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Many people do not realize the pain and suffering that menstrual cramps can bring to a woman’s life. In fact, many times females, even as young as girls in middle school, will miss school or work due to their period pain interfering with normal daily activities.
However, there are ways you can fight against period pain. This article is meant for those who experience irregular periods and/or very painful periods. Here is a list of several things you can try:
Consume fiber
Make sure you have enough fiber in your diet – this is supposed to help regulate your menstruation cycle and help prevent clots from forming during your flow. You should be getting 25 grams per day on an average! Some good foods which provide high levels of fiber are many types of whole grains, whole-wheat breads and pastas, beans, vegetables with edible skins (like potatoes), oatmeal.
Get vitamin B6
Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin B6 in your diet. This is supposed to help reduce the length and pain/cramping of menstrual periods! Some good foods which provide high levels of Vitamin B6 are salmon, avocados, bananas, potatoes with skin on them (again this includes potato chips), prunes/dried plums, chicken breast etc.
Avoid fatty foods
Stay away from fatty foods – keep your cholesterol low by eating healthy! It’s also important that you stay hydrated when you have your period since it will affect how painful your cramps are.
Stay hydrated
When you are dehydrated, your muscles will contract more and make the pain worse. Drinking eight glasses of cold water (or other beverages) everyday can reduce cramps.
Avoid smoking
As stated before, there are certain things that cause period pain or cramps – irregularities in your menstruation cycle is one that contributes to this greatly. It’s also related to the type of birth control you use (if any). However, what many people do not know is that even smoking can be a huge contributing factor as well! That being said, if you are having irregular periods…you should consider quitting smoking altogether since it might have serious effects on your overall health.
If none of these tips work for you or they aren’t enough based off how bad your period pain is, go see a doctor. Maybe they have some tips/advice on how you can treat your pain or if there are any medications that can help.