Discomfort can occur during any cycle phase: before, during or after your period.
Treating menstrual complaints
It is important for us to know and understand what is going on in our bodies if we are to manage and take control of our periods and our menstrual cycles. What actually is menstruation? Why do we bleed every month? What causes cycle complaints? And what can we do about menstrual complaints?
So many questions! We provide answers to all of the above and explain each phase of the menstrual cycle. True to the motto #LiveYourCycle, you will receive tips on treatment options for menstrual complaints and learn how you can even use different phases of your cycle to your advantage in your everyday life, and live in harmony with your cycle.
Graduate biochemist
DR. KADE
Medical Affairs
What will be discussed
Menstrual complaints: what are the symptoms?
Even though our periods sometimes take a toll on us, they are an important part of the menstrual cycle. We should count ourselves lucky, because the ability to menstruate shows that our body is healthy, and there is so much power in that.
Nevertheless, menstrual complaints can occur at any stage of the cycle: before, during or after your period. You can also experience complaints around ovulation.
The symptoms of menstrual complaints vary from individual to individual, as well as in terms of their severity.
What symptoms can occur alongside menstrual complaints?
The list of possible symptoms is long and varies greatly between individuals. The female body is incredible! Menstrual complaints, in particular heavy menstrual bleeding or period pain, can have a real impact on everyday life. Let’s go a step further and take a look at the causes of menstrual cycle complaints and how we can treat them.
Possible complaints
These complaints can occur in connection with the menstrual cycle and menstruation:
- Cramps, pain and a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen (abdominal pain)
- Headaches, including migraine-like episodes
- Back pain, thigh pain
- Fatigue
- Flatulence, diarrhoea, digestive issues
- Dizziness, circulatory problems, nausea and vomiting
- Tightness and pain in the chest
- Skin blemishes, oily or dry skin
- Mood swings, depressive moods
- Hot flushes, sweating
- Loss of appetite or cravings
What causes menstrual complaints?
If we look at the processes happening in the body during menstruation, we can understand how menstrual pain and cramps arise:
- In each individual phase of your menstrual cycle, your body ensures that ideal conditions are created for possible fertilisation and implantation.
- An important part of this is the formation of the endometrium, which is the ideal place for an egg to implant. Rich in blood vessels and glands, it can supply the egg cell with everything it needs.
- However, if fertilisation does not occur, this ‘soft bed’ is no longer needed. The body rejects the mucous membrane. The muscles of the uterus naturally tense and relax on a regular basis. Bleeding begins.
Your body does this with amazing strength and endurance. This process requires enormous strength, which you – like many other women – are no doubt familiar with: The muscles in the abdomen contract painfully, there is a stabbing sensation and the entire lower abdomen hurts.
This is often accompanied by discomfort, digestive problems, back pain and/or other symptoms mentioned above. Hormone-like messenger substances are responsible for the sensation of pain.
The more we start to talk about our menstrual cycles, the more we learn about how different each individual cycle can be. Menstruation should no longer be a taboo subject, and there is a growing understanding of the problems associated with it, including menstrual cramps.
