Managing Hormonal Changes and Fatigue
hat “Out-of-Sorts” Feeling in February — It’s Not in Your Head
You know how Kolkata feels in late February. The sharp chill of January has softened into something warmer but unsettled — a strange mix of lingering cool mornings and sudden afternoon heat that catches you off guard in a cotton shawl. The air is drier one day, thick with humidity the next. The city’s rhythm shifts. And quietly, without much warning, so does yours.
If you’ve been waking up more tired than when you went to bed, feeling irritable without a clear reason, or noticing that your skin, sleep, or appetite seems unpredictable — you’re not imagining it.
For many women, this February–March transition is when many women experience hormonal changes. In this blog we will dive into those hormonal changes and how it effects your lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
- Seasonal change in Kolkata can trigger or worsen hormonal changes in women, affecting mood, energy, and sleep.
- Fatigue in women is not always being tired — it’s a medically significant symptom linked to hormonal imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, or life-stage transitions like perimenopause or pregnancy.
- Early consultation with the best gyno doctor in Kolkata can prevent minor seasonal disruptions from becoming chronic women’s health issues.
So What Exactly Are Hormonal Changes?
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by glands in your endocrine system — estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, melatonin, thyroid hormones, and more. They regulate almost everything: your mood, metabolism, sleep, appetite, and immune function.
Hormonal changes refer to shifts in the production, balance, or sensitivity of these hormones, and they don’t just happen at puberty or menopause. They happen every month, sometimes every week, and they’re heavily influenced by external factors — including season and weather.
Research in chronobiology (the science of how time and environment affect biology) shows that seasonal light changes alter melatonin and serotonin production.
Your body’s hormonal environment shifts according to the season specially in February to March. Add disrupted sleep patterns, dietary changes around festive seasons like Saraswati Puja or Holi preparations, and increased stress from year-end academic or professional cycles — and you have a perfect storm for hormonal imbalance.
The Daily Reality: More Than Just Tiredness
Let’s be honest about what “tiredness” really feels like when hormones are off. It’s not the good kind of tired you feel after a productive day. It’s bone-deep. You’ve slept seven hours and still feel like you haven’t. You cancel plans. You reach for chai or coffee more than usual. Small tasks feel disproportionately draining. That’s not laziness — that’s your biology asking for help.
What Is Fatigue, Medically Speaking?
What is fatigue in a clinical sense? It’s defined as a persistent sense of physical, cognitive, or emotional exhaustion that is not relieved by rest and interferes with daily functioning. Unlike ordinary tiredness, medical fatigue is a symptom with identifiable causes — and in women, hormonal imbalance is one of the most common culprits.
Fatigue related to hormonal changes in women can present as:
- Adequate sleep
- Waking up fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
- Muscle aches without obvious physical exertion
- Low mood or emotional flatness
- Feeling upset or down
- Reduced tolerance for physical activity or exercise
Women often dismiss these symptoms or attribute them to stress or aging. But when fatigue is rooted in hormonal changes, it won’t resolve with just a good night’s sleep or a holiday. It needs to be evaluated.
Hormonal Changes Across Life Stages
Hormonal changes in women are not a single event. They’re a lifelong rhythm that plays out differently depending on where a woman is in her biological journey.
During the Menstrual Cycle
The week before your period — the luteal phase — is when progesterone peaks and then drops sharply. This drop is what drives PMS (premenstrual syndrome): bloating, irritability, food cravings, headaches, and disrupted sleep. When the seasonal transition amplifies these hormonal changes, PMS can become significantly more intense. Women who are usually mildly affected may find their February–March cycles particularly rough.
Hormonal Changes During Pregnancy
Hormonal changes during pregnancy is really common these days.
hCG, estrogen, and progesterone surge rapidly in the first trimester, contributing to nausea, fatigue, mood swings, and heightened sensitivity to environmental changes — including heat, humidity, and dietary shifts. For pregnant women in Kolkata navigating the seasonal swing from cool to warm weather, these hormonal changes can feel overwhelming.
The second trimester brings relative stability, but the third trimester introduces a new wave of hormonal changes related to cortisol and relaxin, which prepare the body for labour but also cause sleep disruptions, joint laxity, and emotional volatility.
Perimenopause and Menopause
For women in their 40s, this seasonal transition can be particularly disorienting. Perimenopause — the transition phase leading to menopause — involves erratic fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. Sleep disruption from night sweats, irregular periods, heightened anxiety, and joint pain are common. When the external temperature swings of February–March intersect with these internal hormonal changes, the experience can be destabilising.
