Tips to Relieve Your Painful Menstrual Cramps

Menstruation is part of a women's life, and it is a healthy phenomenon although there are inconveniences and annoyances during menstruation. Almost every woman who menstruates will experience some type of menstrual cramp during her periods. For many women, menstruation is a messy affair what with frequent changing, those cramps and exhaustion. The menstrual cramps can be mild, moderate or very severe. Menstrual cramps are dull or throbbing pains in the lower abdomen.

Many women experience menstrual cramps just before and during their menstrual periods. Painful menstruation affects approximately 50% of menstruating women, and 10% are incapacitated for up to 3 days.

What causes menstrual cramps?

Menstrual cramps are caused by the normal contraction of the uterus. Like all muscles, the uterus contracts and relaxes. Around 80 percent of the time, cramps are part of the primary dysmenorrhea syndrome. Primary dysmenorrhea syndromes are caused by hormones called prostaglandins, which cause painful cramping of the uterus during menstruation. These substances can increase the intensity of the contractions especially if the levels rise. High levels of prostaglandins may also cause nausea and light-headedness.

Tips to relieve menstrual cramps

- Natural remedies like a microwavable warm pack or a heating pad placed on your abdomen (lower belly) may help to reduce some menstrual cramps.

- Take a warm bath and using aromatherapy to feel relax and comfortable.

- Use some painkillers non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) medicines such as ibuprofen. Advil, Nuprin, and Motrin IB all contain Ibuprofen, which is one of the best pain reliefs.

- Massaging might work well for most women. With your hands over your naval, begin making small circles in a clockwise direction. This should be done slowly with moderate pressure for about a minute, and then gradually increase the size of the circling until you are rubbing the entire abdomen.

- Some women get relief by doing regular physical activities such as walking or exercise.

- Reducing salt and sugar intake the week prior to one's period seems to result in less severe cramping.

- Supplements of the amino acid DL phenylalanine can help ease menstrual cramps. You might find the amino acid in capsule form in health food stores. Supplementing diet with zinc and calcium also do reduce cramps, bloating, and related PMS symptoms.

- Increase your intake of calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt or leafy green vegetables.