Traveling can affect a lot of things in a woman’s life, including their monthly period. Many women find that their normal menstrual cycle stops or changes while they are on the road. Keep reading if you can relate to this as the following article will tell you how traveling affects your period.
Similar to other lifestyle change, traveling could have an affect your monthly period because your normal routine is disrupted, even though it’s a temporary occurrence.
You could have problems such as delayed and missed periods because of stress, eating habits and more since the menstrual cycle hormones can be very sensitive to new things. International travel will have a greater effect as your body would undergo more of a shock.
How Traveling Affects Your Period
In general, your body, as well as its normal functions and rhythms, is dependent on or involved with your environment and situation. For this reason, you are going to see noticeable effects when you are on the go or in a new place.
When you are traveling, especially to a faraway city or overseas, the time change will interfere with your normal internal biological clock or circadian rhythm. This is what is referred to as jet lag, and rapid air travel across various time zones can lead to a number of problems. It can cause many problems, from exhaustion, irritability, and fatigue to stomach problems and lack of appetite.
A study was conducted on this, and it indicated that women have sleep disturbances seventy percent of the time after they cross a time zone. This is another example of how a major disruption in the circadian rhythm could have a huge effect on your period. As a matter of fact, the same study shows the well-documented fact that female flight attendants are commonly affected by irregular menstrual cycles.
Hormone release and various other vital bodily functions are influenced by your circadian rhythm. Whenever it’s off, your hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, which play an important role in your menstrual and ovulation, will be thrown off. Estrogen could spike to trigger ovulation or the spike might be delayed because of changes in your rhythm and cause your period to come later than normal.
Here are some other things that could change and affect your period when you are traveling:
Stress: Your menstrual cycle is very sensitive to stressful situations. Even though traveling can be fun, it can be stressful on your body. From the frenzy of deciding what to pack, leaving home to reach your location to the time that you should arrive at the airport, traveling comes with loads of stress.
Exercise: Lack of or not doing enough physical activities often causes changes in the body during travels. Like most people, you might have a set routine for exercising at home, but this could change when you are on the road. On the other hand, traveling might involve walking for long hours on unfamiliar streets or climbing mountains, and these things can jumpstart your system. Your periods could stop or you may have missed cycles because of increased exercise routines and weight loss. The same thing can also happen if you gain weight.
Diet: You will have many different places to explore when traveling, so it is highly likely that you are going to change your eating habits. It is not only the fluctuation in calorie intake that could affect your monthly period while you are eating everything around the world or you start to forget breakfast suddenly. You will be in new locations with new ingredients and menus that switches up the nutrients that you normally eat, so all these things are going to have an effect on how your body functions and feels.
Schedule: The lack of a nine to five routine or new sleeping schedules can have an effect on your body’s clockwork. In fact, a shakeup in your schedule could be another stressor that puts a strain on your body. Whenever you are not on a regular schedule, your period could also act the same way.
Bear in mind that these factors will affect different females in different ways. Your period might remain constant even though you are traveling all over the place or it could go completely out of whack.
The key is to take care of your body while on the road. It might feel difficult, but you should try to eat healthy, do some exercises as well as get enough sleep and relax.
This will not guarantee that your period is going to remain unchanged, but you are sure to feel better and be less vulnerable to PMS symptoms that are more difficult to predict on irregular cycles.
Now that you know how traveling affects your period, you don’t have to worry too much, especially if you are always on the road. Just remember that jet lag, change in eating habits and stress are things that come with traveling and can cause a delayed or missed period.
Hi I was supposed to get my period 4 days ago at the latest (for my typical menstrual cycle), after my last period ended I immediately went abroad and traveled to two different counties. I am still abroad and will return home in 2 weeks, but still haven’t gotten my period. Should I be concerned?
Hi my periods came three days late but really light this has never happen before. I traveled to the Caribbean 3 days after it came. I am on my 9th day of my periods. This is the first time this has happened to me. It’s normally 7 days. Did the flight cause it to prolong?
Hello Trish, this might have happened as a result of you traveling.
Hi,
I just moved from Africa to Europe and am three months late, I am a virgin.
Hello Quin, please see the below link to understand the effects that travelling has on your cycle: https://womanjunction.com/traveling-affects-period/
Hi
I just moved from Africa to Europe and am three months late.
Hello Quin, the best way to know if you’re pregnant is to take a pregnancy test 7 days after a missed period.
Comment Text* Hello I travel to West Africa to see my boyfriend and we had sex my period was to come few days later buh it’s late and I’m having cramps I’m pregnant?
Hello Dora, take a pregnancy test 7 days after your missed period.
