How To Tell If Your Period Cramping Is Normal
Each girl or woman typically experiences a similar level of cramps from one month to the next, says Jackie Thielen, MD, an internist and womens health specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. For some women, monthly pain is minor. For others, it can be quite debilitating.
The main question doctors ask when determining whether your cramps are normal is Are they normal for you? Dr. Thielen says.
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How Are Severe Menstrual Cramps Diagnosed
If you have severe menstrual cramps, a visit to your doctor is the only way to determine the exact cause of your pain. During your visit, your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms. If we need additional information to confirm a diagnosis, a pelvic exam or ultrasound might be needed. These tests will help pinpoint the exact cause of your pain so your doctor can recommend the best treatment options for you.
How Are Severe Menstrual Cramps Treated
When the usual home remedies to relieve period cramps are no match for your cramps, an OB-GYN can help you find relief from the pain. The most common treatments for severe menstrual cramps are:
- Hormonal birth control methods If your menstrual cramps are caused by a hormone imbalance, your doctor might recommend using a hormonal birth control. In addition to preventing pregnancy, taking hormonal birth control can help correct the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body, which effects the thickness of the uterine lining. Thinning the uterine lining can reduce prostaglandin and bring pain relief. Some birth control methods can cause women to skip their periods, eliminating cramps altogether.
- Prescription medication When over-the-counter medicines dont work, your doctor might prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . These medicines are much stronger than similar ones youll find over-the-counter. They can significantly reduce prostaglandins in your uterus, which might thin the uterine lining and alleviate cramps. Prescription medication is used when a woman experiences severe, chronic cramps.
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Youre Using Hormonal Birth Control
One of the most common reasons for a lighter period is going on hormonal birth control some doctors even prescribe it to women with very heavy periods for that exact reason. So if youve recently started the pill, are using the patch or the ring, or gotten a hormonal IUD, and your periods have lightened up, its normal to have light cycles, to completely skip cycles, or have small amounts of dark or light blood.
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Watch Out For These Five Symptoms
Johns Hopkins gynecologist Mindy Christianson, M.D., says there are five common signs of endometriosis. Heres what you should watch out for:
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Feels Like Im Dying From Menstrual Cramps Am I Normal
Its that time of the month when your hormones are supposedly out of whack, everything annoys you, and it feels like a shark is attacking your abdominal area. As much as you dont like it, you know menstrual cramps are normal. But what if it seems like this time is the worst out of all the other times? As much as 29 percent of women experience severe menstrual cramps that are bad enough for medical attention. Womens expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones tells you how to identity whether or not your menstrual cramps are normal or not.
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4 Yoga Poses to Relieve Cramps
Yoga is a gentle exercise that releases endorphins and can help prevent or reduce menstrual symptoms.
One study compared the effects of aerobic exercise and yoga on PMS symptoms. The researchers found that both yoga and aerobic exercise significantly reduced PMS symptoms and pain intensity. However, yoga was more effective than aerobic exercise at reducing symptoms. Helpful yoga poses for PMS may include:
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Other Ways To Relieve Menstrual Cramps
In addition to heating pads, here are other ways to relieve menstrual cramps:
- Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers. You can try ibuprofen or acetaminophen for cramp relief, or talk with your doctor to see if a prescription-strength option may be right for you.
- Light exercise. While working out may be the last thing you want to do on your period, getting some movement into your day may help relieve pain.
- Ice therapy. If heat doesnt appeal to you, cold packs may help.
- Orgasms. Having sex or masturbating on your period could help cramps, thanks to the rush of pain-relieving hormones.
When To Contact A Doctor
A person may wish to speak with a doctor if home remedies do not help reduce cramps or if they are experiencing very severe cramping.
A doctor can suggest other home remedies to try or prescribe medications, such as birth control pills or some types of pain reliever, to manage the symptoms.
Other symptoms that may warrant contacting a doctor include:
- cramps that get worse over time or with age
- severe pain or discomfort
- cramps that interfere with daily life
These symptoms may indicate an underlying condition, for which a doctor will be able to suggest an effective treatment.
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about home remedies for menstrual cramps.
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Drink More Water To Reduce Bloating
Bloating can cause discomfort and make menstrual cramps worse. While it may sound counterintuitive, drinking water can reduce bloating during your period and alleviate some of the pain it causes. Also, drinking hot water can increase blood flow throughout your body and relax your muscles. This can lessen cramps caused by uterine contractions.
