What Can You Do To Relieve Period Pain In Your Leg
If you know your thigh pain is related to period cramps, there are a few ways to relieve it. Dr O’Shea writes that taking ibuprofen before you have your period can stop prostaglandins from attaching to the muscle, preventing pain. Other effective period pain relief methods such as the use of a TENS machine, a method of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical current, and heat therapy can lesson the symptoms of period pain in your legs, too.
Shamir Patel, a pharmacist at Chemist 4 U, told Bustle that few alternative period pain relief options might work for thigh pain, too. âPractising yoga, alongside other light exercises can help to relieve the pain naturally,â says Patel. âStretches that focus particularly on the muscles around your pelvis are also a good idea, if you feel comfortable doing them.â
âYou can also relieve thigh pain with heat treatments such as hot water bottles and patches,â adds Patel. âAnd, as with any period-related pain, warm baths can help too.â
However, if period pain starts to negatively affect your daily life, it probably warrants a trip to the doctor. From prescribing contraceptives to advising on appropriate pain-management techniques, your GP will be able to help you with the next steps.
Remember: Take A Test
The most important thing you can do if you feel you may be pregnant is take a pregnancy test. These are inexpensive and widely available. You can even find them sometimes at the dollar stores! There are also community resources available such as Planned Parenthood, where you can get a test for free if you cannot afford to pay.
If you are too shy to buy one yourself, ask a friend to pick one up for you. You can even buy them on Amazon. For your health and your baby’s health, it’s best to know as soon as you can if you are indeed pregnant. Buck up and get one!
When taken properly, home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate. Though some say you can take them up for five days before your missed period, the earlier you test, the more likely you are to get a false negative. If the test is negative and your period still doesnt come, try again.
How To Tell If You’re Pregnant Right Away
The only way to tell if youre pregnant right away is by taking a home pregnancy test according to its instructions. Waiting can be difficult, but you can usually take a test three to four days before a missed period though youre more likely to get a false negative if you test too soon. If its negative, wait a couple more days and test again if Aunt Flo doesnt come to visit.
Be sure to test first thing in the morning, when your urine and the hormone that the test is measuring are most concentrated. If you see a line indicating a pregnancy, youre almost certainly pregnant . Pregnancy tests with false positives are rare.
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A Sprinkle Of Cinnamon
In a study of young women, those who took capsules containing 420 milligrams of cinnamon 3 times a day for the first 3 days of their menstrual cycle had less menstrual bleeding, less pain, and reductions in nausea and frequency of vomiting compared to those who took a placebo. The women didn’t report any side effects associated with taking cinnamon pills. Try a sprinkle of cinnamon on your cereal or cup of hot cocoa. It can’t hurt and it might help your cramps and other period symptoms.
What Is Gas Pain During Your Period
Hormones wreak havoc on a womans system during menses. Progesterone is a hormone that slows down your digestive system, especially during the latter half of your period. Many women begin to bloat a few days before their period even begins.
During this already painful time, gas can build up in your digestive tract and cause you to hurt even more. This is incredibly common: nearly 55% of women report gastrointestinal pain during their period.
There isnt much you can to control the hormonal turmoil within your body, but there are several steps you can take to reduce the extra pain that is caused by gas.
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What Causes Stomach Pain During My Menstrual Cycle
Abdominal pain during the menstrual cycle can have more than one cause. In a normal menstrual cycle a chemical prostiglandin is released in higher levels. This causes contractions of the smooth muscle of the uterine wall and assists in the sloughing to the lining which then becomes the menstrual flow. The prostiglandins can also affect smooth muscle in other parts of the body, including the intestines. The contractions of the intestines are sometimes felt as painful.
Another source of abdominal pain during menses is the brain misinterpreting the source of the pain. The sensory nerves of the abdomen are not highly organized. Pain messages from the uterine cramps that occur during menses may “read” as pain in the abdomen by the brain.
Finally, an abnormal source of abdominal pain during menses may occur if endometriosis is present. Endometrial implants on the intestines grow and then bleed with menstrual flow. The presence of active bleeding in this tissue causes irritation and pain.
Probiotics: Tiny Fighters On Your Side
Rather than take a harsh laxative thatll leave you crampy and running for the toilet, give probiotics a try for constipation relief. These helpful bacteria dont cause disease like their harmful cousins. Instead, they help maintain a healthy balance in your GI tract.
