Try these methods against menstrual cramps!

In our article below, we provide more insight into the symptoms of menstruation, as well as the possible causes of menstrual cramps. The hormones active during the 21-35 day cycle change many things in the functioning of the body; skin becomes problematic, sleepless nights, breast pain, mood swings, but heavy or weak bleeding is also a function of hormones. Basically, spasmodic, lower abdominal pain is caused by the contractions of the uterine muscles, which serve to separate and clear the endometrium, but many people also experience great pain before the first days of the cycle, during PMS (premenstrual syndrome) . In fact, there are as many types of periods as there are women.

Although menstrual pain affects a significant number of women, it is important to know that unbearable symptoms that make it difficult to carry out everyday life and everyday tasks can no longer be called normal – you can do something about them, we will help you! In our article, we have collected possible remedies for menstrual cramps that you can use to make difficult days easier in a natural way . However, it happens that due to the severity of the symptoms, it is essential to consult a specialist – you can read about this at the end of the article.

Stages of the female cycle

Menstruation: what exactly does it mean? At what age does it apply, how long does it last? What does it depend on?

Unlike men’s, the female body works cyclically, and this cycle consists of four parts, the first of which is menstruation itself. The first menstruation typically begins in adolescence, around the age of 10-15, and accompanies women until menopause.

How long does menstruation last? What factors can affect this duration?

In case of healthy functioning, the menstrual cycle spans 21-35 days, of which menstruation is usually 3-7 days. This can be influenced by the general state of the body, the emotional state, sudden physical or mental stress, or the disruption of hormonal balance.

What stages does a woman’s cycle consist of?

  • The first day of the cycle is the first day of menstruation. During bleeding lasting 3-7 days, the mature but unfertilized egg and the thickened endometrium are expelled from the body through the vagina.
  • The follicular phase lasts from the first day of menstruation until ovulation. During this, a follicle grows in the ovary, in which an egg matures. Depending on the length of the cycle, it lasts from 11 to 27 days, with an average of 16 days.
  • During ovulation, the follicle ruptures, which leads to the release of the egg. Ovulation is approx. It occurs 14 days before the next bleeding (so exactly on the 14th day in the case of a 28-day cycle). The ovum lives for 12-24 hours, but not only the day of ovulation, but also the 5 days before it are fertile days.
  • The last phase before menstruation is the luteal phase, during which the body prepares itself for the next period. Its length varies, usually 13-14 days.

What emotional and hormonal changes take place in the body during the female cycle?

Due to the high level of the estrogen hormone during ovulation, you may feel like you are bursting with energy and capable of anything. High progesterone levels make us want sweets. From an emotional point of view, the period before menstruation can be considered the most stormy, which is called PMS, which is nothing more than the set of symptoms before menstruation. In this case, the estrogen level decreases and the progesterone level increases, which together leads to anxiety, mood swings, and pain in the lower abdomen, breasts, and waist area.

These problems can occur during menstruation

Menstruation is unique for every woman, but there are general symptoms that almost all of us encounter during difficult days.

Symptoms may include:

  • Abdominal pain, cramps
  • Sensitive breast
  • Bloating
  • Irritability
  • Headache
  • Fatigue

When do we talk about a menstrual problem?

The previously listed symptoms are to some extent normal part of the cycle. All women and girls experience these to a different extent; some experience all of them every month, others do not experience any particular complaints during menstruation.

There is a good chance that there is some kind of health problem in the background if you experience such severe pain that you are unable to focus or move. In this case, it is worth consulting a gynecologist. Likewise, if menstrual pain persists for several days and only goes away under the influence of strong medication, a serious illness may also be lurking in the background. The same is the case with irregular, too heavy or too infrequent periods, as well as prolonged or missed periods for more than three months.

What menstrual problems can occur?

  • Heavy bleeding
  • Pains
  • Strong cramps
  • Change in the duration of menstruation (shorter or longer than average, absences of several months, etc.)
  • Intermittent bleeding

The most common reasons behind menstrual problems are:

As we wrote before, not only illness can be the cause of painful menstruation, there is a good chance that the following problems can be remedied relatively easily.

  • Insulin resistance / polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Diabetes
  • Vitamin D deficiency
  • Thyroid disorder
  • Estrogen dominance
  • Stressful lifestyle
  • Taking medicines
  • Eating disorder, pathological thinness
  • Taking birth control pills
  • Vigorous physical activity

6 methods against menstrual cramps

How common is this problem among women? Who is particularly affected?

Menstruation with painful cramps is not a rare phenomenon: a quarter of women have to deal with extremely strong cramps month after month. Every tenth woman experiences such severe pain during her period that it interferes with her daily activities. The problem often affects girls who have reached puberty, and is more likely to occur in women who have not given birth to children. After giving birth, complaints are often reported to have eased or even completely disappeared.

What types of convulsions are distinguished based on the strength of the convulsions?

  • Mild : mild abdominal pain lasting a few hours around the pelvis is classified as the least dangerous category
  • Moderate : this category includes severe pain that lasts for more than a day
  • Severe : the last and most serious category includes those painful cramps that don’t go away after 1-2 days, which appear before menstruation and are often accompanied by headache, nausea, vomiting

What can cause cramps?

The main cause of cramps is the prostaglandin produced in the uterine lining before bleeding, which helps the uterus contract and the lining of the uterus fall off. The higher the prostaglandin level in a person’s body, the stronger their cramps. At the same time, it’s important to point out that there can be many underlying reasons for abnormally painful menstruation , so you don’t have to immediately think the worst, but it’s always worth listening to your body’s signals. In the majority of cases, painful menstruation is not caused by a disease or a change to be treated. Below we have listed the most typical reasons, most of which can be eliminated with very small lifestyle changes:

  • At puberty
  • Greater amount of prostaglandin compounds
  • Uterine underdevelopment
  • Lack of movement
  • Psychological reasons
  • Stress

How can cramps be treated?