You Have Random Pelvic Pain
Pelvic discomfort just before your period and during the first few days of your period can be normal. You may also experience some sensitivity around ovulation. But if you have pelvic pain at other times during your cycle, that may signal a problem.
Another possible sign your cramps arent normal is if you experience pain during sex. Some causes of painful sex are also responsible for abnormally bad period cramps.
If severe cramping is accompanied by fever, vomiting, dizziness, unusual vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, or if the pain is especially severe, call your healthcare provider immediately.
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Reduce Stress To Improve Mental And Physical Period Symptoms
Stress may make cramps worse. Use stress relief techniques like meditation, deep breathing, yoga or your own favorite way to relieve stress. If youre not sure how to relieve stress, try guided imagery. Simply close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine a calm, safe place thats significant to you. Stay focused on this space for at least a few minutes while you take slow, deep breaths.
Has Anyone Died From Period Cramps
menstrualdiedcrampspains
. Likewise, people ask, can you die from period pain?
Periods can cause women as much pain as heart attacks, scientists now believe. There is very little research on period pain despite the fact that one is five women have their lives seriously affected by painful menstruation, Quartz reports.
Additionally, why are my cramps so bad during my period? Menstrual cramps are most likely caused by an excess of prostaglandinshormone-like compounds that are released from the uterine lining as it prepares to be shed. Prostaglandins help the uterus contract and relax, so that the endometrium can detach and flow out of your body.
Also to know, how bad can Period cramps get?
The pain, also known as dysmenorrhea or period pains, ranges from dull and annoying to severe and extreme. If the cramping pain is due to an identifiable medical problem such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease, it is called secondary dysmenorrhea.
Why do I fart on my period?
Right before your period starts, the cells in the lining of your uterus produce prostaglandins. These are fatty acids that function much like hormones. This can lead to flatulence and changes in your bowel habits, which is fancy talk for period farts and the dreaded period poops.
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Menstrual Cramp Treatment At Home
You may be able to relieve your menstrual pain through at-home treatments, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, supplements, and lifestyle changes. Researchers also are studying other possible remedies, including Zumba dancing, yoga, and light therapy. More common menstrual cramp home treatments, which have been supported by research include:
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Over-the-counter pain relievers: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen and naproxen, relieve pain and reduce prostaglandins. Acetaminophen is not quite as effective, but can offer some pain relief.
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Vitamin and mineral supplements: vitamin E, vitamin B1 , vitamin B6 and omega-3 fatty acids may cut pain. Magnesium also may help, but can have side effects and interact with many medications. Check with your doctor before taking magnesium.
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Herbal medicine: pycnogenol and fennel.
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Heat therapy: Taking a hot bath or using a hot water bottle, heating pad, heat wrap or other heat source of about 102 degrees Fahrenheit on your lower abdomen. Studies show this can be as effective as ibuprofen for cutting pain.
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Exercising at least 30 minutes daily, five days a week.
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Reducing stress, such as by relaxing with yoga or meditation.
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Getting enough rest.
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Why Are My Period Cramps Worse Than Usual
Cramps tend to be painful and, although you can come to expect some discomfort when your period comes, it is important to know that extremely severe cramps are not normal and may indicate an underlying medical condition or fertility issue. If you are experiencing consistently more painful periods, it is probably best to see a doctor for a pelvic exam. Common underlying causes of extreme cramps are Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids,Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Cervical Stenosis, and Adenomyosis. You may also experience worsening cramps if you have recently had an Intrauterine device for birth control put in.
Once your doctor has ruled out dangerous causes of your period cramps, it may be time to evaluate your lifestyle. Period cravings oftentimes include unhealthy foods like processed sweets, caffeine, and carbs that can potentially make periods worse. Your body may also produce more of the hormone called prostaglandins that cause the uterus lining to shed for that particular month, causing the abnormally painful cramps.
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If You Have Agonizing Cramps And A Heavy Flow
It might be: uterine fibroids. These benign growths on the wall of the uterus are common, says Masterson, but they increase the surface area of the uterine lining so the amount of cramping and bleeding you have during your period may become super-intense.
What to do: See your doctor, especially if you know other women in your family have had fibroids . Youll likely be sent for an ultrasound to make sure there are no abnormal growths, and then prescribed low-dose birth control pills to minimize the pain during periods. Depending on the size and location of the fibroids, you may also be a candidate for surgery, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development .
