How your Menstrual Cycle effects your Immune system

 



Your immune system is the basis of your health. Most of the time, it works for you by fighting off infection and helping fix injury. Although sometimes your immune system works against you, causing or influencing chronic diseases like allergies and arthritis.

Sex hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, seem to affect the immune system and its function. There is evidence to suggest that premenopausal people’s bodies react differently to illnesses and infections over the course of their menstrual cycle due, at least in part, to fluctuations in sex hormones.

Understanding how your immune system functions can help you appreciate and anticipate your healthy days and less-healthy days.

Your immune system can be roughly broken into three categories:

  1. Innate immunity: This includes secretion of mucus and some types of immune cells.
  2. Inflammation: When your body is exposed to foreign substances, such as bacteria, or are injured, your immune system will stage an inflammatory response. Acute inflammation helps protect tissue and increases the number of immune cells at an infection or wound site, while chronic inflammation can lead to chronic diseases.
  3. Acquired immunity: We develop acquired immunity when exposed to bacteria, viruses, and other substances. Acquired immunity includes B and T lymphocytes, and antibodies that have developed in response to infection and vaccination (1-3).

The first part of your cycle: the follicular phase

During the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (i.e. the first part of the cycle, from the first day of the period until ovulation), people tend to have higher levels of antibodies in their body and have an increased inflammatory response (1, 4). These changes makes people less susceptible to infection during this phase of their cycle (1, 4).

This increased immune response is thought to be partially triggered by rising estrogen levels that occur between menstruation until just before ovulation (1, 5, 6). Estrogen interacts with immune cells by attaching to receptors on the outside of the cells, and by interacting with cell processes occuring in the nucleus and cytoplasm (4, 7). During the follicular phase, this interaction increases inflammation, though estrogen doesn’t always necessarily have that effect (1).

Higher estrogen does not necessarily mean better health, as the higher inflammatory response caused by estrogen can lead to a worsening of chronic disease (1, 4, 7). Also, prolonged exposure to endogenous (i.e. from the body) estrogen is associated with the development of certain cancers, such as breast cancer (8).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Candylicious Dubai

Image
  Candylicious at  The Dubai Mall  is one of the largest sweet shops in the world. This is where you’ll find the biggest piles of chocolates, sweets, and lollipops in multiple colours, sizes and shapes. Every corner of this expertly-arranged shop is filled with more mouthwatering sweets than you could ever imagine. Come and feel mesmerised by the lollipop tree dangling with your favourites and the Candylicious Airplane taking off above your heads. This hip and fashion-forward candy store spans a whopping area of nearly 1,000sqm, so it’s safe to say you’ll find just about anything you crave here. There’s also an extensive range of sweet and chocolate brands from around the world. For the die-hard fans, there are even novelty branded gifts including T-shirts, mugs and soft toys. The sweet superstore is located directly opposite  Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo , so why not grab some popcorn while you spot some sharks?
Read more

Can Too Much Control Cause Mood Problem

Image
  What is a mood disorder? A mood disorder is a mental health problem that primarily affects a person’s emotional state. It is a disorder in which a person experiences long periods of extreme happiness, extreme sadness, or both. It is normal for someone’s mood to change, depending on the situation. However, to be diagnosed with a mood disorder, symptoms must be present for several weeks or longer. Mood disorders can cause changes in your behavior and can affect your ability to deal with routine activities, such as work or school. Two of the most common mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder. This article will review these disorders and some of their many subtypes. Depression  (major or clinical depression).  Depression is a common mental disorder. Grief or sadness is a typical response to a traumatic life event or crisis, such as the death of a spouse or family member, loss of a job, or a major illness. However, when the depression continues to be present even...
Read more

How to heal HPV naturally in Women

Image
  In addition to treating patients, Trimble researches vaccines to treat human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with more than 6 million Americans infected each year. You’ve probably seen television ads for the  HPV  vaccine. If you have kids, your pediatrician has probably recommended the vaccine to guard against some cancers that are linked to HPV. It can sound pretty scary: a common infection that causes cancer. So should women worry about HPV? According to Trimble, the answer is no.   Women Don’t Need to Feel Ashamed About HPV “Anyone who’s ever had sex may have been exposed to HPV,” says Trimble, adding that she wishes she knew how to get rid of the unnecessary stigma associated with the disease. “Raising awareness can give you choices, and knowing you have choices is empowering.” Certain Types of HPV Are Linked with Cervical Disease While more than 100 types of HPV exist, only about a dozen of them are associate...
Read more