How Can You Tell If The Pain Of Your Menstrual Cramps Is Normal
If you have severe or unusual menstrual cramps or cramps that last for more than two or three days, contact your healthcare provider. Both primary and secondary menstrual cramps can be treated, so its important to get checked.
First, you will be asked to describe your symptoms and menstrual cycles. Your healthcare provider will also perform a pelvic exam. During this exam, your provider inserts a speculum . The provider is able to examine your vagina, cervix and uterus. The doctor will feel for any lumps or changes. They may take a small sample of vaginal fluid for testing.
If your provider thinks you may have secondary dysmenorrhea, you may need additional tests, such as an ultrasound or a laparoscopy. If those tests indicate a medical problem, your healthcare provider will discuss treatments.
If you use tampons and develop the following symptoms, get medical help right away: over 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dizziness, fainting or near fainting.
- A rash that looks like a sunburn.
These are symptoms of toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening illness.
Lower Your Alcohol Intake
Limit alcoholic beverages, like beer, wine, and mixed drinks, since these can dehydrate you.
In the case of alcohol-related nerve damage, seek help if youre having a hard time quitting drinking. Consider reaching out to your doctor, a friend, or a local support program.
Conditions like alcoholic neuropathy can lead to permanent and progressive nerve damage. Early treatment is key in preventing this.
Yoga For Period Pains
If you feel menstrual pain during night, yoga has proven to be a great option in both soothing and stretching your muscles. In addition, yoga can improve your mood and help you feel more relaxed.Try out these recommended yoga poses to help get rid of period pains
- Half camel pose: Kneel upright on the bed so that your bum is not resting on your heels. Reach back with your right hand and touch your right ankle. Make sure that your hips are pressed forward. Repeat the same process on the left side. This pose stretches the muscles near your hips and releases pain.
- Childs pose: Keep your knees hip-width apart, let your toes touch each other and stand on your knees and hands. Keep your hands on the bed, with your arms outstretched. Move your butt back towards the heels and lower down your body to the bed.
- Seated forward fold: Sit on the bed with your legs out in front of your torso. Bend them forward as far as you are comfortable. This will create a deep fold that will massage your organs stretch out your back muscles, which are become tense during period pains.
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This Is Why Your Legs Cramp At Night
by Disease· October 24, 2021
Leg cramps at night nocturnal leg cramps are pains that occur during the sleeping hours. They can cause a person to wake up and occur at night due to prolonged hours of inactivity. Nocturnal leg cramps commonly occur in the calf but can also cause pain in the thighs and feet. Pain due to leg cramps at night can last for mere seconds or for several minutes. After the leg cramp passes, muscle soreness may linger for the rest of the night or even until the following day. Both men and women can experience leg cramps and they occur more commonly in adults over the age of 50.
How To Avoid Insomnia Before And During Your Period
Many women experience insomnia and do not rest adequately in the days before the arrival of menstruation, waking up several times at night and not even reaching the stages of deep sleep, which is ideal to rest well and not feel tired the next day.
Well, according to experts, the culprits of this situation are the hormones progesterone and estrogens, whose levels drop considerably in the female body in the pre-ovulatory phase, giving rise to symptoms such as sleep disorders, among many others that can affect both the physical and emotional health of women.
On one hand, progesterone is a hormone that exerts a somnolent and anxiolytic effect and, on the other, estrogens influence the balance of emotions and help regulate menstruation. So, it is not surprising that a reduction in the levels of both hormones leads to insomnia. You may also want to check out our article about is it normal to have a 2 day period.
To avoid insomnia before and during your period we give you the following tips:
- Avoid caffeine after midday
- Avoid being in front of a screen before going to bed
- Try doing some gentle yoga before bed
- Try using a warm wattle bottle, also known as heat therapy, when going to sleep
- Take a nap during the day if necessary
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Massage With Essential Oil
Simply massaging your abdominal muscles relaxes the uterine contractions. This may help divert blood away from the uterus. Doing this repeatedly may help stop your flow early and fast. This procedure will also help relieve some of the symptoms accompanying your period, such as cramps and bloating.
This is what you need to do:
- Mix some amounts of lavender oil and sage oil
- Into the mixture, add three some amount of warm almond oil
- Use the oil to massage the abdominal and pelvic area
- Do this twice or thrice to stop your period
When All Else Fails Call The Doc
If nothing seems to be helping, talk to your gyno. They can check for any underlying causes, like endometriosis, that might be making your cramps extra-painful. She may also recommend birth control pills, which can thin the uterine lining and make cramps less intense. Cramps may be common, but they shouldnt interfere with your life, so if youve tried everything and youre still in pain every month, definitely let your doc know.
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What If Treating Myself Does Not Work
Remember that sometimes muscle cramps at night are a sign of significant disease. For example, kidney disease can result in electrolyte imbalance and the first sign may be muscles cramping up. Nerve damage, such as in spinal stenosis, artery blockages, such as in critical limb ischemia and severe chronic venous insufficiency are just several other examples of conditions that can lead to cramping at night. So, it probably makes sense to talk to your doctor if you are having cramps. It also makes sense to seek advice if the simple measure above did not help you quickly.
Lack Of Sleep Is Not Good For Your Body Especially On Your Period
If theres ever a time you NEED quality sleep and rest its when youre on your period. Your body goes through a change during menstruation emotionally and physically. Its important to listen to your body and get ample amount of rest. But your menstrual cycle could be affecting the quality of your sleep!
As sleep expert, Dr Neil Stanley explains, The hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which play a role in regulating the menstrual cycle, can also influence sleep. Many women report 23 days of disrupted sleep during each cycle. Some women experience more awakenings and other sleep disturbances during their premenstrual period, while other women report excessive sleepiness, fatigue and longer sleeping hours.
