A hectic, fast-paced lifestyle has taken a toll on a number of women, with 33 per cent of them in the country suffering from irregular menstrual cycles, reveals a study.
A survey done by a women’s health, wellness and menstrual tracking app – Nyra by Vivant – a Singapore-based start-up, showed that a third of women in the country between the ages of 18 to 35 years have irregular periods due to their lifestyles.
Though a majority of the people registered on the app have regular cycles (67 per cent), doctors in the city pointed out that they see a number of cases in the this age group that prove otherwise. Irregular periods can lead to fertility problems in the long run.
Dr Pallavi Prasad, fertility consultant, NOVA IVF Fertility, said, “Irregular periods in women happens usually due to unhealthy lifestyles. This apart, about 15 per cent of woman have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).”
Dr Savitha Shetty, consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, said, “Cases of women with irregular periods, especially in the ages of 16-35, is on the rise. All these cases are due to changes in lifestyle, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits. Many of them end up eating frozen food or tinned food, which is not good for health, leads to obesity, and consequently, irregular periods. In urban set ups especially, women are now working late, odd hours, which can take a toll on their bodies.”
Dr Sowbhagya, senior obstetrician and gynaecologist, Manipal Hospitals, Malleswaram told The New Indian Express that it’s the sedentary lifestyle followed by people these days that’s affecting menstrual cycles.
“These days, people, and in this case women, don’t engage much in physical activity and eat junk food regularly, which results in them putting on weight. In earlier times, women were more active, so no such problems cropped up,” she added.
CEO of Vivant, Adrit Raha, said that a majority of millenial women follow a ‘preventive care’ model of living. Data derived from the app shows a new wave of menstrual irregularity among millenial women, due to the advent of stressful and fast-paced lifestyles, he said.