Why does my period get worse when I travel?

While many hormones are involved in the control of your menstrual cycle, two important ones are known to be directly related to travel and stress: cortisol and melatonin. Travel often goes hand-in-hand with stress, explained Dr. Klein, and this can cause cortisol levels to fluctuate.



People Also Ask

The menstrual cycle is influenced by travel because of its hormonal relationship to your circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are your body's daily cycles. The word circadian comes from the Latin words circa and dias, meaning around and day.

MORE DETAILS

Traveling across time zones can throw your hormones — and your menstrual cycle — out-of-whack. The further you go, the more likely you are to be affected. This might not matter much if you're visiting Grandma in Norway. But if you're beach-bound to meet your new lover, cycle unpredictability may be more annoying.

MORE DETAILS

It's normal for your cycle to be thrown off course and perhaps even miss a period when you travel. If you have concerns about skipping a period, or you miss two or more cycles once you return, reach out to your healthcare provider for guidance.

MORE DETAILS