Women's Winter Health - Take Control of Seasonal PMS & Mood
Discover how winter impacts women's hormonal health. Learn expert strategies to understand PMS, mood swings & fatigue with the aim to maintain hormonal wellness naturally.
Author: Carin Suveer, MSc. Engineering Biology
How winter impact womens hormonal health and wellness.
Women's Health and Seasonal Challanges during Winter
Winter presents unique challenges for women's hormonal health, particularly affecting menstrual cycles and emotional well-being. At Femai Health, we recognize that the colder months can significantly impact your cyclic rhythm, bringing unexpected changes to your body and mind.
Common winter symptoms are:
Increased frequency of colds
Persistent fatigue
Higher risk of depression
Intensified premenstrual symptoms
Aside from the holiday stress (let’s be honest here, it’s a quite stressful time for most women), we have the common classical winter characteristics of:
Reduced sunlight exposure
Lower temperatures
Decreased humidity
Increased physiological stress
The health of the human body is a result of the environment it's cultivated in. How can we understand our bodies in the winter season and how can we make it more enjoyable?
(Please note that by winter, we in this blogpost mean winter in the northern part of the world.)
How Winter impacts the Female Physiology
Winter’s distinct environmental factors—reduced sunlight, colder temperatures, and increased dryness—trigger a cascade of physiological and hormonal changes that uniquely affect women.
The lack of sunlight lowers serotonin levels, often called the "well-being hormone," which can dampen mood and energy. Earlier sunsets also stimulate melatonin production earlier in the evening, potentially aiding sleep, though it’s not the sole determinant of sleep quality. Meanwhile, colder temperatures slow down the metabolic rate, prompting the body to conserve energy and increasing the workload on the thyroid, which is responsible for regulating body temperature.
Vitamin D production drops drastically during winter, which has far-reaching effects on female reproductive health. Low vitamin D is linked to worsened symptoms of PMS and PMDD, as well as conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. It also plays a critical role in pregnancy success rates and outcomes for both mother and baby.
The season’s dryness further impacts health by weakening the skin and mucosal barriers, leaving us more vulnerable to viral infections. Combined with heightened stress levels—common during winter—this can disrupt sleep quality and hormonal balance, particularly during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
This disruption often exacerbates premenstrual symptoms, affecting overall well-being. Looking closer at how winter impacts the menstrual cycle, research reveals significant changes in hormonal balance:
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion decreases
Ovulation frequency may drop
Menstrual cycles may lengthen
Premenstrual symptoms often intensify
By recognizing these seasonal shifts, women can take proactive steps to protect their hormonal health and embrace winter with greater balance and vitality.
Embrace Winter with Resilience: Support Your Hormonal Health
By understanding how winter impacts your hormonal health and the interconnected effects it has on your body, you can take proactive steps to support your wellbeing and maintain balance during the colder months. Through targeted strategies like optimizing nutrition, managing stress, and embracing light therapy or supplementation, winter can transform into a season of resilience rather than discomfort.
At Femai Health, we specialize in empowering women with tailored solutions to support hormonal wellness. From our quick hormone check to comprehensive yearly health tests and customized supplements, we provide the tools you need to navigate seasonal challenges with confidence.
Ready to take control of your hormonal health this winter?
Explore our services and let us guide you toward feeling your best, no matter the season.
Take care of you,
Carin