I travel continuously and take a lot of flights. I’ve found that long flights, switching time zones and not taking care of myself before and after a flight can definitely change my flow and menstruation window. I recommend drinking lots of water, taking some lavender oil on the flight, a travel pillow and wearing a menstrual cup. Comfortable clothes definitely help too: don’t worry about fashion if you’re on your period 🙂
Hello, I am in my mid-20’s and I moved to Japan at the beginning of April. My period came a little early a few days after I arrived and seemed normal. My next period was a week late but it was just spotting for a few days, which hasn’t happened before. That time was a bit crazy and stressful, so I wasn’t too concerned. Everything has settled in a routine now but still no period and I am not pregnant.
Hi everyone! My last period was early june and I went on a 2 week trip to Europe (5 or so time zones over) and i came back about a month ago. I was supposed to get my period early july but it is now about 3 weeks late. I have a boyfriend and we do sexual things, but we have not had sex. Last time we did anything remotely sexual was a few days after my period was supposed to start. Could I be pregnant? What’s going on with my body?
Hi there Ella, please see link below to help you: https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
I travelled from South asia to Australia on the 11th day of my periods and its like am already 10 days behind my regular periods is it because of the travelling and the change in time zone and the disturbed routine?? I am having some normal before periods stomach cramp which i normally do and get my periods but this time i have the cramps but haven’t had my periods. Can you please let me know the reason??
Hi there Sam, this may be as a result of disturbed routine and change in location causing additional stress and hormonal change.
Hi alison, i am struggling with my period since i flew going to US from Philippines, i am about 2 months delayed, i flew here last may and i had my period last may 31 and after that i never gotten, theres 13 hours difference between Philippines and USA, aside from that i felt some pain in my stomach and i always had PMS symptoms, i use pregnancy test 3 times but it all comes out negative, i seriously needed your help now,
Hi there DonnaMona, please take a test a week after missed period.
Hi, my period came a little early (which is normal because I have recently got my first period) before my big trip to Europe with a 25 hour flight there and some little flights to some cities in Europe. I’m currently in London and still have my period its been like a month. Is this normal?
Hello Nani, you seem to be having irregular periods. Please read more about this here: https://womanjunction.com/irregular-menstrual-cycle-occurs/
I got my period 4 days early last month, i traveled to a different country (8hour flight, 2hours timezone difference) on the 23rd day of the cyle. My period is currently missing and im on my 38th day of my cycle. Am i pregnant? Or is my period just missed or extremely late? I was feeling my Period/pregnancy symtoms before such as breast tender , cramps and some what fatigue (likey due to stress my period is comming) and was also experiencing watery clear discharge. All those symtoms have dissapeared now. Why.
Hello Tori, take a pregnancy test 1 week after your missed period.
I’m due to get a period when I Come back from my travels because my period is all over the place regularly like every 36-38 days. I have been to the doctor and she thinks I have endometriosis, so I have to go for a procedure next year but will my travels make my period come earlier while I’m on holiday like on the 28th day rather then the typical 36-38 day cycle.
Hello Stephanie, okay all the best in the mean time read the following link: https://womanjunction.com/menstrual-cycle-and-endometriosis/
Heyo! So, I just recently travelled to California, and I was expecting my period while I was gone. My periods are usually light with little to no PMS symptoms, so I was really surprised to suddenly have heavy blood flow and mild to moderate cramping. Where I was staying was about a 4,800 ft Altitude drop, so could this be the reason for the sudden symptoms?
As soon as I got back within 1,000 ft of my normal altitude, my blood flow got much lighter and when I was home, it was back to normal; again with little to no PMS symptoms.
Hi there Beth Pend, yes this change in environmental setting could have been the reason why you experienced this abnormality, if it persists after please see your doctor. All the best.
I have not had a period for four yrs. I’m in menopause and I flew from Illinois to California and two days later I get my period. Is this okay or should I be concerned?
Hello there Linda, this is not a period. Please see your doctor ASAP. Presence of blood after menopause is not a period and could indicate something as bad as ovarian cancer. Please do not take this lightly.
I got my period a bit early last September before I flew to explore some countries in South East Asia for about 2 weeks nonstop and then came back to my country for 2 weeks and flew to Ecuador. Took three flights to get to Ecuador: 13hrs, 12hrs, and 1.5hrs flight. I’ve missed my period for about 3 weeks now. And been here in Ecuador for about 5days. Am I pregnant? Not sure if my feeling tired is due to jetlag, altitude change, and the like.
Hi there! Travelling might be causing this. You should rest a while, take healthy diet and exercise a little bit, and it will come back to normal. Regards