One of the peculiarities of a woman is her menstrual cycle. About 8 women in every 10 women experience menstrual cramps.  As a lady, you don’t get to choose if you want to have menstrual cramps or not, it comes with the monthly menstrual cycle. In some cases, menstrual cramps are mild at times they are severe. Today we will be going through ways of getting relief from menstrual cramps.
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What are Menstrual Cramps
Menstrual cramps often become manifested a few days to or during a menstrual period. It is also called Menstrual pain and in medical terms, it is called Dysmenorrhea. Menstrual cramps are sometimes caused by underlying diseases such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease(PID)
The way to get relief from menstrual cramps, in this case, is by treating the cause which is the underlying disease.
Symptoms Of Menstrual Cramps
Virtually every ailment a human can have has symptoms and menstrual cramps also have symptoms.
There are some general symptoms like
- Pain in the lower abdomen.
- Continuous Headache.
- Pain in the lower back and thighs.
- The pain starts between 1 to 3 days before your period.
Some women also get some specific symptoms like:
- Loose Stools
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Upset Stomach
- Vomiting
Ways to get relief from menstrual cramps
Heat
A lot of women today bank on using heat to get relief from menstrual cramps. You should also try this method. Make your stomach warm by using maybe a blanket or pillow to rub or cover your stomach. You could also prepare a cup of tea(make sure caffeine is absent) and drink it to make your stomach warm.
Exercise and Yoga
Engaging in exercises and yoga relieves menstrual cramps because they help increase the blood flow to the abdomen. When blood flows in the abdominal region of your stomach, pain is reduced due to flux around the area. Doing exercise also brings about the release of endorphins into your body system, endorphins minimise stress. Some yoga positions are highly recommended for this purpose and they are the Cobra pose, Cow pose, Cat pose and Fish pose. You could also try other yoga positions or check for more on YouTube.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking lots of water is essential to getting relief from menstrual cramps. Drinking water helps blood flow well in your body, In case you are someone who forgets to drink water, have a bottle of water close to you. It is essential to drink water when your menstrual period is approaching. You could also add ginger or turmeric when you want to drink water during this period to ease the tension in your body system. You should also take hydrating goods like cucumber and watermelon.
Take Magnesium-rich foods
Magnesium is a good element that combats stress and anxiety which are very prominent during menstrual cramps. Magnesium relaxes the uterine muscles and this gives you relief from menstrual cramps. You can also try magnesium supplements. Examples of magnesium-rich foods are avocado, banana, spinach, bean, cashew, legumes and yoghurt. You can also find more here
Take Chamomile tea
As mentioned earlier, taking tea when you have menstrual cramps help make your stomach warm. However, some tea does even more than making your stomach warm. An example of that kind of tea is chamomile tea. Chamomile tea is known for its soothing and relaxing effects but it is also a very good tea for getting relief from menstrual cramps. Chamomile tea helps relieve and relax the uterine muscles just the magnesium-rich food. You can substitute chamomile tea for coffee for your early morning drink during your period. Coffee is a vasoconstrictor, it makes the muscles in your abdominal area contract, causing more pain.
Use pain relievers
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are very helpful in getting relief from menstrual cramps. For the sake of clarity, NSAIDs(non-stimulant anti-inflammatory drugs) are the most suitable for this purpose because they do not only reduce the pain, they reduce the prostaglandins produced by your body and reduce its effects. Ibuprofen is a very good NSAID as it is cost-effective.
Change your sleeping position
This is hearsay but is actually worth trying. The fetal sleeping position is said to reduce menstrual cramps, this is probably because it eases the weight on the abdomen or lower back where menstrual pain is usually felt. It does not have scientific backing, but since it is harmless you should give it a try. It might work for you.
When you should see a doctor
Although menstrual cramps are normal but severe pain isn’t normal, the following conditions require you to see a doctor.
- When the menstrual cramps are so painful that you can’t go about your daily activities.
- Started having severe menstrual cramps at or after the age of 25
Menstrual cramps are inevitable for a lady but when it is severe and your self-treatment methods are not working you should visit a doctor.
I strongly recommend the above-stated methods to get relief from menstrual cramps. You should also check if there are no lingering disease or infection in your body that is heightening or could spur menstrual cramps.
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