Painful Periods getting you down?

Don’t worry, we have you covered, here are the reasons behind painful periods, the

symptoms that you may experience and a few remedies you can try to ease discomfort.

What Is Dysmenorrhea?

Painful periods, also known as Dysmenorrhea are extremely common with around 84% of women experiencing them. Now, for years it has been hushed away and women were often

told to ‘get on with it’. However, a recent survey has revealed 1 in 7 women will report

missing work due to period discomfort. Therefore, it is not something to be hushed!

Before we get started, there are two types of dysmenorrhea:

1. Primary dysmenorrhea

This is due to no exact cause. It is usually thought to be brought on by a release of a hormone – prostaglandins.

2. Secondary dysmenorrhea

As you guessed it, it is secondary to another cause. This could be endometriosis, polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS), adenomyosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease and many more.

Now we’ve covered the cause of dysmenorrhea, what may you experience?

Well first of is lower abdominal pain, unfortunately this can be also felt in the lower back,

hips, and thighs. In addition, this pain may be exacerbated on activities such as going to the

toilet or during intercourse. Some women report nausea and vomiting, fatigue, heavy

menses, constipation or diarrhoea, bloating, loss of appetite and mood disturbances. Now

this may sound like your average period, right? Well, it only becomes a problem if it

prevents you from doing activates such as school, work, or social events. Whenever this is

the case, it is important to get in touch with your GP.

You might be wondering, who is likely to experience dysmenorrhea? Multiple teams of

researchers over the years have confirmed starting your menstrual cycle early, family history

of dysmenorrhea, having no children, stress, and heavy bleeding. There are inconclusive

reports that dietary habits, obesity, depression, and abuse may also lead to dysmenorrhea.

So, what are your options?

You could speak to your GP about your concerns – and this is very important to do so.

However, in the meantime, you could try the following:

- Supplementation: vitamin E, thiamine (Vitamin B1), magnesium and omega 3.

- Exercise: brisk walking and swimming have been known to relieve symptoms.

- Osteopathy: there have been multiple reports in the way your spine curves influence

the severity of pain, so visiting an osteopath can help correct those dysfunctions to

relieve pain.

- Heat: the signals of temperature change reach the brain faster than pain, placing a

hot water bottle on your abdomen may help to reduce cramping severity.

- Herbs: adding ginger to your diet can be very useful for menstrual cramping.

- Avoid: spicy foods, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.

If you are interested in Women's Health visit our other blog posts! Or visit Maddie to understand your symptoms!

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