9 tips to relieve menstrual cramps

If you suffer from menstrual cramps you probably dread that time of the month. How can you enjoy life when you’re in pain for several days? These 9 tips may help to relieve you from cramping.

Compared to our ancestral grandmothers, who spent most of their reproductive years pregnant or breastfeeding, we have about three times as many menstrual periods.

The reality is that we don't need to menstruate. In fact, the manufacturers of birth control pills originally included one week of placebo pills mainly because they thought that women would find it "reassuring" to have their periods.

We can now choose continuous birth control that prevents periods — and cramps.

Hormonal changes during your menstrual cycle trigger the production of hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins that make the uterus contract, causing cramps.

You could also have bad cramps if you have endometriosis, a condition in which the tissue that lines the uterus grows outside the organ.

Lower-abdominal pain during your periods.

Stay on the pill. If you're not trying to get pregnant, starting on oral contraceptives is the most effective way to prevent menstrual cramps.
If you want to avoid your period and cramps altogether, talk to your doctor about continuous oral contraception, in which you use the pill for up to a year without a break, or extended oral contraception, in which you use the pill for three months at a time, then have a period.

Start taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or naproxen, following the label directions, one to two days before your period is due.

Seventy-two percent of women who followed this approach experienced significant pain relief compared to women taking a placebo. Continue for the first two or three days of your period.

These pain relievers prevent your body from making cramp-causing prostaglandins.

Researchers asked women with bad cramps to follow such a diet (no animal products, fried foods, avocados, olives or nuts, but plenty of grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits) for two menstrual cycles, then eat their regular diet for two cycles and take a placebo pill.
During the vegetarian diet phase, the duration and intensity of the women's menstrual pain dropped by about a third and they lost weight. The diet probably triggers beneficial changes in the metabolism of estrogen or cuts down on the production of prostaglandins.

Fatty fish like mackerel and salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help ease menstrual cramps. Women found that those with the lowest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their diets had the greatest amount of menstrual pain.

It’s important for you to note that regular long-term use of vitamin E supplements may slightly increase the risk of early death. But some research suggests that taking it just before and just after your period begins can bring significant relief from cramps.

Ask a jogger in your office about her menstrual cramps. Chances are, she just doesn't have them. Women who exercise regularly — regardless of what kind of activity they do — are less likely to have pain during their periods.

You don’t need to rely on painkillers to reduce the discomfort of menstrual cramping. While they can help, try these 9 tips in order to b able to face that time of the month with a smile on your face.