Why Do Period Cramps Hurt
Prostaglandins act like hormones by getting your uterus contracting and shedding its lining which, you guessed it, causes cramping.
These guys also participate in the pain responses and inflammation of it all. They hang out in the uterine lining and get released when the lining is released.
After they free-fall with the lining, they kick the contractions up a few notches, usually during the first couple days of your period.
Un-fun math equation: The higher level of prostaglandins = even sh*ttier cramping.
If the levels are super high, they may also cause diarrhea and nausea.
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What Can Help If I Have Pms
You can try these things if you have PMS symptoms:
- To help with food cravings: Eat a balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- To ease bloating: Lower salt in your diet.
- To ease crankiness or anxiety: Avoid caffeine and get plenty of exercise.
- To help with backache, headache, or sore breasts: Try a warm heating pad or acetaminophen , ibuprofen , or naproxen .
- To relax: Try yoga or meditation.
- To prevent and treat pimples: Work with a dermatologist .
Your Diet Is Not Good
We just talked about prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and their role in menstrual cramps. But what causes your body to produce them in large amounts? Much of it has to do with your diet.
A diet full of vegetable oils, refined grains, sugar, and alcohol is almost guaranteed to make your periods miserable. Because of the ways these foods damage your cells, disrupt your hormones, and interfere with cell communication, these foods will send your immune system into a firestorm. And that means prostaglandins and pain.
When I talk about vegetable oils, Im mainly referring to canola , safflower, corn, sunflower, peanut, cottonseed and soybean oils.
These are the most common oils used in things like salad dressings, sauces, mayonnaise, and any fried or processed foods.
Because these oils are extracted from the seeds using high heat and chemical solvents, they are oxidized by the time they make it into our food. And those resulting oxidized fats and solvents are powerful drivers of cell damage and inflammation. Also, these oils are high in omega-6 fats that promote the production of inflammatory prostaglandins.
Unfortunately, 99% or more of restaurants use canola oil in their cooking because its cheap and has a neutral taste and a stable shelf-life. And most people dont think about vegetable oils as a source of inflammation as they slather their healthy salads with any ol store-bought salad dressing.
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Understanding The Average Menstrual Cycle
Most girls get their first menstrual period between the ages of 9-15. Once your menstrual cycle begins, it repeats about once a month until you reach menopause, for a total of 450-500 periods in your lifetime.
The average menstrual cycle is 21-35 days long. The first day of a new cycle starts on the first day of your menstrual period, and the average period lasts anywhere from 2-7 days.
During your menstrual cycle, your body prepares for possible pregnancy. If you dont get pregnant, you have a period and the cycle begins again.
When you have your period, your uterus contracts to shed its lining, and you bleed. These contractions often cause inflammation and abdominal pain known as menstrual cramps. Other common symptoms include bloating, irritability, and fatigue.
Most women dont look forward to their menstrual periods, and symptoms vary from woman to woman. But if your period or the symptoms that come with it interfere with your daily life, you should seek treatment.
Things That May Help With Period Cramps
Dealing with menstrual cramps every month can be as frustrating as it is painful. The good news is there are many remedies that might help you relieve period cramps. Its important to remember that these techniques wont always work, especially for chronic conditions, but they can offer relief for mild to moderate period pain.
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Adenomyosis: Painful Cramps And Sex
Adenomyosis is like endometriosis, except instead of the endometrium implanting itself outside of the uterus, it is found embedded deep within the uterine muscle. In women with adenomyosis, the uterus acts like a bruised muscle, said Sinervo. Symptoms of adenomyosis include painful central cramps and painful intercourse, which can hurt up until a day or two after. Adenomyosis is usually seen in women over age 30 who have already had children. However, Sinervo added, it has been seen in teenagers as well.
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Are Severe Menstrual Cramps Normal
All women experience periods, and everyone fares with their period differently. But there is one particular symptom that almost every woman can relate tomenstrual cramps and ask are severe menstrual cramps normal? Menstrual cramps are a common symptom associated with having a period and may range from being a mild bother to unbearable pelvic pain. These cramps are caused by the uterus contracting in order to shed its lining. In most cases, menstrual cramps start a day or two before your period starts and will last through the second day of your period.
For some women, the severity of their cramps can vary from month to month a woman may go three months with light cramps and in the fourth month have cramps so painful that they keep her up at night. In instances like these, you may wonder: are severe menstrual cramps normal? And if they are, when should you worry? Keep reading to find out more about what is considered normal for period pain.
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