Why Do You Feel Like Crying During Your Period?

Menstrual cycles don't affect all women the same. For some women, their period is just a little different than an average day. For others, it's a huge ordeal. In any case, here are some things you should know.

Menstrual cycles occur from puberty until around age 40. During that time, female hormones go on quite the rollercoaster. Don’t be scared if you sometimes feel like crying during your period. Here, we’ll tell you why you may feel the need to cry.

Not all women are affected the same way by their periods. For some women, menstruation can greatly affect their emotions. At school, many young women receive little information regarding why we can become emotional during our cycle.

In the same sense, women don’t always talk much about regular and irregular cycles, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis or premenstrual syndrome. These are circumstances that you must keep in mind if you want to know why you may feel like crying during your period.

Women can get mood swings even if they regularly get their period at the same time.

Phases of the menstrual cycle

Menstrual cycles consist of three phases: follicular, ovulatory and luteal. The beginning marks the first day of menstrual bleeding. Periods can usually last between five and seven days. However, it can last as long as 12 days in some cases.

In the first follicular phase, the brain produces more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This is the beginning of the whole process. FSH helps mature eggs in the ovaries. Then, they begin to release estrogen to prepare the uterine wall for a possible pregnancy.

Then, the ovulatory phase begins. Estrogen levels increase, with the aim of producing luteinizing hormone (LH). This is responsible for selecting and releasing the most mature eggs. This occurs approximately in the middle of the cycle.

The released egg moves from the fallopian tubes to the uterus. The egg stays active for 24 hours. If sperm comes near it, the egg will choose the best one to fertilize it. Otherwise, it will dissolve.

The third is the luteal phase. This takes place during the last 12 days of the cycle. In the ovary, the ovule follicle produces progesterone at high levels to send to the uterus in case of fertilization. Extra estrogen is one of the reasons why women may feel like crying during their period.

In this phase, the body swells, the breasts are extremely sensitive, and women experience mood swings. Most of the time, fertilization doesn’t happen. The uterus contracts, and estrogen and progesterone levels decrease.

Since the uterine lining won’t be necessary, the body discards it through menstrual bleeding.

Why do you feel like crying during your period?

As we mentioned in the phases of ovulation, during their fertile stage, women experience constant changes in their hormone levels.

Above all, in the luteal phase, women experience mood swings, euphoria and irritability. Later, in the follicular phase, many women feel cramps, fatigue and sensitivity.

Feeling agitated, drained, sad or out of breath from one day to the next are common symptoms that three out of every four women experience. These changes are directly associated with the relationship between estrogen and brain activity. It’s as simple as that.

There is a connection between estrogen, progesterone and the brain. During the premenstrual phrase, the changing hormones break the balance that keeps the brain in an “alert” state.

As a result, women’s minds are in a different state than normal, which can get worse with severe stress. Melancholy, sadness, and crying is common. In addition, certain conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary can cause deep depression during this phase.

Bleeding

This symptom disappears in the menstrual bleeding phase. Estrogen increases the release of endorphins, which produces an immediate mood boost. In fact, this feeling during their period is often a source of inspiration for many women.

Finally, if you didn’t know why you feel like crying during your period, maybe now you have less doubts. In fact, most sadness happens before the period itself, because of premenstrual syndrome. When this syndrome prevents you from going about your normal routine, you might need to talk to a specialist.

So that this rush of emotions doesn’t take you by surprise, you can help your brain with a healthy diet. Activities like yoga and meditation can also help you stay alert.