia;
  • cystitis;
  • inflammation of the ovaries;
  • viral infections;
  • fungal infections;
  • herpes;
  • bacterial infections.

Some medications that a woman took during treatment for a cold can affect the functioning of her body as a whole, including the failure of menstruation.

We should not forget about psycho-emotional health. If during a cold a woman experienced severe stress, anxiety or was depressed, then the likelihood of changes in hormonal levels, which provoked a delay in menstruation, is quite high.

Cycle failure in young, not yet sexually mature girls occurs more often than in adults.

You can prevent disruption of the menstrual cycle after a cold if you treat the underlying disease and try in every possible way to improve immunity. Bad habits put additional stress on the body, especially when it is weakened by illness.

If, after a delay, the pregnancy test gives a positive result, the woman must consult a gynecologist as soon as possible. Sometimes a positive result after a cold is actually a false result. This may be a faulty test, but there may be other pathological circumstances.

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If the test is positive and a medical report is received that pregnancy has occurred, the woman must tell her leading doctor about the previous illness and the medications used for treatment.

Sometimes it is recommended to terminate a pregnancy after an illness artificially. This recommendation is relevant if the woman was taking strong medications, or, for example, conception occurred during an illness such as rubella.

Delayed periods always cause concern for women. Their causes include both serious circumstances, for example, pregnancy, and quite ordinary stresses that cause hormonal imbalance. Whether there can be a delay due to a cold depends on what period of the cycle the woman fell ill, how strong her immune system is, how carefully she adhered to the prescribed treatment, and how weakened the body was as a result. Often a cold goes away without consequences. But it is not uncommon for a delay in critical days after it.

What determines the normal menstrual cycle and the permissible delay of critical days?

Typically, the cycle of reproductive renewal is individual for each woman. Its regularity depends on the timely synthesis of hormones, for which the ovaries, adrenal glands, and the thyroid gland are responsible. This process is controlled by the pituitary gland. It, in turn, depends on the work of the hypothalamus, a very stress-sensitive part of the brain that ensures self-regulation of all body processes. Therefore, any general shocks and stress, including those caused by colds and viral infections, affect the interaction of all organs of the endocrine system and often affect the menstrual rhythm.

The body does not always work like a clock. Slight fluctuations in cycle duration are normal.

In most young and healthy women it proceeds in this manner:

  • From the beginning of one menstruation to the beginning of the next, usually 21 to 30 days pass. A cycle duration of up to 35 days is allowed.
  • Critical days last from 3 to 7 days.
  • Cycle instability can be considered normal in girls in the first year after the onset of menstruation and in women before menopause.

A single case of a 7-10 day delay or premature onset of menstruation is not considered a warning sign. However, repeated cycle disruption is a reason to visit a gynecologist. A delay of more than 15 days indicates a serious hormonal imbalance and the need to find out its causes.

Can a cold affect your period? Of course it can. Even the mildest colds can cause a week-long delay in menstruation.

This is due to stress factors affecting the general condition of the body and the functioning of its hormonal glands:

  • Overwork and nervous tension if a woman decides not to fall out of the working rhythm and suffers from a cold on her legs.
  • Intoxication due to viral and bacterial infections.
  • Inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system, aggravated due to decreased immunity or treatment with antibiotics.
  • Intensive treatment with antiviral and other drugs.
  • A radical change in diet and, as a result, a significant change in the amount of fatty tissue in the body. That is, sudden weight loss or, conversely, weight gain.
  • Climate change, moving.
  • Lactation period.

All these circumstances accompanying a cold significantly inhibit the maturation of the egg and the formation of the endometrium, which is reflected in the timing of the onset of critical days and the nature of their course.

Menstrual irregularities due to colds

Although it is difficult to predict exactly how a cold will affect the course of the monthly cycle, some conclusions can be drawn based on which of its phases the peak of the malaise occurred:

  1. Very often, influenza, other acute respiratory viral infections or exacerbations of chronic diseases overtake a woman during menstruation, that is, at the very beginning of the cycle. This is due to a decrease in immunity and the general tone of all body systems these days.
    In this case, the hypothalamus may not release a sufficient amount of a substance that stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete hormones necessary for the development of follicles with eggs in the ovaries. Therefore, the first phase of the menstrual cycle (follicular) will be prolonged. Hence the delay in the start of the next cycle and, accordingly, the next menstruation;
  2. The first phase of the disease is also delayed by the disease, which began shortly after the critical days. In this case, the stress of the body inhibits the maturation of the dominant follicle with the egg, and ovulation occurs later, which shifts the entire cycle in time;
  3. If the disease occurred after ovulation, during the luteal phase, the effect may be different. At this time, the corpus luteum in the ovary produces hormones necessary to change the outer layers of the endometrium - the lining of the uterus. If its formation does not occur fully, menstruation will be scanty and will come earlier than expected.

