--- title: Does asthma or airway reactivity change around menstruation? | Niyora description: Yes. Airway reactivity significantly increased in the days around menstruation in women not taking birth control (odds ratio 2.3), but birth control pills app url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/perimenstrual-increase-in-bronchial-hyperreactivity-in-premenopausal-women-2010/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does asthma or airway reactivity change around menstruation? Cohort study, 2010 # Does asthma or airway reactivity change around menstruation? Yes. Airway reactivity significantly increased in the days around menstruation in women not taking birth control (odds ratio 2.3), but birth control pills appeared protective and prevented this increase. Moderate study design 571 premenopausal women aged 28-58 in Switzerland without hormonal treatment, plus 130 additional women taking birth control ## What they did Population-based cohort study of 571 premenopausal women aged 28-58 without hormonal treatment. Researchers tested airway reactivity using methacholine challenge at different points in the menstrual cycle. 143 women were tested during the window 3 days before or after menstruation started. A separate group of 130 women taking birth control was also studied. ## What they found Among the 143 women tested during the risk window around menstruation, airway reactivity was significantly higher (odds ratio 2.3). In women taking birth control, the odds ratio was less than 1, showing a protective effect. Overall, 13% of all 571 women had bronchial hyperreactivity and 6% had asthma. A cyclic pattern was confirmed mathematically. ## What it means for you Hormones appear to affect how easily airways tighten during the menstrual cycle, and birth control pills may protect against this. This matters for timing asthma treatment. However, only 143 of the 571 women happened to be tested during the relevant part of the cycle, which limits confidence in the results. 143 women tested during menstrual risk window 2.3 odds ratio for increased airway reactivity around menstruation 13% had bronchial hyperreactivity ## About the study Original title Perimenstrual increase in bronchial hyperreactivity in premenopausal women: results from the population-based SAPALDIA 2 cohort Authors Dratva J, Schindler C, Curjuric I et al. Journal The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Year 2010 Study design Cohort study Participants 143 What was tested None; observational study measuring airway reactivity at different menstrual phases Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2009.12.938](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2009.12.938) ## Topics [Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Are women who feel mood changes from birth control pills at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression? Review, 2025 How does progesterone affect mood and brain function? Lab study, 2023 Does sleep change across the menstrual cycle? Review, 2019 How does the menstrual cycle affect migraine in women? Cohort study, 2013 How do menstrual cycle phase and hormonal birth control affect sleep? Survey study, 2013 Do past PMS symptoms predict how severe your menopause symptoms will be? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