10 Simple Solutions to Reduce Period Pain Each month, an orderly regiment of hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, FSH and LH work tirelessly to induce pregnancy or periods and therefore, keep your reproductive system in top shape. It’s not an easy job! But remember that your body is not a machine, so everything you eat, drink, think, and do, affects it. That means, your diet and lifestyle have a huge impact on your menstrual cycle – both in good and bad ways.
Every woman of reproductive age will have period pain each month- but in varied intensity. Some women feel it like an ant bite, while some others would swear that they were in labour.
Why do period cramps happen? Through your menstrual cycle, your uterus will prepare itself each month to carry a baby. When the egg remains unfertilised, the uterus will have to shed the lining to prepare a fresh one next month. Cramps happen because during your period, the uterus contracts to help shed its inner lining completely. Hormones like prostaglandins play a major role in inducing these cramps. Sometimes, an excess of these chemicals may cause acute pain and discomfort, also called dysmenorrhea.
There are 2 types of dysmenorrhea: 1. Primary: Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as cramping pain in the lower abdomen occurring just before or during menstruation, in the absence of other diseases. 2. Secondary: Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain that is caused by a disorder in the woman's reproductive organs, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, or infection.