No More Painful Periods for Me!

Menstruation can cause cramps in the lower abdomen, intermittent sharp pains and back pain (dysmenorrhea).

Menorrhagia is when your periods are excessively heavy, or prolonged.

Here’s how to tackle painful periods:

The short term	The long haul
Massage your lower abdomen using light, circular movements. Apply a heating pad to your lower abdomen. Take a warm shower or bath. Drink warm beverages and eat light but frequent meals.	Follow a diet rich in complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, but low in salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. Exercise regularly. Practise relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga.

Medication

Surgery

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen help reduce menstrual blood loss and relieve painful menstrual cramps. Tranexamic acid can help reduce heavy menstrual flow. Oral contraceptives not only provide effective birth control, they also help reduce blood loss, relieve painful menstrual cramps and regulate menstrual cycles. High-dose oral progesterone taken for 21 days of each menstrual cycle, or injected long-acting progestogens, can help reduce menorrhagia. Iron supplements help if your iron levels are low or if you are anaemic. The hormonal intrauterine device (IUD), Mirena, releases a type of progestin that thins the uterine lining and decreases menstrual blood flow and cramping.

Dilation and curettage (D&C) involves dilating the cervix and then removing tissue from the lining of the uterus. The tissue is examined for abnormalities that may be causing abnormal menstrual bleeding. Operative hysteroscopy uses a tiny tube with a light (hysteroscope) to view the uterine cavity and surgically remove a polyp that may be causing excessive menstrual bleeding. Endometrial ablation destroys the entire lining of the uterus (endometrium) through various techniques. Women who still want to become pregnant should not have this procedure. Hysterectomy, which is a major operation and involves a hospital stay, is a permanent procedure that causes sterility and cessation of menstrual periods.

 

Special thanks to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital is the only integrated women’s and children’s hospital in Singapore,
providing specialised care for women, babies and children. www.kkh.com.sg