I’m a doctor – here are six things that can make your period pains worse

Holding on to a hot water bottle every month is something many women struggle with.

However, the severity of menstrual pain can vary greatly.

For some, it is so debilitating that it can affect their daily life, while others feel no pain at all.

Dr. Adiele Hoffman, GP and medical adviser to Flo, the menstrual tracking app, told MailOnline about the things women may not know are making their cramps worse.

An unhealthy diet

Fast food, processed meat and sugary treats can make your period worse, said Dr. hoffman

A 2018 study of 70 college students tested this theory.

Turkish researchers found that those who ate a lot of salty snacks and sweets had more menstrual cramps than those who did not.

“While there is no magic bullet that can magically cure period pain, a healthy diet can make a difference,” said Dr. Hoffmann added.

Experts say research on the direct impact of diet on menstrual cramps is limited.

However, there is some evidence that foods high in omega-6 fatty acids — commonly found in processed foods such as cookies or fast food — which promote inflammation in the body, may affect menstrual pain.

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Instead, eating anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help ease symptoms.

But another study, this time involving 100 female university students in Iran, found that they got relief from their menstrual cramps after undergoing “diet therapy.”

The food they received was high in fiber and vitamins, a few servings of fish a week, and low in fat and salt.

Tension

Stress can make periods more irregular because hormones disrupt the menstrual cycle.

However, research shows that excessive stress can also worsen menstrual cramps.

In a study of 388 garment workers in China, women exposed to high levels of stress during their last menstrual cycle were twice as likely to experience period pain.

And a 2017 Ethiopian study of 400 female students reached the same conclusion.

However, Dr. Hoffman maintains that stress can go both ways.

She said: “Pain can increase your stress levels, while stress can make pain worse.

“That’s why reducing stress in a way that works best for you can help prevent it.”

Other experts have also suggested that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can suppress reproductive hormones, leading to abnormal ovulation.

Smoke

It is common knowledge that smoking is bad for your lungs.

But Dr Hoffman said women may be less aware of the link between smoking and menstrual cramps.

A review of previous studies by researchers in China found that smokers are 1.45 times more likely to develop menstrual cramps.

Experts analyzed 24 studies with 27,091 participants.

And another study from the University of Queensland, which followed 9,067 Australian women for an average of 13 years, also found that women who smoke are ‘significantly more likely’ to suffer from menstrual cramps.

How cigarette smoking may increase menstrual pain is not entirely clear.

However, experts believe the link may be due to smoking, which causes vasoconstriction – a narrowing of blood vessels.

The NHS says: “During your period the uterine wall begins to contract more to shed the uterine lining as part of your period.

“When the uterine wall contracts, it compresses the blood vessels that line your uterus. This temporarily cuts off the blood and oxygen supply to your uterus.

“Without oxygen, the tissues in your uterus release chemicals that cause pain.”

Severely overweight or severely underweight

Maintaining a healthy weight can also help with period pain, Dr. hoffman

Research has shown that you are significantly more likely to experience severe period pain if you are obese or underweight.

Australian doctors studied 9,688 women over the age of 13 and found that when obese women lost weight, their risk of pain decreased.

Dr. Hoffman added, “We don’t know exactly why, but there are a few theories.

“More fatty tissue, for example, can mean higher estrogen levels and more inflammatory chemicals, potentially leading to more bleeding and more menstrual cramps.”

And on the other end of the scale, research also suggests that low body fat in particular can mean lower estrogen levels – which are linked to worse chronic pain.

Some types of birth control

Women who complain of menstrual cramps are often prescribed birth control.

But some types can make symptoms worse.

The copper IUD, an intrauterine device (IUD), can be the cause of increased cramps and heavier periods, especially in the weeks after it is inserted, according to the NHS.

Experts are not yet clear on why the copper IUD makes periods heavier and more painful, but one theory is that its insertion can cause tissue damage and release prostaglandins.

Prostaglandins can cause the uterus to contract more, leading to painful cramps.

However, alternative birth control methods can relieve symptoms, such as: B. the oral contraceptive pill and the intrauterine device Mirena intrauterine system (IUS).

health conditions

Less commonly, conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis or uterine fibroids can cause menstrual cramps.

The most common of the three, endometriosis, is a painful condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

DR Hoffman said that when hormones change and sometimes get stuck, this tissue breaks down and bleeds. When this happens, painful scar tissue can form.

According to the NHS, with adenomyosis, the tissue that normally lines the uterus begins to grow inside the muscular uterine wall.

It can be especially painful when a person’s uterus swells during menstruation and bleeds into the uterine wall.

Fibromas, also called uterine fibroids or leiomyomas, are benign tumors that grow in or around the uterus.

Experts have suggested that they can make your period heavier or more painful because the weight of the fibroid itself presses or rests on the pelvic organs.