Colds on critical days

This happens, unfortunately, very often. A decrease in hormonal levels, the tone of almost all systems, anemia due to blood loss and weakened immunity are conditions when the body is unable to fight infection. It is very easy to catch a cold during your period.

It is even easier to provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases such as bronchitis, tonsillitis and others. Even a runny nose that is harmless on other days can cause fatigue, an outbreak of herpes or inflammation in the genital area, which will certainly affect the functioning of the entire endocrine system and the ovaries in particular.

To prevent a significant disruption of the female cycle due to a cold or simply hypothermia during menstruation, you need to take into account:

  • With a mild cold, even if a woman does not go on sick leave, she still needs rest and rest. You should not continue to work with the same load as on normal days. Anxiety and stress should be kept to a minimum.
  • In case of a more serious illness, it is necessary to inform the doctor about your “women’s” days and strictly adhere to the appointments. Take only prescribed medications, as some antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, thin the blood and can cause heavy bleeding.
  • This also applies to folk recipes, which are very popular in the treatment of colds. Decoctions of chamomile, ginger and others during this period will also cause unnecessary blood loss.

How will taking antibiotics affect the female cycle?

Can there be a delay due to taking antibiotics when treating a cold?

Drugs that have a negative effect on the growth of living cells, of course, harm not only the pathogenic microflora, but also the natural one, necessary for many important processes for the body, and also affect the activity of all systems, including the hormonal one.

Much more detrimental to health is a rapidly developing infection, the consequences of which are painful and difficult to cure.

To avoid unnecessary stress on the body when treating ARVI, you need to keep in mind:

  1. You cannot take antibiotics without identifying the cause of the disease. The influenza virus is immune to antibacterial drugs used to treat other infections. Sometimes allergic reactions can be confused with cold symptoms. You should not cause unnecessary harm to an already weakened body by self-medicating.
  2. If you feel better before the end of the course of antibiotic treatment, you should not stop taking the prescribed medications. An untreated infection can become chronic. And insufficient exposure to antibiotics contributes to the development of resistance to it.
  3. When taking antibiotics, you need to remember about the manifestation of fungal microflora. Without the restraining factor of the natural bacterial environment, it begins to develop rapidly in the intimate area and causes inflammation. Regular hygiene and timely administration of antifungal agents are necessary.

Having a cold increases the risk of unwanted pregnancy

If your period is delayed after a cold, flu or exacerbation of a chronic disease, you first need to check whether pregnancy has occurred. The probability of detecting it after illness in the first phase of the cycle, when using the calendar method of contraception, is very high. This happens due to a shift in the timing of ovulation and with it all the usual rhythms. The period of safe days for unprotected sex comes later, and the possibility of getting pregnant increases significantly.

Active treatment with antibiotics or other drugs that affect the state of the body's microflora reduces the effect of hormonal contraceptives. They simply do not have time to be absorbed due to disruption of the intestines. Also, some drugs effective against ARVI or influenza suppress their contraceptive properties. It is better to use other means of contraception during illness and after it.

In conclusion - how to normalize the menstrual cycle after a cold

First of all, you should take care of vitamins and essential microelements. Therefore, the diet should be as varied as possible and not heavy, since taking medications necessarily affects digestion, and after an illness the stomach, intestines and liver need to recover.

It is imperative to consume a sufficient amount of prebiotics to provide food to the weakened intestinal microflora. They are found in oranges, bananas, apples, chicory, sesame seeds, oats, carrots, rye and others.

Immunomodulators in the form of dietary supplements will help avoid new colds and repeated stress.

And most importantly, nervous breakdowns, overwork and excessive physical exertion should be avoided.

If pregnancy is not planned in the near future, a delay in menstruation causes anxiety in a woman. She goes over in her head all the possible reasons for the delay of menstruation. And few people realize that a cold, a virus, or a common ARVI could have affected it. What is the relationship between menstruation and colds? Why is the cycle broken?

