Ways To Deal With Period Cramps

Go On Hormonal Birth Control

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Taking birth-control pills or using another form of hormonal contraception prevents ovulation, which can make a big difference for women who have endometriosis and suffer from severe cramps every month as a result.

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But even women with normal periods may notice that their cramps go away or arenât quite so bad when they start taking hormonal birth control. Contraception can help regulate hormone levels and decrease extreme fluctuations, which can be helpful, says Dr. Worly.

Sleep Postures: Diminishes Cramps

Believe it or not, lying in certain postures puts your abdomen muscles in the right place and eases your pain. Lying in the wrong posture can give discomfort and might worsen your period cramp. So, it is important to follow a healthy posture to sleep if you dont want to wake in the middle of the midnight in pain. There are 3 best postures that can soothe your period cramp. They are,

  • Fetal Position Lyinglike a fetus inside a mothers womb
  • Pillow under your knees supportingyour knees with moderate height pillow
  • Child Pose Taking a nap in the child pose helps your abdomen

Tips To Prevent Period Cramps

You cant control whether youll have cramps in a given month. But you can do things to make sure the pain isnt too much to handle. Sticking to your exercise regimen and applying heat as a precaution are both good options.

Dr. Levine says you can also be prevention-minded and preemptively take ibuprofen to reduce the impact of cramps. If you find that your cramps start two days before your period and are really bad for three to four days, taking ibuprofen in that time period can help prevent cramps from getting severe, she says.

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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:

  • Cat-Cow pose

Start Hormonal Birth Control

5 Natural Ways to Deal with Menstrual Cramps

Birth control can stop period pain if cramps are caused by a hormone imbalance. Balancing your levels of estrogen and progesterone helps thin the uterine lining so it sheds more easily. Hormonal birth control also regulates the length and frequency of your period. Some forms of birth control can completely alleviate period cramps by stopping your period altogether. Talk to your OB-GYN about birth control options, including the pill, birth control shot or hormonal IUD. Then, youll be able to choose the type of birth control that works best for you.

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Causes Of Period Pain

Period pain happens when the muscular wall of the womb tightens . Mild contractions continually occur in your womb, but they’re usually so mild that most women cannot feel them.

During your period, the wall of the womb starts to contract more vigorously to help the womb lining shed as part of your period.

When the wall of the womb contracts, it compresses the blood vessels lining your womb. This temporarily cuts off the blood supply and oxygen supply to your womb. Without oxygen, the tissues in your womb release chemicals that trigger pain.

While your body is releasing these pain-triggering chemicals, it’s also producing other chemicals called prostaglandins. These encourage the womb muscles to contract more, further increasing the level of pain.

It’s not known why some women have more period pain than others. It may be that some women have a build-up of prostaglandins, which means they experience stronger contractions.

When Should I Call The Doctor

If your PMS is severe, your doctor can help with treatments, including medicine. Call the doctor if you:

  • don’t feel better after trying home treatments
  • feel very sad or hopeless
  • ever think about hurting or killing yourself
  • can’t do your usual activities because of your PMS symptoms
  • have PMS symptoms that don’t go away after the first few days of your period

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How To Get Rid Of Period Cramps Naturally

A lot of women have their own ways of dealing with tough menstruation cycles and PMS symptoms, from tips handed down by mom to turning to medications. And if those work for you awesome!

But if youre looking for some new, natural ways to combat that painful time of the month, then this is the list for you. From essential oils and Epsom salts to fish oil and your favorite tunes, these methods for how to get rid of period cramps will help ease period pain so you can live your best life all month long.

1. Try acupuncture.

When youre in pain, the idea of getting pricked by needles probably doesnt sound too appealing. But acupuncture, a type of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been used for more than 2,000 years to treat chronic pain and can be especially effective during a hard-to-handle menstrual cycle. In fact, one small study out of Australia and New Zealand found that acupuncture treatment can ease period pain, including secondary symptoms like headaches and nausea, in women.

The pilot study of women ages 18 to 45 years old had them undergoing one of four types of manual or electro-acupuncture treatments over three menstrual cycles. Half of the women experienced at least a 50 percent reduction in the severity of their symptoms over three months of being treated with acupuncture and reported they were able to use fewer painkillers to treat pain.

