Some of the most common causes of painful periods are:. Also known as premenstrual syndrome, PMS affects 90 percent of menstruating women. PMS starts a few days before your period begins and continues into the first day or two of menstruation. Doctors think PMS is caused by estrogen and progesterone levels dipping before the beginning of each period.
PMS has many symptoms including fatigue, irritability and menstrual cramps. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a more severe form of PMS that affects about five percent of menstruating women.
Uterine fibroids are benign growths that may develop in the uterine lining. They usually appear during childbearing years and often shrink or go away completely after menopause.
These include age, African American ancestry, having a family history of fibroids and being overweight. Since fibroids grow in the uterine lining, they can cause heavy periods and painful menstrual cramps. A cyst is a usually harmless sac of fluid that forms in or on your body. Ovarian cysts develop in the ovaries, typically during ovulation. Many women develop at least one small cyst every month that naturally fades.
However, some women have multiple or large ovarian cysts which can cause pain or complications. In these cases, medical treatment might be needed to manage the cysts. Ovarian cysts can also be caused by polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS. This is a condition where a hormone imbalance causes many small, harmless cysts to grow in the ovaries. This can cause painful periods, difficulty getting pregnant, insulin resistance and other health concerns.
Symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, excess hair on the face and body, weight gain, difficulty losing weight, acne and thinning hair on the head.
A doctor can prescribe treatments that help manage PCOS symptoms. When the uterus and ovaries become infected, this is called pelvic inflammatory disease PID. The infection usually begins when bacteria from a sexually transmitted infection STI makes its way to the reproductive organs. PID can also occur following a surgical procedure. While many women experience no symptoms of PID, for some it can cause painful cramps.
The uterine lining, also known as the endometrium, grows inside the uterus. But if you have endometriosis, your endometrium grows outside the uterus, usually in other parts of your reproductive organs like the ovaries or fallopian tubes. When your body tries to shed uterine tissue during your period, the endometrium growing outside the uterus has nowhere to go. It can become trapped in the body.
NSAIDs are also used in reducing heavy bleeding Some people may choose to use hormonal contraceptives, such as the pill or the hormonal IUD, to relieve and prevent menstrual cramps.
This reduces or eliminates the associated build-up of prostaglandins, muscle contractions and cramps Transcutaneous nerve stimulation TENS is an approved treatment for menstrual cramps. TENS can also be combined with other methods, like heat and medication. As more is learned on the relationship between inflammation and period cramps, we may see recommendations for cramp-prevention diets.
So far though, the data on this is limited but promising, and there are no formal clinical recommendations. One clinical trial of 33 women with menstrual pain found that women had less menstrual pain when they followed a low fat-vegetarian diet than when they were taking a placebo dietary supplement pill A survey of students found that those who reported consuming servings of dairy had less menstrual pain than those consumed no dairy at all. This is possibly due to the intake of calcium, and maybe also vitamin D, but more research is needed—a trial on vitamin D found that very high doses were required to make a difference, which some but not all practitioners would consider unsafe Deficiency in magnesium, which is associated with anxiety and stress, has also been linked to more intense menstrual cramps Check with a nutritionally-trained practitioner before taking a supplement—like any medicine, they can have side effects and interfere with levels of other nutrients in the body.
Here are the top-evidenced supplements for period pain:. Ginger, it seems, may be as effective as common painkillers. Two systematic reviews of ginger for menstrual pain found that the root was likely more effective than a placebo for reducing pain 23, Clinical trials of more than students with moderate to severe period pain found that pain was similarly reduced in students taking ginger, as students taking the NSAIDs Ibuprofen or mefenamic acid 25, One ginger group took mg capsules of zintoma ginger extract, from the start of their periods, and then every 6 hours, until their pain was relieved.
Magnesium and magnesium deficiency may play an important role for some people in dysmenorrhea A systematic review that included three studies on magnesium found that it was effective in lessening menstrual pain better than a placebo and may be helpful in limiting the need for pain medication Magnesium carries few side effects, but can cause loose stools, so you may need to ease into it. The three studies used different doses of magnesium, so you may want to talk to a practitioner to get a recommendation—our collaborator Lara Briden recommends starting with mg taken daily.
Zinc supplementation may be effective for a similar reason as magnesium, but more research is needed In a randomized control trial of women, the duration and severity of period cramps was significantly improved in those taking zinc, compared to those taking a placebo Vitamin B1 has been shown to be effective in reducing period pain.
One large trial found that people taking mg daily had less menstrual pain than those taking a placebo Results thus far are promising, or mixed. Stress relief may help ease period cramps in some people. Preliminary research has found that people with high levels of stress are more than twice as likely to report having painful menstruation Stress during the follicular phase the first part of the cycle may be more likely to lead to painful menstruation than stress in the luteal cycle the second part of the cycle, after ovulation People who smoke have an increased risk of experiencing painful menstrual cramps The risk increases with time, as someone continues smoking.
Second-hand smoke has also been shown to increase menstrual cramps Exercise can likely help in easing cramps, at least in part by increasing blood flow to the abdomen.
A recent meta-analysis of 11 trials found that exercise, including aerobic exercise, stretching, and yoga, is likely to help decrease the intensity of menstrual pain, and may also shorten its duration Some are more likely to get them, such as girls who: are younger when their periods start have longer periods or heavier blood flow have female relatives who had or have period cramps smoke What Can I Do for Cramps? If cramps bother you, you can: Take a pain reliever.
Talk to your mom or dad or your doctor about which medicine is best for you. They can help you figure out how much to take and how often. Being physically active can ease cramps, probably because exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the body that make you feel good. Get warm.
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