While birth control pills seem to be an effective way to avoid unwanted pregnancy, there are certain side effects that cannot be neglected. Some of the common side effects of birth control pills or contraceptives are weight gain, changes in menstrual cycle and nausea, however in extreme cases it may even lead to depression.
Here are some of the surprising side effects of birth control pills that are rare, but possible trouble for some women.
- Yeast infection
Sometimes birth control pills can cause yeast infections in women. This mainly occur in women who consume high amount of alcohol or sugar. But it can also occur due to some hormonal imbalances.
To get rid of all such problems, you may employ anti-fungal vaginal creams or any prescribed oral medicine. Moreover, hormonal imbalance can also cause burning sensation in lower abdomen. So it is recommended to consult a physician before following any birth control method.
- Irregular menstruation
Another side effect of contraceptive pills is irregular menstruation due to changing hormones. When on birth control pills, uterus adjusts to have a thinner endometrial lining that causes several hormonal imbalances, thus leading to irregular spotting or menstruation.
Moreover, it can also increase the level of regular menstrual blood flow or breakthrough bleeding. For instance, women who experience five days menstruation can experience heaving bleeding than usual.
- Acne
As mentioned before, the birth control pills cause hormonal changed in the body and this can lead to several problems in your body as well as skin. The most common problem is acne breakouts. This happens when the testosterone level increases in the body.
Usually contraceptives are known to increase the level of androgens that further increases testosterone levels in your system, leading to worst acne breakouts. Mostly obese women and women with oily skin are likely to experience uncontrolled acne while they are on pills. To control this problem, you must switch to monophasic pills that have similar hormonal levels that are found in a woman’s body. There pills are not going to have any drastic changes in your system.
- Depression
If you have a family history of mood disorders, then chances are that certain birth control pills can trigger depression symptoms as well. This is because pills’ synthetic hormones can cause problems in your body’s neurotransmitters, which can lead to severe depression factors.
As a result, you can start getting depression attacks or worse signs of anxiety, fear and stress for no reason at all. Therefore, it’s best to ask your doctor for some non-hormonal birth control pills. This way your body will not experience any unnecessary hormonal changes.
- Blood clots
Blood clots are another side effects that may occur, especially in women who are overweight and smoke a lot. It is one of the common side effects of oral contraceptives. The problem may increase if a clot is formed near heart or lungs, as it can cause severe chest pain, breathing problems. Other potential problems that could occur due to blood clot is swelling in limbs and extreme pain while walking.
These were some of the potential side effects of oral contraceptives that can affect your routine health. If proper care is not taken, the situation can get worse. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a physician before taking any birth control measures.
Although birth control is the easiest way to avoid unwanted pregnancy, they can cause problems in some cases. It is best to consult a doctor before taking contraceptive pills.