Dr. Steven Park
January 28, 2010
Here’s an interesting observation by more than a handful of my female patients: Their throats are sore for a few days just before their monthly periods. It doesn’t go on to a cold or other more severe symptoms. Just a transient sore throat. Then it goes away.
If you’ve been following my blogs, articles, and especially if you read my book, Sleep, Interrupted, there’s a simple explanation. During your monthly cycles, progesterone levels increase with ovulation, but drops when there’s no egg fertilization. One relatively unknown property of progesterone is that it’s an upper airway muscle dilator. It literally tenses your tongue muscles. When in deep sleep, your muscles (as well as your tongue and other throat muscles) tend to relax to various degrees depending on your sleep stage. If you have less progesterone on board, then it’s more likely to fall back, obstructing your breathing, leading to a temporary vacuum effect in the throat, suctioning up small amounts of normal stomach juices. All this causes a temporary deep sleep deficiency. If you eat a late meal, more of these juices will come up. But once progesterone levels begin to increase again, the tongue tenses, and sleep quality improves as well.
Wow! For the past few months the few days before my period starts my tonsils swell to the size of golf balls! I can actually feel them on the back of my tongue because they swell so much. They’re not infected and the day after my period starts the swelling goes away. No sore throat but my sinuses are a little messed up until the swelling goes down. I thought I was being crazy thinking there could be a connection to my period but now I know it is not just me!
I am so glad this article was helpful to you…. Yes, right before menstruation our hormone levels drop – the immune system becomes more compromised and subsequently our resistance to infection is very low….. which is why we feel fatigued. Strengthening the immune system prior to menstruation via vitamins and supplements is always helpful. Taking extra care of yourself at this time is crucial too. I know of many women who double up on their vitamins during the paramenstrum to avoid these infections… Try it…. it works. Thanks for the post…. Body Awareness is everything.
Hello, this article is so helpful. I also suffer from a bad sore throat that keeps coming back right before my period every month. My throat gets so sore that i can’t breathe normally at night. As a teenager I had very irregular periods but I regulated them thanks to hormonal therapy and herbs . Now I’m 27 years old and my cycles a pretty regular but for a couple of years I’ve been having that sore throat. I’ve been to ENT Doctor and they did all different tests and my blood was fine, no allergies, but they said they saw a little bit of acid reflux. After reading this article I understand now why my throat hurts before my period, looks like I have some deficit of progesterone, maybe i should try the hormonal therapy again.
I am so glad that this article was helpful for you.
If you are going to consider hormone therapy – please make sure you are choosing natural bio-identical hormones – not synthetic.
It will make a big difference in your health.
Leslie