One study found that probiotics like Bifidobacterium lactis keep stool moving smoothly through your digestive tract. And while smooth-moving stool may sound gross, its a great way to prevent backups and blockages. Dimidi E, et al. The effect of probiotics on functional constipation in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.114.089151
Better out than in.
Lactobacillus GG, acidophilus, and bifidobacteria are other strains of bacteria that can give gut health a kick. Probiotics may also be helpful for slowing diarrhea down along with unclogging constipation.
You can buy probiotics in a supplement bottle or find them in fermented foods like these:
- sauerkraut
- kimchi
- pickled ginger
Yogurt with added live cultures will also help restore the balance of good bacteria in your gut.
Frozen yogurt, however, will never be ice cream, no matter how many well-intentioned bacteria it contains. Yes, even if it believes in itself.
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Why Does My Stomach Hurt When I Cough
Lower abdomen pain when coughing is a typical issue that many people experience. Coughing can induce stomach discomfort ranging from a slight or dull aching to intense, severe pain, depending on the underlying reason. You might be asking, Why Does My Stomach Hurt When I Cough? Dont worry well cover all you need to know in this article.
What Can I Do For Cramps
If cramps bother you, you can:
- Take a pain reliever. Talk to your mom or dad or your doctor about which medicine is best for you. They can help you figure out how much to take and how often.
- Exercise! Being physically active can ease cramps, probably because exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the body that make you feel good.
- Get warm. Try placing a warm water bottle, warm heating pad, or warm compress on your belly or take a warm bath.
If these tips dont help, talk to your parent or your doctor about other treatments.
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Filling The Stomach With Air
Eating with the mouth very open, that is, with a big mouth or grunting, causes air to enter the stomach along with the food. Intake of air in the stomach increases the problem of gas production in the stomach and also causes problems in digestion.
Note:-The above mentioned health related information is courtesy of various online and newsletters. The achievement of the above mentioned things also varies according to the physical condition and time of the person. Dont rely on this alone. If you see any further deterioration in your health while using the above, please stop immediately and consult a health worker.
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When To See A Doctor About Butt Pain During Your Period
Butt pain during your period can unfortunately just be run of the mill. But Dr. Greves recommends keeping a diary of the pain to help determine if its really related to your period. It’s also smart to track the severity of your symptoms. If butt pain during your period doesnt get better with painkillers or gets so bad you cant function, see your doctor. Debilitating discomfort around your period is something worth addressing, no matter where it is.
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If Gallstones Get Not Discovered Following Symptoms May Develop:
Pain in the upper abdomen, fast heartbeat, diarrhea, chills, disorientation, yellowing of the skin, nausea or vomiting, backache between your shoulder blades. Movement or coughing might worsen the pain. Gallstones can get treated with surgery. Alternatively, your doctor may prescribe drugs that aid in the breakdown of gallstones.
Why Period Hormones Impact Your Stomach
Estrogen and progesterone are the two hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle, while prostaglandins are a lipid, or fat, compound that actually act like a hormone in the body, said Davis. Like estrogen and progesterone, your level of prostaglandins also fluctuate during your period. She explained there are different types of prostaglandins in the body, and one is specific to the female reproductive system. The amount of reproductive prostaglandins is what fluctuates during your period.
While its not known exactly why the GI tract is sensitive to hormonal changes throughout a womans cycle, it is known that there are sex hormone receptors located along the GI tract, said Davis. So, the presence of sex hormone receptors in the GI tract is the reason why experts think women experience digestive issues during their period. Receptors interact with the hormones, and regulate certain physical responses to the hormones. Davis explained, Progesterone is well known for causing constipation during pregnancy by slowing the motility, or the contraction of muscles, of the GI tract. On the other hand, estrogen tends to enhance GI motility, and can be to blame for diarrhea.
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Care Advice For Menstrual Cramps
Coping With Period Pain
There are a number of simple ways to ease the discomfort.
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Start Hormonal Birth Control
Birth control can stop period pain if cramps are caused by a hormone imbalance. Balancing your levels of estrogen and progesterone helps thin the uterine lining so it sheds more easily. Hormonal birth control also regulates the length and frequency of your period. Some forms of birth control can completely alleviate period cramps by stopping your period altogether. Talk to your OB-GYN about birth control options, including the pill, birth control shot or hormonal IUD. Then, youll be able to choose the type of birth control that works best for you.
