What Period Pain Is ‘Normal’?

Common vs Normal Period Pain

What period pain is normal? This is a tough question to answer. Firstly, there’s a big difference between “normal” and “common”. So a lot of period pains are “common”, but not necessarily “normal” or healthy. In this article, I’m going to cover some of the “common” physical period pains that people may experience. If you think any of your period pains aren’t normal, because of this please seek professional medical help. You have the right to ask your doctor or nurse to complete further examinations if you feel you are being ignored.

Normal Period Pain

Basically, from what I’ve learned about period pains, is that you definitely should not be debilitated by them. Meaning, if you can’t do normal activities or need to take lots of pain medicine, you need to seek professional medical help. So when you do seek professional medical help, make sure to demand adequate care as you may need to seek multiple opinions since period pain is often dismissed.

Normal period pain, therefore, is limited to basically being aware that you’re on your period. The body naturally releases hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins to help the uterus shed its lining (the process of menstruation). The prostaglandins tell the uterus to contract to push the blood out, so having some minor cramps would be normal.

There may be some period pains in this article that are merely annoying to you. But that’s ok, but consider making minor lifestyle or diet adjustments to see if they go away. Sometimes these symptoms are due to underlying issues, so make sure to track them and learn what your “normal” is.

Know Your “Normal period pain”

It is important to track your cycle and this means tracking when and how much you bleed, spot, and experience period pains. By keeping track of your mood may also give you insight into how your cycle is connected to the rest of your daily experiences. Furthermore, you may be able to predict when reoccurring symptoms happen and be quicker to notice if something is unusual. So tracking this information is invaluable if you ever need to seek medical assistance. There are many apps you can use, like Clue, which make it easy to track your cycle.

Please be aware that I am not a medical professional, you should discuss any concerns with a medical professional.

Period Pains: Before the Bleeding Starts

Period Pain	Possible Causes	What to Do / How to Avoid
Acne / breakouts	Hormone imbalances or fluctuation	Lots of water Nutritious food, Gentle skincare – don’t skip out on moisturizing and consider your stress levels
Tender Breasts	Inflammation – your body may be producing too many prostaglandins	Avoid inflammatory foods and drinks like: Sugar, alcohol, processed foods, bread, and pasta (Hill, 2019, p. 221). and Caffeine (Karchmer, 2019, p. 94-95).Include more probiotics, Omega-3 fatty acids, and green tea (Hill, 2019, p. 221) Yoga
Migraines	Theory 1: Hormone imbalance Theory 2: Prostaglandins causing pain and inflammation	Consider your diet, You may be missing out on enough magnesium (Hill, 2019, p. 82)
Cramps	Prostaglandins	Avoid inflammatory foods, Gentle exercise, yoga and Hot water bottle

Period Pains: During Your Period

Period Pain	Possible Causes	What to Do / How to Avoid
Cramps	Prostaglandins	Avoid inflammatory foods, Gentle exercise, Warm bath, Orgasms! By yourself or safely with a partner and Seek professional medical help if severe
Cramps	Exercise – too little or too much	Gentle exercises like walks and yoga, Stretches, Hot water bottle/heating pad and Seek professional medical help if severe
Cramps	Diet-related	Consider your diet, Avoid sugar, alcohol, dairy, white potatoes, aubergine, peppers, and tomatoes (Hill, 2019, p. 279) and Seek professional medical help, especially if severe
Bloating	Water retention due to hormone fluctuations	Drink more water, Avoid salty foods
Irritated or Itchy Vulva	Vulva exposed to blood for too long *blood is a known irritant to skin	Change products more often, Try an internally worn product (especially on heavy days)Wipe excess blood off with a moist towel shower/bathe more often
Irritated or Itchy Vulva	Period products	Avoid scented products, Go for organic cotton, If you use reusable period products, consider what soap/laundry detergent you use to clean them, Have you switched to a new one? Try unscented, Try an extra rinse
Irritated or Itchy Vulva	Infection	If persistent, unusual, and/or severe seek professional medical help
Migraines	A theory for migraines at the end of your period is that they are caused by loss of blood and low iron levels (Hill, 2019, p. 83)	Ensure you’re getting adequate iron from your diet
Period Poops	Diarrhea or pooping more than usual could be due to prostaglandins	Avoid inflammatory foods and Stay hydrated
Period Poops	Constipation	Drink more water, eat more fibre, and exercise.
Sore Back	Prostaglandins	Gentle stretches, yoga and Hot water bottles/heating pads.
Vomiting / Nausea	Severe pain, possibly if your body is secreting too many prostaglandins	Seek medical help if your pain is this severe, Ginger or mint tea may help nausea and stay hydrated

More on Prostaglandins

Our body naturally releases prostaglandins before and during menstruation to help push out menstrual blood. Sometimes there are too many prostaglandins released which can cause pain. There are prostaglandin receptors all over the body, meaning many areas can be affected.

A summary

I know it may be annoying to hear again and again, but a good diet, exercise, and stress management truly can improve your overall health. These small steps can add up, so be kind to yourself while you establish a new routine. And finally, if any of your period pains are severe – please seek professional medical care and advocate for your right to live pain-free.

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