Corona sickness affects menstruation “30% worsening of menstrual pain” revealed in the first survey

Changes in the living environment due to the spread of infection are also affecting the female body.

In the first survey conducted by a private company in Tokyo last month, 30% of the approximately 5,000 women who responded said that their symptoms such as menstrual cramps and pre-menstrual mental and physical disorders were worse than before the spread of the infection. I found out that.

Experts are calling for treatment without patience, saying that it is caused by stress caused by changes in the living environment.

This survey was first conducted by MTI, an IT company in Tokyo that provides information on women's health, and about 5,000 women responded.

According to the report, 1420 people, which is about 30% of the total, answered that their symptoms such as menstrual pain and pre-menstrual mental and physical disorders worsened compared to before the spread of the infection.

By symptom, "irritated" was the most common answer at 62%, followed by "anxiety", "headache" and "menstrual pain" at more than 50%.

Of these, anxiety and other mental disorders are typical premenstrual symptoms called "PMS."

As for the possible causes, many people answered that "I feel stressed because I have less chance to meet and talk with people" or "I have increased the burden of work" due to the influence of refraining from going out and working from home. ..

On the other hand, only about 20% of those who have worsened their symptoms answered that they were treated at the hospital, and it is clear that many women are refraining from seeing them because of "infection control" or "because they can tolerate". It means that it has become.

Regarding these results, Keiko Matsumura, director of Seijo Matsumura Clinic, who supervised the survey, said, "It is thought that stress due to changes in the living environment is a major cause. If you refrain from seeing a doctor, not only will the symptoms worsen, but in the worst case, the uterus It also leads to overlooking serious illnesses such as body cancer, so please do not put up with it and receive treatment. "

Women whose symptoms worsen due to working from home

Some women say that working from home has exacerbated their pre-menstrual symptoms, affecting their work.

A 39-year-old woman who works for an automobile manufacturer in Aichi Prefecture has been working from home since April last year due to the spread of the infection.

I used to commute five days a week for 20 minutes on foot one way, but now I rarely go out.

When she first started working from home, she was positive about being able to work at her own pace, but about half a year ago she noticed that her premenstrual symptom called "PMS" had worsened.

About a week before your period, you may experience symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, and intense drowsiness, and in severe cases you may fall to the floor.

In women, these symptoms subside once menstruation begins, but they reappear before the next period and are said to be suffering from repetition.

Regarding the cause of the worsening of the symptoms, the woman said, "The environment has changed so much that I have to go to the computer alone without going out and meeting people, and I feel very painful. The stress made my symptoms worse. I feel that I am in a vicious circle of being depressed again when I realize that I am mentally depressed. "

Under these circumstances, the pace of work has slowed down recently, and unprecedented mistakes have been made.

However, because it is difficult to consult with a male boss and not telling it to the workplace, women say, "I have a feeling that I should not be bothered, and I am reluctant to take a rest on my period. It's difficult for me to continue this condition without being able to talk to him, so I'd like to consider getting medical treatment at the hospital. "

Expert "Treatment without patience"

Regarding the fact that 30% of women said that their symptoms such as menstrual pain worsened in this survey, Keiko Matsumura, director of "Naruki Matsumura Clinic" who supervised the survey, said, "Women's symptoms such as menstrual pain are affected by stress. It is easy to receive, and it is thought that the major cause is changes in the living environment due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. Stress such as refraining from going out and having trouble with family relationships, working from home and not being able to communicate well, etc. Factors are increasing, and there is a risk that interpersonal relationships may be affected, such as an increase in the number of married women due to pre-menstrual disorders. "

Regarding the fact that many women refrain from seeing a doctor, he said, "I think that it is difficult to compare with other people whether or not their symptoms are severe." He said, "If you refrain from seeing a doctor, not only will your symptoms worsen. In the worst case, it may cause infertility and, in the worst case, overlook serious illnesses such as endometrial cancer, so please do not put up with it and receive treatment. "

On the other hand, working from home reduces worries about relationships and alleviates the symptoms of some people, which means that the changes they feel will differ from person to person.

Dr. Matsumura said, "It is important to get used to the current living environment," and I want you to learn how to spend time to relieve stress as much as possible, such as making appropriate exercise and hobby time.

Efforts to share worries on SNS

Under these circumstances, some people have started activities on SNS to share their worries with women with symptoms.

Noriko Nakayasu, a 38-year-old graduate student from Saitama Prefecture, has been suffering from symptoms such as frustration and anxiety about 10 years ago before her period.

In the worst case, he may feel "I want to die" or "I am not worth living" and may be mentally cornered.

These symptoms persist for half of the month, which means that he is currently receiving regular treatment.

Mr. Nakayasu has been sending information on Twitter for three years to face his own symptoms and want many people to know the situation, but since April last year when the infection spread, physiology such as anxiety and loneliness I started to draw and post illustrations explaining the previous symptoms.

Then, more than 100 women who saw the illustrations began to receive inquiries and inquiries such as "I am suffering from similar symptoms" and "may be due to the new coronavirus".

Some say, "I felt lonely without talking to people, but I was relieved just to find out that there were people with the same symptoms."

Mr. Nakayasu wants to continue to create a place where women with symptoms can share their worries through such exchanges.

Mr. Nakayasu said, "I feel that the stress caused by refraining from going out is exacerbating the symptoms, and the number of people holding it alone is increasing. I think it's painful, but I'm not weak or bad. It was really encouraging when I found out that there was, so I want to tell through SNS that I am not alone. "

Some companies are expanding their menstrual leave system

As the number of women suffering from menstrual problems increases, some companies are trying to create a comfortable working environment.

A cosmetics manufacturer in Chuo-ku, Osaka expanded its menstrual leave system in June last year after the spread of the infection, making it possible to take leave not only for menstrual pain but also for pre-menstrual symptoms including mental disorders. ..

At this company, 70% of the 400 employees are women, so working in the presence of symptoms may affect not only the physical condition of the person but also the work itself, so he decided to expand the system. That is.

As a result, by January, 37 people had taken menstrual leave, more than double the previous year.

This includes employees who work from home.

The company says that not only has it become easier for women to work, but it has also helped men to understand the physical condition of women and to carry out their work efficiently.

One of the female employees said, "Some women do not have pre-menstrual symptoms, so it is difficult for them to understand, but I am grateful that the company shows their understanding."

In addition, a male manager said, "It was an opportunity to understand the changes in women's physical condition. I think that it is beneficial for the entire company to actively take vacations and improve concentration when working. I was talking.

Yuka Matsuo of the Human Resources Department of "Momotani Juntenkan" said, "I feel that the environment where working people can take time off when it is hard or hard is also helping to reduce the stress of corona sickness. Through such a system, employees I think it will be a more attractive company if we build a relationship that allows us to understand each other regardless of gender. "