The menstrual cycle is a very big part of every lady’s life.
Our cycle comes with certain symptoms, pain or uneasiness known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), MP (Menstrual pain) or menstrual cramps.
Ladies, it’s no rocket science, it’s just you, feeling your uterus contract to shed its lining.
This pain comes at different times, depending on the individual.
For some, it comes days before, (PMS) informing them of the arrival of the cycle. While for others, it may come during or even after.
It could be devastating and although it differs from girl to girl, it’s usually not too nice on anyone. Some ladies don’t feel cramps too much because the pain is quite mild on them and they can manage or ignore it. While others can not.
Years ago, I read about a lady whose cramps were so bad that she’d miss exams due to pain. She’d stay at a spot and any slight movement could cause her serious pain. I also had a roommate who groans all through her menstrual days.
Certain things also accompany menstrual pain, like Abdominal bloating, Headache (including migraine), Irritability, Pains, especially backache, Depression, Feeling generally emotional or troubled, Insomnia, Lack of concentration, Breast tenderness or swelling, Slight weight gain, Binge eating, restlessness, cravings and so on.
The pain could be very severe, So you may not get the best of a lady during her cycle, depending on how hard it is on her. In all of these, there are still ways to alleviate the pain. (These are just alleviation methods so if pain persists, see a physician or gynecologist).
I’ve brought out 5 simple ways..
5 Ways To Mitigate Menstrual Cramps
- Exercise; Exercise is generally very good for the body to shed excess fat and to keep fit. During menstruation however, it helps even more in that it loosens up your muscles and eases the pain. So a jog down the road, a fast walk in the early hours of the morning, riding a bicycle, doing stretches and aerobics go a long way in mitigating pain and keeping you healthy during your period. A warm bath afterwards is also very important. (Warms baths should be taken regularly during periods).
- Eat healthy; Less fats, sweets and Carbs, more Vegetables and fruits. “A low-fat diet actually decreases overall levels of inflammation in the body,” says Aldo Palmieri MD , an ob/gyn at UCLA Health and professor of ob/gyn at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles. A low-fat, vegetarian diet not only helps your health generally, says Dr. Palmieri, but it can have an indirect yet noticeable effect on menstrual cramps, too.
- Rub your lower tummy; Using certain aromatic essential oils and massage can also relieve menstrual cramp pain, according to a study published in May 2012 in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research. You can also use a bottle of warm water. Self massaging helps relax the muscles.
- Eat chocolate; Yes eat chocolate. But note. “CHOCOLATE” not “CHOCOLATES” The last thing you need is excess glucose. A bar of chocolate won’t hurt. Dark chocolate to be precise because it contains caffeine, ion, magnesium and potassium and helps to reduce stress, boost mood, reduce pain, improve skin, reduce muscle cramps and relieve aching muscles.
- Pop a Safe Painkiller; I made this the last because not everyone is comfortable with taking pain killers. So if the above methods helped, this can be ignored but moderate use of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, can help.
Bonus: Rest and sleep well.
When the pain is so severe that it interferes with normal activity, it is called dysmenorrhea and requires medication.
Do you get PMS or menstrual cramps and what do you do to reduce the pain. Leave comments and thanks for reading! ❤