If youve tried all the treatments on this list and still have painful periods, or you want to know up front which option will work best for you, talk to your primary care doctor or OB-GYN. At HealthPartners and Park Nicollet, our womens health doctors can prescribe stronger treatments for menstrual cramps. A little help from a doctor might be the best way to stop dreading your periods.
Why Do You Get Period Pain In Your Legs
The reasoning behind why your thighs hurt on your period is actually quite straightforward , and understanding how period pain works is the key to understanding why you feel pain in certain areas of your body. Put simply, the pain arises from contractions within the womb, states the NHS.
If these contractions are mild, you’re unlikely to notice them. But, during your period, these contractions become stronger in order to encourage the lining of the womb to shed. This results in blood vessels being compressed, which, in turn, leads to a lack of blood and oxygen supply to the area. When tissues don’t have oxygen, they release chemicals that cause pain.
âMenstrual pain is mainly related to levels of prostaglandin,â Dr Cynthia Graham PhD, Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health at University of Southampton, tells Bustle. The purpose of prostaglandin is to encourage more shedding, which, as you’ve likely guessed, results in more pain.
âUnfortunately, prostaglandins donât just affect the uterine muscles, but can cause cramps in other muscles too,â Dr Molly O’Shea wrote on the U by Kotex site. This unfortunately results in pain in areas other than your pelvis, such as the back, and legs, and is sometimes called âreferred painâ.
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On The Lookout For Changes
Even though there are a wide array of experiences of period pain, it’s also important to learn what’s normal for you, so you can be on the lookout for any changes.
If you experience a sudden increase in your ‘usual’ levels of period pain, or if you start to get period pain when previously you had none, it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor to rule out anything serious.
For more information on pelvic pain including pain that occurs at times outside of your period read our recent article, Pelvic pain: know the different causes and when to seek help.
Endometriosis: A Common Cause Of Severe Period Pain
Endometriosis is a gynecological condition in which endometrium-like tissue is found outside the uterus on other structures throughout the pelvis, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, pelvic floor, and in more severe cases, the bowel, diaphragm, liver, lungs, and even the brain.
According to Ken R. Sinervo, MD, the medical director of the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta, We dont really know why endometriosis causes menstrual pain may have to do with where is located and how it presents.
Untreated endometriosis can lead to adhesions, chronic inflammation, chocolate cysts , and internal bleeding all of which can prompt excruciating pelvic pain. Endometriosis pain isnt limited to period pain that goes on 24/7, says Dr. Sinvero. Many women also experience backache and other bowel symptoms, not to be confused with IBS, he added.
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When Should You Contact Your Healthcare Provider About Menstrual Cramps
Bad cramps keep some women from working and going to school. You dont have to suffer and you dont have to put your life on hold. Contact your healthcare provider if you have painful periods.
It may be helpful to keep track of your periods and the days on which pain is the worst so you can make a complete report. If you notice other symptoms, like headaches or heavy flows, you should keep track of those, too.
Your provider will probably ask you when you started getting your period, how long they last, if you are sexually active, if other women in your family have problems with their periods and what kinds of treatments you might have tried already.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Menstruation is normal. You might get cramps, but you dont have to suffer silently with them. There are ways to make painful periods less painful. Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider about painful periods.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/20/2020.
References
The Most Common Causes Of Menstruation Cramps Before Period
Besides basic PMS cramping, there are all sorts of reasons you might end up feeling stomach cramps before periods. These conditions can range from reproductive problems to pregnancy. Some of them are quick and easy to treat while others may require more extensive care.
In some cases, the pain in your abdomen might be unrelated to your menstrual cycle. If you have a urinary tract infection or bladder infection, you may be feeling cramp-like pain in your lower abdomen. With UTIs, you tend to also have a fever and pain when urinating. Cramping sensations can also be caused by constipation, stomach flu, and food poisoning. In these cases, your cramping is usually accompanied by strange bowel movements and possibly vomiting.
Another potential cause of stomach cramps before periods is an ovarian cyst. Ovaries grow cyst-like structures every month when releasing an egg. However, the cyst sometimes sticks around after ovulation. It can grow larger and eventually cause pelvic pain and abdominal bloating. Growths can also develop on the uterine wall. Called fibroids, these are associated with cramping, heavy bleeding, and pelvic pain.
You may be able to identify these other conditions just by learning about their symptoms. However, many types of reproductive disorders have very subtle symptoms. You will typically need help from a female or male gynecologist South Florida to get a diagnosis.
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