Long COVID & Its Effect on Hormones

Part Three in Our Hormones & Chronic Illness Series

Millions of people around the world have been infected with COVID-19 in the nearly four years since the virus hit — and so many of us (my family included) have tragically lost parents, children, siblings, friends, and other loved ones as a result of coronavirus complications. Even some of the people who seemed to make a full recovery went on to experience one or more long-term symptoms of COVID such as brain fog, headaches, fatigue, chest pain, digestive issues, muscle aches, and more.

While these are some of the more common long COVID symptoms to be aware of, it’s also possible to experience hormonal changes after coronavirus infection. Some people experience reproductive symptoms such as erectile dysfunction; reduced male fertility; and various menstrual changes like worsened PMS and longer, shorter, or heavier-than-usual cycles. Women; however, are twice as likely to develop symptoms of long COVID — particularly women of reproductive age.

Read on as we take a closer look at the hormonal and reproductive impact of long COVID in Part Three of our Hormones & Chronic Illness Series.

What is Long COVID?

Also known as post-coronavirus syndrome, chronic COVID, long-haul COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), long COVID is a complex medical condition that’s associated with new or ongoing symptoms following coronavirus infection. The physical, mental, and neurological symptoms of long COVID can linger for weeks, months, or years — even after recovering from the virus — similar to other complex chronic conditions like Lyme and tick-borne diseases, reactivated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and mold toxicity.

Like these complex chronic illnesses and others such as chronic fatigue syndrome and autoimmune thyroid disease, living with long-haul COVID can dramatically diminish a person’s quality of life and interfere with their ability to work and carry out other daily activities. Some symptoms of long COVID are said to “create a higher burden of disability than either heart disease or cancer”, according to this article from CNN (Goodman, 2023, para. 4).

While this may come as a surprise, Dr. Fox and I have witnessed this firsthand in our practice throughout the pandemic; it’s why we’ve added long-haul COVID to our growing areas of expertise as functional medicine practitioners. And there’s one little-known symptom of long COVID that we’re seeing much more frequently amongst our clients: hormonal changes.

How COVID Infection May Affect Hormones

As discussed in Part One of our Hormones & Chronic Illness Series, having a complex chronic illness increases our risk of developing one or more hormonal imbalances. Just as how hormone imbalances can increase our risk of certain medical conditions.

That said, there’s still so much we don’t know about the virus and its long-term effects on health and hormones. It’s very clear; however, that hormone changes do occur in some individuals with COVID infection and long-haul COVID. This is because the virus can affect multiple organs (including the male and female reproductive organs and others like the brain, heart, skin, and kidneys).

It’s why many long COVID symptoms are so widespread, ranging from menstrual changes and brain fog to diarrhea and heart palpitations. But remember, the reproductive organs aren’t the only organs that produce hormones! The kidneys, pancreas, thyroid, pituitary gland, and other organs produce hormones as well.

To keep things as simple as possible, let’s look at a few of the reproductive symptoms that have been identified in those with long COVID.

Long COVID & Menstruation

Since women of reproductive age are more likely to develop long COVID, it makes sense that the menstrual cycle could be affected during or after infection. A few of the menstrual changes that have been reported in those with long COVID symptoms include irregular periods, worsened PMS symptoms, and infrequent menstruation.

According to this study that aimed to look at the impact of COVID on menstruation, about 16 percent of the study’s participants reported menstrual changes after COVID infection, with irregular menstruation being the most common symptom (at 60 percent). Next up were worsened PMS symptoms (at 45 percent) and infrequent menstruation (at 35 percent).

Another study published in Maturitas surveyed 460 women with long COVID. About 80 percent of the respondents reported that their periods had not yet returned to how they were pre-infection, while 50 percent reported absent or otherwise changed periods. The same study also found that in about 62 percent of menstruating long-haulers, symptoms of long COVID worsened on the days leading up to menstruation.

Finally, a review article published in Frontiers in Rehabilitation Services reported the menstrual changes discussed above — in addition to others such as abnormally irregular cycles, heavy periods, and postmenopausal bleeding. Research suggests that these menstrual changes are due to the virus’s impact on the female hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.

Long COVID Symptoms Affecting Males

Though long COVID is more common in women, men can also develop long-haul symptoms after recovering from the virus. One of these reproductive symptoms is short-term infertility, as COVID-19 infection has been shown to reduce sperm quality, motility, and sperm count for up to half a year. Similar to female COVID patients, the virus disrupts the male HPG axis — causing short-term infertility and possibly erectile dysfunction even in cases of mild infection.

Functional Medicine Coaching Can Help

Whether you’re battling long-haul COVID or another complex chronic illness, Dr. Fox and I will work together to identify the root causes of your symptoms and provide you with the guidance and support you need to heal. We understand the physical, mental, emotional, social, and neurological impact of living with long COVID and other complex chronic illnesses, and it is our mission to support you throughout your unique healing journey.

Ready to heal from long COVID, Hashimoto’s disease, mold toxicity, or another complex chronic illness? Schedule your Vital You Consult, learn about the Doctor-Coach Model, or visit our website to learn how we can help you heal from complex chronic conditions.

References: