Home Remedies To Relieve Painful Periods

About Dysmenorrhea

Every month when the uterine lining sheds in the form of periods, many women face slight to severe discomfort. When this discomfort causes excessive cramping, it is known as painful menstruation or Dysmenorrhea in medical terms.

Thus, dysmenorrhea refers to a cyclic pain in lower abdomen , back & thighs during menstruation. The word ‘Dysmenorrhea’ is derived from the Greek words – ‘Dys’ ( difficult ) , ‘Meno’ ( month) & ‘rrhea’ ( flow).

There are two types of dysmenorrhea: Primary dysmenorrhea and Secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary Dysmenorrhoea refers to pain & discomfort experienced during periods in the absence of a pelvic pathology or disease. It usually begins just prior to or with the onset of the menstrual blood flow & subsides in 2-3 days with or without home remedies and /or medications. The pain is caused by a hormone-like chemical substance called Prostaglandins ( mainly PGF2α) that start to rise just a few days before your period and causes the muscles of the uterus to contract. Prostaglandin levels are at the peak on the first day of your period and begin to drop after 2-3 days which eventually reduces the pain.

Secondary Dysmenorrhea is caused due to a pelvic pathology or a disorder in the reproductive organs like endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, PID etc. These conditions usually need to be treated medically. In most cases, the pain may start a few days before the actual period and worsens during the periods. The pain might not completely go away even after the period ends.

Every woman is unique and each one has a different set of problems during her periods. Some may have only mild discomfort during the periods while others may have a whole spectrum of symptoms ranging from pain to nausea, vomiting diarrhoea, and a lot more during those days. Generally speaking, the major symptoms may be summarised as follows
 

• Abdominal pain.
• Weakness.
• Pain in thighs.
• Fainting.
• Headaches.
• Diarrhoea.
• Vomiting.
• Nausea.
• Back pain.
• Dizziness.
• Fatigue.
• Breast pain or tenderness.

Usually, in the absence of any pathological condition or disease, the symptoms may be only mild & may subside spontaneously within a couple of days but sometimes, some women may have moderate to severe symptoms that require treatment of some sort to relieve the pain & discomfort. Ideally, it is best to consult your gynaecologist for advice regarding management of painful periods and if you don’t have any medically pathological condition, you can try a few home remedies to help relieve the discomfort during periods.

Tips to calm your menstrual cramps

1. Heat pads & hot water bath
Heat does wonders when it comes to menstrual cramps. A study in women between 18- 30 years age , revealed that a heat patch at 104 F ( 40 C ) was as effective as Ibuprofen for pain relief during periods .You can take a hot water bag, electric heating pad or simply take a thick towel and heat it in the oven for a few seconds. Use this warm towel or hot water bottle on areas that are cramping. You can repeat this frequently during the day but take care not to use excessively hot towels or heating pads as they may damage/singe the skin. Alternatively, you could also take a warm bath to relieve the pain.

2. Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. You can take ginger capsules or drink ginger tea to reduce the cramping pain. Studies have proven that women who take ginger capsules found significant improvement in pain during their periods. None of them reported any side effects.

3. Fennel seeds
in ancient times, Fennel was used in Mediterranean countries to treat painful periods. It has been shown to relieve the uterine muscle spasm in animal studies & can be used to relieve menstrual cramps. A study in 2012 reported significant pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea with Fennel seed extract consumed 4 times a day. You can either directly consume 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds or you can have it as tea. Just add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds to boiling water. You can either drain the tea using a tea strainer or you can drink it as it is. Add little ginger if you like.

4. Camomile Tea
Camomile is widely known for its nerve relaxing properties. It works very well for period cramps. Camomile has anti-inflammatory properties that restricts prostaglandins and thus relieve pain.

5. Cinnamon 
Cinnamon tablets & powder have been shown to be effective in relieving period pain, vomiting & amount of bleeding to a significant extent as compared to a placebo. You can try taking Cinnamon powder in your tea or other drinks to help relieve the painful periods.

6. Regular Exercise
Regular exercise helps with menstrual cramps as exercising releases endorphins (feel good hormones) in your body. If you are feeling very fatigued during your periods, you can try doing less strenuous exercises like walking , yoga, stretching or slow jogging. It is completely safe to swim, go for a run or dance if you feel like it. Try doing some form of exercise during your periods because it helps greatly with period cramps. Yoga and meditation have proven to be powerful to treat many health ailments. You can do basic asanas that will work your core and spine.

