What To Know About Dysmenorrhea

Puberty is a phase every human being will definitely pass through in life.

Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child’s body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is a process that usually happens between ages 10 and 14 for girls and ages 12 and 16 for boys.

My point of focus today centres on the female child. As a female, one of the major sign of puberty is MENSTRUATION.

Menstruation, also known as a period or monthly, is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. 

This occurs every month after which a girl has reached puberty. Women have a period approximately every 28 days; however, there is some variation in this cycle, ranging from a 24-day to a 35-day cycle.

During this period, ladies generally undergo different forms of psychological changes which ranges from:

1) Unexplained mood swings
2) Low self-esteem
3) Aggression
4) Depression
5) Pains

The issue to be addressed majorly is about the pains
Period pains (dysmenorrhea)
This is a medical condition which includes severe uterine pain during menstruation. The majority of women experience minor pain during menstruation. When the pain is so severe that it interferes with normal activity, it is called
dysmenorrhea and may require medication.

Below are few remedies to avoiding pains during menstruation:
1) Exercise – Exercise has been found to help reduce the level of discomfort and pain experienced by women with period problems.

A lot of females make it an habit of just crying on a spot while experiencing menstrual pain. It ought not to be so. However, brisk walking, or any type of physical activity, can help to ease your belly pain.
Take a walk.
Try to get involved in different house chores.

2) Application of heat and having a warm bath. Holding a hot water bottle/bag against the abdomen may help in reducing discomfort.
I know of a friend that once used this method and it really worked.

Also, ladies should opt for warm water to cold water during menstruation especially those that experience much pains.

3) Drinking lots of water.
Try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day. In addition to making you feel better, this will also improve your overall health, especially during that time of the month.

4) Drink tea (that contains low levels of caffeine). Chamomile teas, ginger tea, peppermint tea, lavender tea, green tea, lemongrass tea, cardamom tea, are some of the herbal teas. Ginger tea seems very available most times and effective.

Also reduce your coffee consumption during menstruation since coffee is a well-known vasoconstrictor – it makes blood vessels constrict.

5) Ladies should take more of fruits during this period. Fruits like bananas, they are a rich source of potassium and would help ease your bowel movements.

Pineapple is another great fruit you should take.

Leafy vegetables should also be included in one’s diet at that point. Also, avoid fatty foods, carbonated drinks and salty foods. In short, eat healthily at this period an don’t just pick on foods.

6) Medications: There are drugs that have been proven to be effective in reducing pains during menstruation. Nevertheless, it is advisable to visit a medical practitioner before using any drug. It has been found that some of the drugs being used during menstruation may/do have aftermath effects.

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