long covid

This has become a trend in many adults, who describe experiencing symptoms of “long covid” for weeks or months after they first became unwell.

Have we been thinking about covid-19 symptoms all wrong? #author.fullName} 2020

Long covid seems to disrupt the menstrual cycle, making periods heavier and longer.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

This suggests that long covid may cause hormonal and immune changes that disrupt the menstrual cycle, but further studies are needed to clarify this, says Maybin.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

Acute covid-19 seemed to have no effect on period length, suggesting that specific changes occur to the body with long covid, rather than with the infection itself.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

About 1700 of the women had experienced acute covid-19, where any symptoms disappeared within a month, while the remaining 1000 participants had long covid, which the researchers defined as having symptoms that persisted for more than a month after a known or suspected infection.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

In another analysis, the team found that women with long covid reported experiencing worse symptoms – such as dizziness, fatigue and muscle aches – just before and during menstruation, while nausea, headache and breathing issues tended to get worse during the phase after menstruation and before ovulation.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

Long covid was also more strongly linked to having periods that last for more than eight days.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

To find out what mechanisms may be at play, the researchers analysed samples of circulating blood, collected from across the menstrual cycle of 10 women with long covid and 40 women who made donations before the pandemic.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

Why long covid occurs is unclear – studies suggest it may result from the virus lurking at low levels in the body, the immune system misfiring or even disruption to the gut microbiome.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025

The team also linked long covid to higher levels of inflammatory molecules called cytokines in the blood and uterine lining, collected via biopsies.

Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier Carissa Wong 2025