7. Acupressure & Acupuncture
Acupressure is an ancient technique and it has proven benefits for pain relief. Many doctors recommend their patients to try acupressure & acupuncture to relieve the cramping. Ideally, you should meet a therapist who is trained in these techniques to help relieve your pain. They stimulate certain points in your back, abdomen, feet & hands with needles or pressure to ease the pain caused by menstrual cramps.

8. Massage
Massage your abdomen, back, thighs, legs or any other area in your body that is causing pain with an essential oil. It does wonders and calms the muscles. You can use any essential oil of your choice like lavender oil, lemongrass oil, etc.

9. Skip caffeine
Caffeine in any form is going to cause harm. So, avoid coffee, tea, drinks, chocolate, soda, energy drinks, etc. If you have a cup of coffee daily that shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you consume a lot of coffee daily, you need to cut down the intake. You can try fresh fruit or vegetable juices instead of coffee, as they can provide you with more nutrients.

10. Diet changes
Diet is a very essential part of pain management & treating the symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Include curd and other pro-biotics that contain good bacteria in your daily diet. Consume a lot of seasonal fruits, berries, and green leafy vegetables, almonds and calcium rich foods throughout the month . Avoid processed foods, spicy, refined carbs, pasta, breads, fried foods, cookies, sugar and salty foods in the days just before you expect your periods. Essentially avoid smoking, alcohol, caffeine & tobacco in the days just before & during your periods as these substances add to the inflammatory changes in the body that contribute to the pain during periods.

11. Good sleep
While we talk about lifestyle changes, one thing that is most commonly ignored when it comes to a healthy living, is good sleep. Getting good sleep relaxes your body and calms your mind. It is important to get at least 6-8 hours of good sleep everyday . In fact, irregular sleeping patterns can disrupt your menstrual cycle by altering your melatonin levels & also interfering with the reproductive hormonal cycles. Try to establish a sleeping routine which involves switching off your mobile phones/TV/ computers etc at least 1-2 hours prior to bedtime and practise going to sleep at the same time every night. You can try natural methods to induce good sleep like having turmeric milk or milk with a pinch of nutmeg powder, reading a book, taking a warm bath, listening to music, meditation, etc.

12. Calcium 
This mineral can help reduce muscle cramping during menstruation. Calcium is needed for strong bones & ligaments and it also plays an important role in muscular activity & nerve cells response in our body. Thus , it is needed for proper functioning of heart, nerves, muscles & almost all organs in the body.You can consume foods high in calcium like- dairy products, sesame seeds, almonds, leafy green vegetables. You can also take calcium as supplemental tablets, but you must consult your doctor before doing so.

13. Multi Vitamins
Various vitamins & Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the general wellbeing of your body. Vitamin B-1, Zinc, Fish oil containing Omega -3 fatty acids, and Vitamin-D have been demonstrated to be helpful in reducing painful periods. Studies have shown that women who took Vitamin B1 in a dose of 100mg/day with or without fish-oil extract, reported a significant improvement in pain during periods. Vitamin-D reduces the production of prostaglandins and studies have proven it to be effective in reducing the intensity of menstrual cramps when a weekly dose is given for 8 weeks.

14. Drink water
While you try out various remedies to help relieve menstrual cramps, do not forget to tank up your body’s water reserves. Water is essential for your overall wellbeing and dehydration may worsen the cramps & pain during symptoms. Diarrhoea or vomiting may further reduce your water levels & contribute to the dysmenorrhea. Make sure you consume at least 2.5 to 3 litres of water everyday. If you don’t like to drink plain water, you can add a variety of flavours, lemon, mint, orange etc to your water & keep sipping it throughout the day.

15. Over the counter medicines
In spite of trying various methods to ease your period pain, if you still face difficulty, there is no harm in taking over the counter medications for handling your period pain and other symptoms. You can talk to your gynaecologist, who will prescribe you medication for the same.

When should you see your doctor?

You should contact your doctor if the pain consistently prevents you from doing day-to-day activities. If you feel you have tried several home remedies to treat your cramping but nothing seems to work out, you might need medical intervention. In severe cases, it is best to meet with a doctor to diagnose whether the cause of your menstrual pain is a hormonal problem or a serious medical condition.