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Cramping Your Sleep Style
A couple of days spent at home from work or school due to severe menstrual cramps is probably not the end of the world. Even though you may be uncomfortable, you might even find some pleasure in easing your pain by snuggling on the couch for a good old-fashioned Netflix and Ben and Jerrys binge-fest. Its amazing just how well those two things go together.
However, when menstrual cramping interferes with your sleep, the term uncomfortable doesnt even begin to cover it. Being on your period often causes fatigue and exhaustion as it is. Add missing out on crucial hours of shut-eye due to pain and discomfort, and a dangerous cycle can beginand this time, Im not talking about your menstrual cycle!
Lack of sleep naturally lowers your tolerance for pain. When you are in pain, it can be very difficult to sleep. When you sleep less, you feel more pain, making it even more difficult to sleep. And on and on it goes. Pain leads to less sleep which leads to more pain which leads to even less sleepwell, you get the idea.
You Dont Have To Suffer
Muscle cramps during the menstrual cycle are generally mild with no debilitating effects. That said, there are many women who unfortunately suffer with severe pain and muscle tension.
The range of cramping discomfort often depends on the timing of puberty, genetics, and lifestyle choices. You could stop cramps fast, and possibly even prevent them from developing before your period, with natural home remedies. By changing your diet, routine, and incorporating exercises that target the stomach muscles, you may be able to stop stressing about your next period and enjoy daily activities every day of the month.
Doheny, K., 10 Ways To Relieve Period Cramps, Everyday Health , last accessed June 9, 2017.Ipatenco, S., How To Get Rid Of Menstrual Cramps Fast, Live Strong, August 16, 2013 , last accessed June 9, 2017.13 Ways To Get Rid Of Your Period Cramps, Web MD , last accessed June 9, 2017.Home Remedies to Relieve Menstrual Pain, Healthline, Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT on February 3, 2017 , last accessed June 9, 2017.
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Medication To Stop Periods
There are many over-the-counter medications that are available for delaying or stopping the periods. However, you should seek the advice of your doctor before you fill your body with hormones. There are some hormonal pills that are easily available with your local chemist. But these pills are not suitable for young women of child bearing age as they can disrupt the balance of hormones in the body.
Let your doctor know the reason you wish to delay your periods so that he/she can go ahead and prescribe a medication best suited for your needs. Do not ask your friend/relative for her prescription medicine if she has had any what was suitable for her may not be the best for you.
Also check with your doctor the side effects that some of these medicines may have. Some women may experience bloating, nausea with the pills while others will notice the side effects later in life. Women who frequently make use of hormonal pills for delaying periods often end up with osteoporosis and infertility later in life.
Causes Of Leg Cramps At Night
Leg cramps can be distressing and painful. Experiencing pain during the night can disrupt sleep. The exact causes of nocturnal leg cramps are unknown. However, there are some factors that may increase the chance of experiencing leg cramps during the night.
Medications: Some medications, like diuretics, steroids, and antidepressants, are associated with nocturnal leg cramping. Talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking if you experience leg cramps during the night.
Pregnancy: Leg cramps are a common experience in pregnant women, although some professionals consider pregnancy-related leg cramps different from nocturnal leg cramps. Researchers are unsure if this leg cramping occurs due to pregnancy itself, or because of a lack of blood flow in the veins as a result of pregnancy. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to reduce leg cramping in pregnancy, but you should talk to your doctor before beginning any new supplements.
Dehydration: Not drinking enough water during the day can result in dehydration. Dehydration causes muscle weakness and cramping. Nocturnal leg cramps in particular are not associated with dehydration, but drinking water is still important. The exact amount of water you need to drink each day depends on your body weight, activity level, medications, and local climate.
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When Should You See A Doctor
If your period cramps disrupt your life every month, progressively worsen, or you just started having severe cramps after the age of 25, the Mayo Clinic suggests that you seek medical advice. Intense period pain isnt normal and conditions that impact cramps include endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and cervical stenosis.
To be clear: Period cramps arent automatically a sign of reproductive illness, know that its always a good idea to listen to your body and pay attention to your symptoms. Chat with your medical provider if youre concerned. Yes, some light discomfort is common, significant suffering is not an inherent part of menstruation and you deserve to not be in pain.
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How Long Period Pain Lasts
Period pain usually starts when your bleeding begins, although some women have pain several days before the start of their period.
The pain usually lasts 48 to 72 hours, although it can last longer. It’s usually at its worst when your bleeding is heaviest.
Young girls often have period pain when they begin getting periods. Read more about starting periods.
Period pain that does not have an underlying cause tends to improve as a woman gets older. Many women also notice an improvement after they’ve had children.
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Yoga Position # : Reclining Twist
Your lower back and lower belly will both benefit from the reclining twist position.
First, lie flat on your back. Bend your left knee, and then lower it to the right side. Look to your left, and reach your arms out wide, your palms flat against the ground. You will want to stay here for five or more breaths.
Extend your left leg back to the ground, and repeat the pose with your right leg bending to the right. This pose should relax your back, hips, and shoulders. Repeat 5 to 10 times on each side.
What Causes Period Pain To Be Worse At Night
Dysmenorrhea, the medical term for painful periods, is the most common gynaecological complaint experienced by women. It is thought among medical professionals that an increase in prostaglandins may cause the pain.
These substances cause the muscles of the uterus to contract, and if the muscles become too tight the blood flow can be reduced to this area, causing pain . In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this stagnation and constriction of blood flow is also believed to lead to pain.
At night time when we slow down and lie down, we can often be more aware of the cramps that we were distracted from during our busy day. This is why our cramps often seem worse at night. Sometimes it might even be as simple as how you are lying. Sleeping on your stomach can actually cause more pressure on the abdomen which can increase cramping.
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