--- title: Does estrogen help asthma symptoms that worsen before periods? description: Yes. Taking estradiol significantly improved asthma symptoms and breathing difficulty in women with premenstrual asthma, though this very small study needs co url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-asthma-the-effect-of-estrogen-on-symptoms-pulmonary-function-and-1997-19a2e6/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does estrogen help asthma symptoms that worsen before periods? Non-randomised trial, 1997 # Does estrogen help asthma symptoms that worsen before periods? Yes. Taking estradiol significantly improved asthma symptoms and breathing difficulty in women with premenstrual asthma, though this very small study needs confirmation. Early or limited evidence 14 women with mild to moderate asthma who completed a 9-week study ## What they did 14 women with mild to moderate asthma tracked their cough, wheezing, breathlessness, and chest tightness every morning for 9 weeks using rating scales and peak flow measurements. Researchers also measured their breathing response, blood hormone levels, and other markers throughout their natural cycle and during treatment with extra estradiol hormone. ## What they found All 14 women had at least a 20% decrease in peak flow or increase in symptoms premenstrually during the study. Asthma symptoms and peak flow were significantly worse on day 26 (lowest estrogen) compared to day 13 (highest estrogen) of the menstrual cycle (p < 0.05). After estradiol administration, asthma symptoms and dyspnea index scores were significantly improved (p < 0.05) compared to baseline. ## What it means for you Estrogen levels are associated with asthma worsening around the period, and giving extra estrogen improved symptoms. This is a very small study with no control group, so results need confirmation in larger trials. 14 women completed study 20% decrease in peak flow in all women 9 weeks study duration ## About the study Original title Premenstrual asthma: the effect of estrogen on symptoms, pulmonary function, and beta 2-receptors Authors Chandler MH, Schuldheisz S, Phillips BA et al. Journal Pharmacotherapy Year 1997 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 5 What was tested Estradiol hormone treatment Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9085312/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9085312/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Review, 2026 How do social factors like stigma and unequal care responsibilities affect premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Survey study, 2025 What behavioral symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are most common? Cohort study, 2023 Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Randomised trial, 2022 Do hormone pills prevent suicidal thoughts from getting worse around menstruation? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