Taking a break with a warm compress on your lower abdomen can often provide some relief from the cramps and pain of menstruation. — dpa
Many women feel their menstrual period coming on a couple of days before bleeding starts.
Symptoms often include cramping pain and a pulling sensation in the lower abdomen, along with feeling bloated.
Sometimes, these symptoms are hardly bearable.
Two gynaecologists offer some insights and tips on how you can find relief.
First of all, women experience menstruation differently.
While some feel only mild discomfort, others are more or less incapacitated for a few days each month, says Dr Jekaterina Vasiljeva, senior physician in the Gynaecology Clinic at Vivantes Am Urban Hospital in Berlin, Germany.
Her patients complain of numerous symptoms that can also vary.
Among them are cramps, back pain, nausea, diarrhoea and heavy bleeding.
Period cramps and pain occur when the muscular wall of the uterus contracts to help it shed its lining.
Hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins promote the contractions, which can cause the uterus to press against nearby blood vessels, temporarily cutting off the oxygen supply to muscle tissue and releasing pain-triggering chemicals.
There are ways to ease the pain, says Dr Vasiljeva, noting that every person must find the ones that work best for them.
They include exercise and sport, which can improve blood circulation in the pelvic region.
Taking magnesium can inhibit muscle contractions in the uterus.
Warm baths or showers, or putting a cherry pit heating pad on your tummy, can help as well.
It’s important that they’re not too hot though, otherwise bleeding may intensify.
Antispasmodic herbal tea blends and gentle, clockwise tummy massages can bring relief too.
Dr Vasiljeva also advises her patients to eat light meals so as not to burden their bowel.
And you should avoid alcohol and nicotine during your period, as they can worsen cramps and pain.
If such measures prove ineffective, pain relievers are another option.
Tablets containing ibuprofen, diclofenac or aspirin cause the body to produce fewer prostaglandins, higher levels of which are associated with stronger menstrual cramps.
The tablets work most reliably when you start taking them two days before the onset of menstrual bleeding, according to gynaecologist Dr Doris Scharrel.
A low dosage is sufficient, she says.
For one in 10 women, their period symptoms are “extremely unpleasant and debilitating,” says Dr Vasiljeva.
For some, strong period pain can be caused by an underlying medical condition, she points out.
Circulatory problems in the lesser pelvic region, for instance, lead to symptoms that are more severe.
The position of the uterus is a factor as well.
If it’s tilted backwards, women may suffer back pain in addition to other symptoms.
Benign growths such as myomas – also called uterine fibroids – are another possible cause, or intensifier, of pain.
They’re non-cancerous tumours, consisting partly of muscle tissue, that may develop in or around the uterus.
Stress, fatigue and lack of sleep can increase period pain too.
So it’s natural when women find their menstrual symptoms to be worse in some months than in others.
In any case, they should take note of any significant changes in their symptoms.
“If pain increases and interferes with everyday activities, you should see a doctor,” advises Dr Vasiljeva.
An examination can determine whether the cause of severe period pain is endometriosis, one of the most frequent disorders of the lower abdomen in women, Dr Scharrel points out.
Endometriosis comes from the word “endometrium”, which is the mucosal lining of the uterus.
It occurs when benign mucosal cells settle and grow outside the uterus, e.g on the ovaries or outer wall of the uterus, or even on the bladder or in the bowels.
The endometrial-like tissue – like the real thing – thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle.
But unlike endometrial tissue, it’s trapped – unable to slough off and exit the body, thus causing the pain. – By Brigitte Mellert/dpa