These are not small inconveniences. They are genuine women’s health issues that deserve proper medical attention, not just a “power through it” approach.
What You Can Actually Do: Practical, Evidence-Based Strategies
The good factor is managing seasonal hormonal changes doesn’t require drastic intervention. A few targeted, consistent habits can make a meaningful difference to how you feel during this transition.
Let’s know what our experts suggest:
1. Eat for Your Hormones
Bengali cuisine is rich in ingredients that support hormonal health — you just need to make intentional choices.
- Add Methi (fenugreek), neem, moringa, seasame seeds, pumpkin seeds and soy products can help buffer estrogen fluctuations naturally.
- Magnesium: Found in dark leafy greens like pui shak and spinach, magnesium reduces PMS symptoms and improves sleep quality.
- Don’t skip meals: Erratic eating patterns elevate cortisol, the stress hormone, which suppresses progesterone and worsens hormonal changes.
2. Hydration Is Non-Negotiable
Drink at least 2–2.5 litres of water daily. Coconut water (daaber jal) is an excellent electrolyte-rich option as the heat starts to build.
3. Adequate sleep
- Keep a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends
- Reduce screen exposure for 60 minutes before bed — blue light suppresses melatonin
4. Manage Stress Actively
Cortisol is often called the “master disruptor” of hormonal balance. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which in turn suppresses ovarian function and worsens hormonal changes. Practices like pranayama, gentle yoga, or even 20 minutes of mindful walking along the Maidan or Rabindra Sarobar lake circuit have measurable effects on cortisol and, therefore,
hormonal health.
5. Track Your Symptoms
Keep a simple diary — even on your phone — noting mood, energy, sleep quality, and any physical symptoms across your cycle. This data is genuinely useful for a gynaecologist trying to identify patterns of hormonal changes and distinguish between seasonal fluctuations and a deeper underlying condition like hypothyroidism, PCOS, or early perimenopause.
When to See a Doctor — and Where to Go in Kolkata
Sometimes lifestyle changes aren’t enough. If you’ve been consistently fatigued for more than two to three weeks, if your menstrual cycle has become significantly irregular, if you’re experiencing mood changes that are affecting your relationships or work performance, or if you suspect hormonal changes during pregnancy aren’t resolving as expected — it’s time to get a professional assessment.
At Eskag Sanjeevani Hospitals, Kolkata, our gynaecology department offers comprehensive hormonal evaluation, including thyroid and reproductive hormone panels, personalised management of PMS, PCOS, perimenopause, and antenatal hormonal changes. Our team of experienced women’s health specialists understands the intersection of lifestyle, environment, and hormonal biology — and we approach every patient’s situation with that full picture in mind.
If you’re looking for the best gyno doctor in Kolkata who will listen carefully, investigate thoroughly, and offer care that goes beyond a generic prescription- Eskag Sanjeevani is where that conversation starts.
Yes. Seasonal shifts affect your body’s production of melatonin, serotonin, and cortisol — all of which interact with reproductive hormones. The February–March transition in Kolkata, with its erratic temperature and humidity changes, is a known trigger for amplified PMS symptoms, disrupted sleep, and fatigue rooted in hormonal changes.
Medically, fatigue is persistent exhaustion that rest doesn’t resolve. If your tiredness comes with brain fog, sleep disruption, mood changes, or menstrual irregularity — and has lasted more than two weeks — it’s worth investigating a hormonal cause. A gynaecologist can request hormone and thyroid panels to get a clear picture.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy are driven primarily by internal biology, but heat and humidity can worsen symptoms like nausea, fatigue, and swelling. As Kolkata heats up in March, pregnant women should prioritise hydration, light meals, and regular antenatal check-ups to manage the combined effect of pregnancy hormones and seasonal warmth.
Focus on magnesium-rich foods (leafy greens, nuts, seeds), phytoestrogens (methi, sesame, soy), complex carbohydrates for stable blood sugar, and adequate protein. Reduce processed sugar and caffeine, which spike cortisol and worsen hormonal imbalance. Kolkata’s access to fresh seasonal vegetables during this time is a genuine advantage.
Eskag Sanjeevani Hospitals provides a full range of gynaecological services including hormonal evaluation, PCOS management, antenatal care, perimenopause and menopause support, thyroid and reproductive endocrinology, and personalised treatment plans for PMS and other women’s health issues. Our team includes experienced gynaecologists and women’s health specialists.