Oral contraceptive, aka birth control pill, is a pill taken in an effort to prevent pregnancy. This method of birth control is extremely effective, albeit not 100%.
Oral contraceptives either contain estrogen and progestin combination, or just progestin. They are the laboratory equivalent of your naturally circulating female sex hormones. And because birth control pills are of a lower dosage than they use to, serious side effect risks have dramatically diminished.
Generally, how a birth control pill works is by:
- preventing ovulation
- changing uterine lining to prevent pregnancy from developing
- changing the cervical mucus to prevent sperm from gaining entry
Oral contraceptives have no prevention power against STDs.
Besides birth control, contraceptive pills are sometimes prescribed to treat:
- acne
- ovulation pain
- endometriosis
- uterine fibroids
- irregular menstruation
- premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- menstrual cramps & heavy bleeding
And because of the decline in monthly loss of blood, they may help with anemia as well.
As with most drugs, the taking an oral contraceptive doesn’t allay birth without some potential side effects. The most common being these minor ones:
- acne
- tiredness
- headache
- leg cramps
- weight gain
- mood changes
- dark facial spots
- nausea & vomiting
- swollen ankles, feet
- bleeding between periods
- abdominal cramping, bloating
- breast pain, tenderness, swelling
Most of these annoying problems typically subside once your body adjusts to the pill. And taking it with food may help with your nausea.
Let your health care provider know if any of these birth control side effect symptoms become severe or chronic:
- acne
- nausea
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- gingivitis
- amenorrhea
- constipation
- unusual hair growth
- painful menstruation
- white vaginal discharge
- menstrual flow changes
- weight gain, weight loss
- bleeding between periods
- stomach cramps, bloating
- brown, black skin patches
- increased, decreased appetite
- contact lenses wearing issues
- breast tenderness, enlargement, discharge
- vaginal swelling, redness, irritation, burning, itching
Use of oral contraceptives does increase your risk of blood clots and can cause some serious side effects. You should always consider these symptoms a health emergency while you’re on birth control pills:
- rash
- fever
- jaundice
- dyspnea
- dark urine
- light stool
- hemoptysis
- appetite loss
- severe edema
- severe leg pain
- severe vomiting
- trouble speaking
- abnormal bleeding
- severe abdominal pain
- dizziness, faint feeling
- paresthesias in arm, leg
- blurry, double, lost vision
- sudden, severe headache
- unusually vaginal bleeding
- crushing chest pain, heaviness
- extreme tiredness, weakness, fatigue
Oral contraceptives may increase your risk of:
And you probably shouldn’t use any type of birth control pill if you have:
- gallstones
- hypertension
- high blood cholesterol
- antiphospholipid syndrome
- inexplicable vaginal bleeding
- migraine headaches with aura
- history of thrombosis in family
- previous breast, uterine cancer
- prior stroke, heart attack, blood clot, liver disease
Oral contraceptive are not safe for women over 35 who smoke.
For some, delaying or avoiding menstruation altogether may provide some health benefits. Delaying your period can be accomplished with the use of certain types of oral contraceptives.
Delayed menstruation by use of birth control pills may be a good option if you have:
- heavy, prolonged, frequent, painful periods
- breast tenderness, bloating, PMS before period
- headaches, cramps, other menstrual symptoms
- health condition that is worsened by menstruation ~endometriosis, anemia, asthma, migraines, epilepsy
Delayed menstruation use does not delay menopause. And birth control pills may continue delaying your menstrual cycle for some time after you stop taking them.
And oral contraceptives can be a cause for vocal cord edema and rhinitis, which results in a hoarse voice and runny nose.