2. Take a hot bath with Epsom salts.

3. Get a dose of extra-virgin olive oil.

4. Try fish oil supplements.

5. Get more sleep.

How Long Period Pain Lasts

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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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Drink More Water During Your Period Cramps

Drinking enough water during your period can help to prevent the body from getting dehydrated. Water intake can help to regulate proper functioning of the body cells. Lack of enough water in the body system can dispose women to physical and mental stress and improper functioning.

It is advisable to drink enough water at all times to keep your body active. But how much water is enough?

The Institute of Medicine recommends 9 cup of fluid total per day for women. The reduction in the amount of estrogen and progesterone can cause retention of water in the body. Drinking enough water can help to flush your system and keep you hydrated always.

How To Manage Pcos Period Pain

Although periods as a PCOS sufferer can be exceedingly uncomfortable, you should not be resigned to a life that is defined or disrupted by pain. Although there is still a long way for the medical world to go before matters about womens health get given the attention they deserve, an increase in knowledge concerning the complexities and variables of the female anatomical system have fortunately meant that conditions such as PCOS are slowly but surely becoming more understood.

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Read on to discover what some of these are, and learn how taking a more holistic approach can help make the pain and cramps associated with PCOS a little more tolerable

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Add Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are extremely important for everyone who suffers from cramps. Just imagine, less than 16% of people are getting the number of fruits and vegetables they need for basic health, and less than 14% get the recommended amount of fruit. You may be wondering how does this relate to my period. The answer is quite simple. Fruits and veggies contain phytonutrients. They help us protect our bodies from environmental toxins, and prevent and reduce inflammation. What should you add to your meals immediately? Dark leafy greens, onions and garlic, yellow and orange vegetables . These will support natural detoxification, reduce inflammation, and help clear excess estrogen from our systems.

Uterine Fibroids: A Monthly Period Nightmare For Some

5 Ways to Deal with Menstrual Cramps

As many as three out of four women will develop uterine fibroids, but most will not experience any symptoms. Fibroids range in size from microscopic to large enough to distort the shape of the uterus.

Uterine fibroids can turn monthly menses into a monthly nightmare by increasing not only the amount of bleeding, but the severity of period pain, says Lauren Streicher, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, and the author of Love Sex Again. The reason behind the pain is that the uterus during the period must contract to expel the large blood clots that often result from heavy bleeding,â says Dr. Streicher. Fortunately, fibroids do not put women at increased risk of uterine cancer and very rarely become cancerous.

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Ibuprofen Is No Longer Helping

Dr. Levine says if ibuprofen is no longer helping your period cramps feel better, thats another sign to talk to your doctor. We may need to evaluate you to see if there are secondary causes of the cramps. Or we might need to talk about other methods to help control your period cramps.

Hormonal birth control containing both estrogen and progesterone is a common remedy for severe period cramps. This takes the form of birth control pills, a patch or a ring. The way that estrogen works, it tends to prevent the endometrial thickening and shedding that can lead to the pain associated with periods, Dr. Levine explains.If youre dealing with serious period cramps, doctors might not diagnose you with something right away. Instead, theyll do a full examination to see whats going on and see what other symptoms youre having. For example, one major symptom of endometriosis is severe pain.

However, period cramps themselves are not necessarily a sign of endometriosis, says Dr. Levine. Thats why its important for us to do a full workup before we actually diagnose you with anything specifically.

She also adds that doctors might not start you on birth control right away. We might wait a few months to see, Was it just this month that things were really bad? Or is this a constant?

How To Recognise Severe Period Pain

Women who suffer from severe period pain often find that it impacts dramatically on their daily lives, causing them to miss work, school or social events. Sever period pain can be recognised as a stabbing, shooting, searing, pulsing pain which often lasts longer than the one or two days expected with period pain.

Severe period pain can often induce other physical reactions such as vomiting or fainting and can be accompanied by other symptoms such as severe fatigue. It cant be quelled using regular pain relief methods and is usually caused by an underlying condition such as endometriosis or PCOS.

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Relief For Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms

Curcumin, a natural chemical in turmeric, may help with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome . A 2015 study looked at 70 women who took two capsules of curcumin for 7 days before their period and 3 days after. Participants reported significant reduction in PMS symptoms.