Throughout the entire menstrual cycle, a woman’s reproductive system undergoes numerous changes under the influence of hormones. Most of them are produced by the ovaries, which function together with other internal organs. Sex hormones are subject to the influence of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. For timely rejection of the uterine epithelium to occur, the body must undergo many biological and chemical transformations. If one element of a complex system fails, the entire chain will fail. This phenomenon can be provoked by internal and external factors, including a cold or the invasion of a viral infection.

In some cases, the disease significantly affects the monthly cycle and the nature of the discharge. After the penetration of a viral infection, pathogenic microorganisms begin to multiply in the woman’s body. Waste products are left in the tissues of internal organs. Nothing more than toxins. They interfere with the normal functioning of body systems and disrupt hormonal balance. It is difficult to predict what the result of such influence will be. There are several options for the development of events.

The influence of viral infection on critical days

ARVI disease entails hormonal imbalance. The hypothalamus is extremely susceptible to viral infection. This is where problems with menstruation begin. Hormones can delay the onset of menstrual periods or hasten them. The presence of the disease does not mean that the reproductive organs can rest; there will be no menstruation in the current cycle. The effects of toxins and the stress they cause are not strong enough to cause menstruation to disappear. Most likely, there will be a delay in menstruation.

Failure in the production of the hypothalamus entails a deficiency of the second hormone - the pituitary gland. Ovulation occurs approximately 7 days late. The next menstruation is delayed for the same period of time. Deviations can also occur in the other direction. When ovulation occurs faster or is absent, menstruation will begin prematurely. The situation is complicated by a decrease in immunity during a cold, which cannot but affect the functioning of the reproductive system and hormonal levels.

The nature of menstruation during a cold

Menstruation in case of acute respiratory viral infection or diseases with a viral infection depends on the severity of the course. If it is a slight weakness with a sore throat, runny nose, cough, the changes will be insignificant. Perhaps your period will come just 2-3 days later than expected. If there is a high temperature, a strong load on the internal organs, the nature of menstruation will change significantly.


This is not to say that everything happens according to the standard scheme. Menstruation is influenced by many factors. In addition, every woman’s body is individual.

Factors influencing the nature of menstruation during a cold

The nature of menstruation during the period of illness is influenced by a woman’s attitude towards her health. If the disease is carried on the legs, the disturbances in the monthly cycle will be more significant. Taking pills also has an effect. If there may be no fever or high temperature during ARVI, treatment is limited to topical medications: throat spray, nasal drops. For diseases with a viral infection, take antiviral medications, fever pills, and immunostimulants. And then antibiotics. All this cannot but affect menstruation and the nature of menstrual flow.

Interesting fact: pregnancy can manifest itself with a sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, and an increase in body temperature up to 37.2 degrees Celsius. It can simply be confused with the onset of a cold. If symptoms do not progress and there is a delay in menstruation, a pregnancy test should be performed.

The regularity of the monthly cycle before a cold also has an effect. An infection can complicate a situation that was not entirely favorable before. In some cases, menstruation will have to be induced with special medications. This is done after a visit to the gynecologist, if pregnancy has been ruled out. If the cause of delayed menstruation is a hormone imbalance.

Menstruation after an illness of infectious or viral origin

A cold takes away the vitality of the body, reduces immunity, and weakens protective functions. On such soil, which is favorable for harmful microorganisms, toxins accumulate and the number of pathological microorganisms increases. The infection causes hormonal imbalance, disruption of the reproductive system, and the menstrual cycle. After a mild cold, your period comes 7 days later, the cycle stretches to 35 days. If the delay is longer, menstruation will have to be induced.

Due to the presence of infection in the body, inflammation of the genital organs may occur. As a consequence of the illness, inflammation of the ovaries, appendages, and uterus becomes obvious. The change in the nature of the discharge is accompanied by additional symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen, in the center or on the sides, nausea, fever, and others. Depends on the disease.

Stress and everyday everyday problems can complicate the situation with a violation of the monthly cycle:

  • financial difficulties;
  • problems at work;
  • unfavorable psycho-emotional environment at home;

A woman’s weakened immune system allows new infections, fungi, and bacteria to enter the body. Menstruation after a cold may change due to the presence of new influencing factors. The presence of additional symptoms and discomfort should alert you.

