Uses of Pills Other than Birth Control

Your first response should be "What is birth control used for?" is probably to avoid pregnancy. Although that is its primary function, you can still use the pill for other purposes besides contraception.

In the following situations, you could choose to consider taking oral contraceptives pills:

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be treated with it

A week or two prior to their period, over 90% of women experience PMS symptoms, which can include fatigue, mood changes, irritability, bloating, and breast soreness. And a change in hormones is usually the cause of the problem. It is not a woman's hormone levels that are high or low; rather, it is a change in hormone levels. PMS symptoms appear in their most severe form when the body switches from the first to the second part of the cycle.

The hormone fluctuations that accompany PMS can be lessened since the pill provides a consistent dose of estrogen and progesterone throughout the month.

It can lessen the discomfort of endometriosis

With this painful disorder, the tissue that typically grows inside the uterus (and sheds during your period) also grows outside of it, frequently on the ovaries, colon, and bladder. Extreme pain is brought on by the swelling, inflammation, and scarring brought on by the extra tissue.

The pill will lessen the severity of monthly menstruation symptoms, which will result in less uterine accumulation, shedding, and, for individuals who have endometriosis, even less migration and proliferation of uterine tissue throughout the body. Less pain is the result of all.

It can conserve your blood

Every month, every woman experiences different levels of redness. But if your flow is too heavy, it can increase your risk of anemia, which would lead to exhaustion and a lack of energy. By lowering your monthly tides, the tablet can be helpful. The uterine lining is essentially thinned out by the pill, and less lining equals less bleeding monthly.

So, the pill will completely end periods? Maybe. Some brands come with seven days' worth of placebo or inactive pills in addition to 21 days' worth of hormones that are active. Bleeding that resembles menstruation happens after taking inactive pills. Though technically not the same bleeding or volume of shedding as a typical period, the uterine lining is thinner in these cases.

Some women choose to take active pills for three, ten, or twelve months without an alternative, which prevents periods for that duration. If you do experience a pause in menstruation while taking the medication, it will resume once you switch to the placebo, which has no effect. Additionally, your menstruation will return in two to three months if you completely stop taking hormone supplements. However, not everyone reacts to the pill in the same manner, and some people may still experience menstruation.

It may offer some protection against cancer

According to a study published in Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology, taking pills for 15 years can reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer by 50% and endometrial cancer by 70%.

Putting an end to ovulation can protect against ovarian cancer. The idea is that ovarian cancer risk increases with repeated ovulation over a long period of time, but the pill lowers that risk. Similar concepts apply to uterine cancer prevention; the pill thins out the uterine lining, which reduces the likelihood of tissue buildup and lowers the danger of the illness. However, be aware that owing to greater doses of estrogen, oral contraceptives may raise your chance of getting breast and cervical cancer.

It can be beneficial for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)

In a normal cycle, a woman releases at least one egg. However, in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, these mature eggs don't release and remain in the ovaries, which can result in infertility. Unusual periods and an abundance of body hair are other PCOS symptoms. Because hormonal imbalances are what's causing this problem, contraceptives can help you manage your levels so that your body releases eggs on schedule and maintains a regular menstrual cycle.

During the flu season, pills can keep you healthy

Oral contraception pill users who also take estrogen may be more resistant to the flu than non-users. When compared to cells that weren't exposed to estrogen, researchers discovered that estrogen levels in pill users significantly decreased the quantity of flu virus replication in infected cells by about a thousand times. Male participants didn't experience the same effects as the female participants since their typical estrogen levels are already significantly lower than those of women.

It can reduce migraines

A hormone headache, also known as a migraine associated with the menstrual cycle, commonly occurs every month and begins before or during the period for many women. These headaches are brought on by a drop in estrogen before the cycle, which then causes a migraine. Using a hormonal birth control pill can assist maintain constant estrogen levels over the course of the menstrual cycle, which will ultimately stop the migraines.

It provides protection from pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Pelvic inflammatory disease is a sexually transmitted infection of the female reproductive system. If ignored, it might lead to infertility or ongoing pelvic pain. Even while it does not offer protection against the STDs that may cause PID, the birth control pill can still offer protection by thickening your cervical mucus, which makes it more difficult for infected bacteria to enter your uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries.

It can ease painful periods

The term dysmenorrhea is used medically to describe painful menstrual cramps that occur before or during your period. The uterine lining secretes chemicals known as prostaglandins, which cause them. During your period, your uterus contracts to help shed its lining, and higher prostaglandin levels have been related to more painful periods. Prostaglandins cannot be eliminated, although the pill's ability to thin the uterine lining can help to minimize their release.

The uterus also stores more blood the heavier or longer the period is. After then, the uterus contracts to expel the blood. There is more blood present when the contractions are painful. However, there will be less blood because hormonal birth control pills thin the uterine lining. Being on the pill might shorten the period or lessen the amount of blood in the uterus, both of which should lessen pain.

It can help you save money on waxing and makeup

Contraceptives can frequently clean up pimples. The few stray hairs on your chin are the same way. When the body produces too many androgens, a group of hormones that includes testosterone, these two problems frequently occur. Your liver produces a protein that prevents testosterone from floating around in your circulation while you're taking birth control pills, which reduces acne and unwelcome hair growth.

Final Word

Although the main purpose of birth control pills is to prevent unwanted births, regular use also provides other advantages. There are several hormonal health advantages of birth control pills, such as less painful and more regular periods, the cleansing of problematic skin, and the prevention of specific cancers.