If you want to give curcumin a try, check out this recipe for turmeric tea by In Jennies Kitchen. Curcumin supplements are also available online.

Plan Your Work Schedule Around Your Cramps If Possible

7 Ways To Stop Menstrual Cramps

The first tip in maintaining a sense of control over your work lifeinstead of feeling as though your periods are controlling youis to track your period, says Ann Roberts, chief people officer at Flo. “Tracking your internal changes throughout the different stages of the menstrual cycle is empowering,” she says. Keeping up with your cycle can help you determine when you’re going to experience cramps, and help you plan ahead at work so you can take some time off or reserve for low-lift tasks. To do that, however, it’s important to know the four stages of your cycle.

Follicular stage

The first is the follicular stage, which Roberts says is the time to be most productive during the menstrual cycle because progesterone hormone levels are low, which has a sedative effect on the body. The lack of progesterone may make you feel more energized to complete in-depth tasks.

Ovulatory phaseand luteal phase

Next is the ovulatory phase,followed by the luteal phase, which is a time where you’ll begin to experience PMS symptoms due to an increase in progesterone. These hormone fluctuations might make you more introverted and reflective, making it a good time to complete detail-oriented tasks.

Menstruation

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Foods For Period Cramps

A well-balanced diet can help protect your body and reduce painful cramps. Eating the right vitamins and minerals will help boost your bodys natural defences and combat any painful period cramping. There are plenty of foods out there that can help fight off your period cramps. Now, we know youre hungry thanks to PMS. Here are a few foods that can help alleviate your cramps and get rid of period pain.

GingerThis ancient root is known for lessening inflammation and pain, making it the perfect fighter against your toughest cramps. Ginger is also known to relieve nausea, a common side effect to cramps. The best part? Its versatile! Ginger can be added to almost any meal and can be enjoyed in tea, soup, or on its own.

SalmonThis might seem fishy, but an oily fish like salmon is packed with omega-3, a known anti-inflammatory fat. Not only will it lessen the pain of your cramps, but omega-3s are also known to reduce anxiety and depression, can fight off heart disease and increase your eye health! No brainer, right?

Steak or LentilsYou can lose anywhere from around four tablespoons to a cup of blood on your period, which means youre also losing a ton of iron. Loss of iron can not only make you extra sleepy, but can also make your period cramps worse. Load up on foods high in iron like steak to ward off these symptoms. Not a meat eater? Not a problem look legumes like lentils or dark leafy greens like spinach or kale to replenish those iron levels.

How To Deal With Period Cramps And Pain

Below weve included a list of tips on how to deal with period pain. Every womans experience is unique, so its okay if what works for you might not be the same thing that works for your friend, sister, or cousin. Do whats best for you, and relief will soon follow.

    Exercise regularly

  • Physical activity helps relieve period pain for some women.xi Feel free to take it easy and avoid overexerting yourself. A bike ride, afternoon walk, or relaxing yoga session might be enough to start easing your period pain.
  • Take a bath

  • Heat helps improve blood flow, which might help alleviate period pain. If your period is taking a toll on your mood as well, consider treating yourself to a bubble bath with music, tea, and a good book to help you feel better.
  • Use a heating pad

  • Similar to a bath, a heating pad can use heat to help improve blood flow and provide pain relief. Simply place the heating pad over the area where youre experiencing pain. No heating pad? A hot water bottle can help get the job done too.
  • Rest

  • If youre experiencing period pain, try laying down and elevating your legs on a pillow, or lie on your side and bring your knees up to your chest. These positions may help relieve any pain and pressure.xiii Its also a good way to help manage period fatigue.
  • Try an OTC Pain Reliever like Advil® Liqui-Gels®,or Advil® Extra Strength Liqui-Gels®. Painkillers are an effective way to help alleviate period cramps and pain.xiv

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What Causes Cramps With No Period

Lots of women get pelvic pain and cramping, but your period isnât always to blame. Cysts, constipation, pregnancyâ even cancerâ can make it feel like your monthly visitor is about to stop by.

It can be tough to tell whether having cramps without a period is caused by something simple or more serious. But there are common reasons for cramping without your period.

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Things That May Help With Period Cramps

5 Ways to Deal with Menstrual 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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