As with many things, hormonal birth control involves taking the good with the not-so-great. Since it keeps you from getting pregnant when you don’t want to conceive, the positive probably outweighs the negative sign.
Hormonal birth control poses a small risk of serious health issues for a tiny percentage of people, including strokes, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. But the more minor side effects of birth control often concern women. Those are the ones they deal with routinely.
Before you chuck your hormonal birth control and decide to rely on condoms or abstinence to prevent pregnancy, read on. There are ways you can reduce the side effects of hormone-based birth control.
birth control online will help because your prescription appears on your doorstep like clockwork. You can avoid the panic of realizing you’re out after the pharmacy is closed.
The convenience of online ordering will also help you stick with a particular method. Consistency may be the hobgoblin of little minds, but at least that little mind won’t be attached to a newborn!
Know How It Works
Knowing how a hormonal birth control method works means knowing what it’s made of, so do your homework. Estrogen has many potential side effects, including headaches, nausea, and breast tenderness. Progestin (synthetic progesterone) has these side effects and may worsen acne.
Women over 35 who smoke may have an increased risk of stroke if using birth control containing estrogen. Estrogen can also increase the number and severity of migraines. On the upside, it may help make periods more regular.
Progestin-only contraception can be used while breastfeeding, but it must be taken at virtually the same time every day. It also tends to make periods irregular.
Many birth control methods combine estrogen and progestin to control ovulation and make the cervical mucus hostile to sperm. Knowing how each hormone works can help you and your healthcare provider monitor potential side effects. Then you can work to reduce them or switch to a different method.
Time It Right
The timing might be everything with birth control. Missing a regular dose means using additional contraception for a while. But proper timing may also reduce the occurrence of some side effects.
If nausea or vomiting is one of the side effects you’re experiencing with the pill, maybe your timing is off. Avoid taking it on an empty stomach. Take it after dinner or with a snack at bedtime instead.
If you’re taking the progestin-only pill (mini-pill), remember you must take it simultaneously daily. As your dinnertime may vary daily, always have a couple of crackers on hand. You might also try taking an antacid about 30 minutes before you take your pill.
One of the benefits of progestin is that it doesn’t cause nausea. The mini-pill may be an option if you can’t tolerate birth control with estrogen.
Change Your Diet
You are what you eat, how much, and when you eat. Changing your diet might reduce some common birth control side effects.
Start with healthy nutrients. Studies show oral contraceptives deplete folic acid, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and vitamins B2, B6, B12, C, and E. It would help if you talked to your healthcare provider about supplements that can replenish these.
Avoiding greasy, fried, and sugary foods should mitigate several side effects, including nausea, weight gain, and fatigue. Instead, consume more fruits and veggies. Doing so may tackle your unpleasant side effects and replenish those depleted nutrients.
You might also try eating more frequent and smaller meals, making it easier to time taking your pill with food. Finally, stay hydrated. Good hydration is truly one of the primary keys to a healthy body.
benefits of exercise doesn’t mean buying a gym membership. It just means moving more, increasing your heart rate, and burning more calories.
Exercise helps control weight, reduces the risk of stroke, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the incidence of depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Those benefits can mitigate many potential side effects of birth control. Those benefits can reduce many possible side effects of birth control. Those benefits can mitigate many potential side effects of birth control. It can also help you sleep better and increase your energy levels.
Finally, regular moderate exercise can lead to better sex. Isn’t that why most women take birth control in the first place?
Establish Priorities
Potential side effects shouldn’t scare you away from hormonal birth control. Many women never experience any side effects at all. In contrast, being sexually active without consistent, effective contraception may lead to the greatest sexual side effect of all: pregnancy.
Maybe you’re new to hormonal birth control. Perhaps you want to change the method you use. In either case, having a good relationship with your healthcare provider is key.
You need to find a method that suits you best for your overall health and well-being. You and your provider can discuss all the pros and cons of the range of birth control methods. That might lead to setting some cost, convenience, and side eff prioritizes yfor your overall health and well-being.
You may need to set priorities about the side effects alone. You may decide that a few extra pounds are OK, but depression is unacceptable. Only you can determine which side effects you can live with and which you can’t.
Whether you use the pill, shot, ring, or patch, the benefits of hormonal birth control probably far outweigh the potential side effects. If you suffer from any side effects, you can take steps to reduce or eliminate them together. You’ll probably find that a little bad is well worth much good.
