periods pain

How Should Period Pain and Cramps Be Handled?

Painful periods often occur once a month for many women. Although the pain usually goes away with time, if it prevents you from going about your day, you can take pain medication.

How Should Period Pain Be Handled?

Menstrual cycle pain is a regular occurrence. Slightly less than half of women report having very painful periods, and roughly another fifth report having severe pain during their menstrual cycle.

Women of all ages can get painful periods, although your chances of experiencing them increase with age. Among women under 25, menstruation pain is reported by 75% of them.
Back pain, mood swings, and cramping are all possible symptoms of period discomfort.

However, precisely what is a period? Which kind of medicine works best for period pain? Does Panadol work well for menstrual pain?

It's crucial to understand that, despite being annoying, period pain is a common occurrence for many women. Nevertheless, period pain might interfere with your daily activities, so learning how to control it is a smart idea.

You can learn about the condition's causes and methods to reduce period pain below.

Which three symptoms are most common with period pain?

For women of childbearing age, painful periods can be an unpleasant reality of life; yet, some claim that these periods end after childbearing, while others never experience them. Everybody is unique.

The following are the top 3 signs of period pain:

1. cramping during menstruation
2. Headaches and/or lower back pain
3. Feeling generally ill and experiencing nausea

What other symptoms should I expect to have my period?

Menstrual symptoms differ from woman to woman.

In addition to period discomfort, you might also have the following symptoms:
  • Depressed mood
  • Back pain
  • Headaches
  • Gastrointestional issues like bloating

Menstrual cramps: what are they?

Lower abdominal pain that throbs or cramps is a common description of menstrual cramps. The majority of cramping happens prior to bleeding, however it may linger for a few days following.

The uterine muscles contract and relax during a menstrual cycle to facilitate the release and evacuation of the accumulated tissue lining that has developed over the previous month. These contractions may go unnoticed by you, or you may experience very slight discomfort. Alternatively, they may hurt like cramping.

Menstrual cramps' primary symptoms include:

  • Abdominal pain that feels like cramps or throbbing
  • dull pains
  • Back pain that is radiate
Usually, the pain lasts for 78 to 24 hours.

Most women can manage the pain successfully with self-care and pain medication, even though it might be bothersome and interfere with daily activities.

Premenstrual syndrome: what is it?

Premenstrual syndrome, which affects most women up to a week before their menstruation, is a collection of emotional and physical symptoms.

Premenstrual syndrome and menstruation pain are not the same thing, although they frequently coexist. A week before your menstrual cycle, premenstrual symptoms may begin. Ninety percent of women say they have symptoms. 

Premenstrual syndrome cannot be tested for, yet it is assumed to be present if you experience any combination of the following symptoms up to one week prior to your period:
  • Tender or swollen breasts
  • Diarrhoea
  • Constipation
  • Bloating
  • Headaches
  • Lower backache
  • Irritability
Unlike menstrual discomfort, the illness is also characterised by a range of psychological symptoms, including:
  • Fatigue
  • Tiredness
  • Sleep problems
  • Anxiety
  • Mood swings
  • Reduced interest in sex
  • Food cravings

What gives rise to menstrual pain?

Depending on the type of period pain, many things might lead to painful menstruation. Period discomfort comes in two varieties: main and secondary.

What does a period mean?

Your uterus (womb) develops a layer of its inner lining every month to get ready to hold a baby. Your body replenishes and destroys down this blood and tissue lining approximately every 28 days if you are not pregnant. The timing varies depending on the individual. This is a typical aspect of your menstrual cycle and is referred to as "a period" or menstruation.

Period cramps may last for one or more days as a result of the uterine contractions (or squeezing) that aid in removing the layer. It is believed that certain women create higher levels of prostaglandins, which are molecules in the body that cause contractions. This causes the womb to squeeze more tightly, which intensifies pain.

Not only might the thighs or lower back hurt from cramps, but also the lower abdomen.

Even though many women have similar experiences, you should see a doctor if you feel extremely severe cramping, unusually excessive bleeding, or pain in between periods.

Period discomfort can be of two types:

Primary period pain

The most prevalent type of pain that isn't brought on by another illness is primary period pain. It occurs when the uterine muscles contract. Menstrual pains are caused by these contractions.

Secondary period pain

Secondary period pain is a late-life symptom that can be brought on by endometriosis or uterine fibroids. The uterine lining of a woman is impacted by endometriosis. It may cause excruciating cramps when you're menstruating.

Does menstrual discomfort occur when there isn't a period?

If you experience pelvic discomfort and cramps but do not get your period, there may be another underlying cause for your symptoms.

If your cramps are particularly strong, unrelated to your menstruation, or persist for more than a few days, you should see a doctor.

What are some ways to lessen menstrual pain?

Hot water bottles and menstrual painkillers are just two of the many methods available to assist ease the discomfort of painful periods, even though there isn't a cure. Discover easy ways to relieve the pain.

Period pain can interfere with daily activities and, depending on the degree, may even require a woman to miss work for a day. After three days, the soreness should usually subside.

You can use over-the-counter period pain relievers like Panadol Extra to ease cramps. Compared to ordinary paracetamol tablets, Panadol Extra's combination of chemicals (paracetamol and caffeine) may offer more effective pain relief.

As an alternative, you might go for medications like ibuprofen or naproxen, which relieve pain and lessen the quantity of prostaglandins in your uterus.

To make yourself feel more at ease during your menstrual cycle, you can also experiment with several home remedy techniques.
  1. Apply a heating pad or hot water bottle to your back or pelvic.
  2. Have a hot bath.
  3. Give your abdomen a massage
  4. Modify your lifestyle to improve your wellbeing and immune system, such as by engaging in frequent exercise.
  5. To unwind, do yoga and mindfulness exercises.
  6. Consume a healthy, balanced diet to improve your immune system.
  7. Steer clear of excessive alcohol, caffeine, or sugar intake.
It's advisable to get emergency medical attention if you observe:
  • A temperature spike
  • severe, persistent discomfort in the pelvic region
  • strange-smelling vaginal secretions