An important starting point for dealing with strong cramps is to know their cause. If one of the previously listed reasons persists in your life, we have good news, because if the cramps are not caused by an underlying disease, there are many practices available to reduce the pain. Below you can read about the natural methods and practices you can use to fight menstrual pain:

  • Lifestyle changes: We often don’t think that we can achieve beneficial changes in our body with minimal attention. However, for this it is important to know the limits and needs of your body and treat your problems accordingly.
  • Stress management: Take time to relax, do breathing exercises, maybe take a nice warm bath and don’t forget to get enough restful quality and quantity of sleep at night. A word like a hundred, rest as it suits you best!
  • Proper diet: Try to drink plenty of fluids and fiber-rich foods. Reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption can also help reduce symptoms. In addition, it is recommended to avoid dairy products and red meat on the days of menstruation, as they greatly stimulate the production of prostaglandin responsible for cramps.
  • Exercise – Regular exercise reduces the intensity of menstrual symptoms and is also an effective way to deal with the previously mentioned stress. Even the smallest amount of regular exercise can do a lot for your own health and that of your cycle. You can easily incorporate the following forms of exercise into your everyday life, but of course any kind of exercise can be effective if you do it regularly:
  • Intimate gymnastics
  • Yoga
  • Easy movement outdoors

Medicinal teas

  • Yarrow tail
  • Lemongrass
  • Chamomile
  • Meadow ragwort
  • Shepherd’s bag
  • Forest raspberry leaf
  • Friend shrub

Tip: In the Netamin webshop, you can find friendly shrub preparations in various packages , which you can incorporate into your everyday life as needed!

Taking vitamins

  • Vitamin B6 – in research, it effectively alleviated the symptoms of PMS, when taking 50-100 mg per day
  • Magnesium – in addition to its antispasmodic and calming effects, it can also play a role in the treatment of migraines and mood swings (200-400 mg per day is recommended)
  • Vitamin E – has an important role in the regulation of prostaglandin hormones (300 mg per day is recommended)
  • Calcium – the body’s calcium level decreases in the week before menstruation, which can lead to irritability and depression, so it is important to supplement it in the amount of 500-1000 mg per day
  • Zinc – 10-20 mg per day mainly helps to control the unpleasant side effects of the hormonal system, such as acne, the appearance of pimples on the skin
  • Antispasmodics, pain relievers – if you don’t want to take drugs, turmeric, ginger and peppermint can be excellent natural alternatives
  • Local heating – the relaxing and pain-relieving effect of heat can also be used against menstrual cramps. Keeping the lower abdomen warm – with a hot water bottle, a compress with a heating pad, or products specifically made for this purpose – can bring real relief on difficult days.

Of course, the tips and remedies listed have different effects on everyone, so you have to find out which one works best for you. However, it can be said for sure that by switching to a healthier lifestyle, you can only do good for your body.

When is it advisable to see a doctor?

As we wrote before, there is a point after which it is worth contacting a specialist, because there may be an underlying disease.

What symptoms should you see a doctor for?

  • menstrual pain that is stronger than normal and interferes with basic living
    • painful intercourse
    • persistent exhaustion, fatigue
    • fever during menstruation
    • unusual amount of bleeding
    • intermediate bleeding between normal, monthly bleeding
    • pain in the period between two bleedings

What problems can be behind the spasms?

In contrast to the cramps that can be eliminated by the previously mentioned practices and lifestyle changes (primary dysmenorrhea), the other group of painful menstruation is made up of those cases in which there is some detectable disease in the background (secondary dysmenorrhea). These can also be the diseases listed below:

  • Endometriosis
  • Fibroids
  • Ovarian cyst
  • Pelvic inflammation
  • Cervical stenosis Etc.

What tests can be carried out?

  • The first point of the examination is the description of the antecedents and complaints , during which the patient describes his symptoms, the onset of pain, and the general course of menstruation. Often, a directional diagnosis is already born at this point, which is further investigated.
  • During the traditional gynecological examination, possible inflammatory origin can be easily diagnosed, but endometriosis diseases are also associated with palpable deviations in 40%.
  • Vaginal ultrasound examination is excellent for diagnosing many diseases, such as fibroids, uterine malformations, certain diseases of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, adenomyosis and endometriosis.
  • A less frequently used test in the investigation of painful menstruation is the laboratory test (blood sampling). It can primarily help detect inflammatory diseases, but the results are often misleading.
  • The procedure of laparoscopy or laparoscopy is used to diagnose endometriosis, typically when it is suspected during the basic tests, or when previous drug treatment proves to be ineffective.
  • In the case of irregular menstruation and lower abdominal pain, ectopic pregnancy is suspected. This can be ruled out by taking a simple pregnancy test .

The most important thing is to always listen to your body and its signals, and try to adapt your daily routine to them. In the case of painful menstruation, you don’t always have to think the worst, since, as we explained, in most cases, there is no underlying chronic disease.

However, knowing the source of the problem is essential for its treatment. If you find yourself facing a problem that you can fix yourself, try to be as consistent as possible and introduce sustainable changes into your everyday life that you can easily follow. Your body will thank you for it. At the same time, if the problem is bigger than you can solve on your own, be sure to consult a specialist so that you don’t have to live in the shadow of pain and be yourself again.