Thus, there is nothing strange in the fact that menstruation changes during a cold. Critical days subsequently come at the wrong time. There is no need to worry if a viral illness is accompanied by the unexpected arrival of menstruation. Anything is possible. Colds and the menstrual cycle are interconnected. The main thing is not to let things take their course. Support the immune system, strengthen the body's defenses, replenish vitamins after a cold. If serious problems arise with the functioning of the reproductive system, immediately seek help from a specialist. In the next cycle, menstruation will come on time and will pass as usual. A common cold can lead to dangerous health problems.

A cold can affect the condition of all body systems. A common runny nose or minor malaise can cause disruption of the menstrual cycle, delay or premature appearance of menstrual periods. It is extremely important to identify the cause of any changes in the monthly schedule and eliminate the provoking factor. In each specific case, you need to figure out whether the delay may be due to a cold or whether it was caused by a more serious problem.

Many women wonder whether their periods can be delayed due to a cold. Doctors say that such changes are not excluded. A cold is a stress for the body, which leads to disruption of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus (the area of ​​the brain responsible for the production of hormones necessary for the normal functioning of the reproductive system). Due to this, a change in hormonal levels occurs, which can cause delay.

Infectious and viral infections can lead to the development of disorders in the body.

Influenza and acute respiratory viral infections affect not only certain organs, but also the reproductive system as a whole. Weakening immunity can cause a delay in menstruation, change the nature of discharge and the duration of critical days.

If a woman catches a cold due to hypothermia, even before her period is missed, she begins to feel unwell, the symptoms of which are in many ways similar to a cold. This is due to the fact that during this period of viral infection it is easiest to enter the body, since the protective functions are weakened. Against this background, a runny nose may appear during menstruation and other symptoms of ARVI.

Menstruation and a cold occurring simultaneously have a negative impact on a woman’s condition. Naturally, the cycle may be disrupted. Uncharacteristic discharge is often observed, accompanied by severe weakness and pain. This is worth paying special attention to, especially if.

The cycle is affected by taking medications designed to eliminate the viral infection. are also closely related. These are potent medications that can affect the condition of various organs and disrupt the functioning of the ovaries.

How does menstruation go after illness?

Having figured out whether a cold can affect your periods, you should separately note the changes that are possible after recovery. As a result of the body being damaged by a viral infection, its cells are poisoned by harmful substances.

In addition, stress and medication use affect the condition. As a result, there may be a delay after a cold. Not only the period of the menstrual cycle changes, but also the nature of the discharge.

If menstruation and a cold occur simultaneously (at the same time), then the violations can be even more serious. Because of this, the cycle may be disrupted, and clots often appear during menstruation. Often the discharge becomes scanty or excessively abundant.

A cold before menstruation leads to suppression of the immune system, and as a result, PMS symptoms become more pronounced. The pain syndrome intensifies, the woman becomes irritable, and feels very tired.

What you need to pay attention to

A recent cold and missed period are not uncommon. A cycle failure for a week does not cause concern. A longer absence of menstruation often indicates the development of pathology. In addition, late ovulation can cause conception. The first thing you should do is take a pregnancy test.

A viral infection is often accompanied by a bacterial one, which also affects the genitourinary and reproductive systems. At the same time, the nature of the discharge changes, and other alarming symptoms appear:

  • leucorrhoea with an unpleasant odor;
  • accompanied by a burning sensation;
  • pain in the lower abdomen that does not go away for a long time.

Herpes and candidiasis often develop against the background of a common cold. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to your health, strengthen your immune system, follow a daily and nutritional regimen, and perform all hygiene procedures.

To avoid the penetration of a viral infection into internal processes, you should drink as much fluid as possible.

When to see a doctor

Cycle disruptions due to a previous cold are not a cause for concern. A month later he returns to normal. During this period, scanty or heavy periods are observed. Such changes are caused by weakened immunity and hormonal imbalances. If there is a delay of more than a week, you need to seek help from a gynecologist.

A viral infection can trigger the onset of an inflammatory process in the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus. Among other changes, in addition to delay, are those when consultation with a gynecologist is necessary:

  • severe pain in the lower back and abdomen;
  • hyperthermia;
  • discharge of uncharacteristic color, consistency and odor;
  • problems with urination.

If any warning signs appear, it is not recommended to postpone a visit to the doctor.

Due to a cold, periods of critical days may be delayed. The failure of the cycle is caused by hormonal imbalance and weakening of the body's protective functions. Even taking medications affects the state of the reproductive system. As a rule, after just a month, menstruation begins to appear on time. The alarm is caused by a prolonged failure when they do not arrive for more than seven days.