periods – Hello Doctor

“Make my period pains stop!”

August 12th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s that time of the month when your PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms descends in full and living colour. You’re in pain, cranky and irritable. You want to eat everything in sight and curl up into a warm bed.

Aches, pains, cramps, mood swings; why does it all hurt so bad?

Each month, your ovaries release one egg. The ovulation process happens before and during your menstrual cycle. The lining of your uterus thickens with blood, and your egg moves into one of the Fallopian tubes. Here, it waits to be fertilised, or is shed by your body through the vagina resulting in: periods. Before and during ovulation, your hormone function shifts and affects your entire body.

When this cycle begins, they bring along some visitors:

Sore breasts: Hormone changes in your body are the cause of tenderness and heaviness in your breasts. The oestrogen enlarges your breasts and the progesterone causes your milk glands to swell. The symptoms are part of your PMS-ing stage. It usually begins a week before your period and may disappear when menstrual bleeding starts.
Bloating: Your hormones go out of whack during your cycle and cause fluid retention.

Tip: Cut down on your salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol for this time, as these are bloating triggers.

Cramps/back pain: Your muscles tighten and relax to get the blood out of your uterus. This causes the sharp feeling of pain in your stomach and back.
Pelvis pain: Irritable bowel syndrome is responsible for pelvis pain. This is that pain your stomach which causes diarrhoea, wind and constipation.

Why it hurts

Some lucky women have painless periods, while others struggle with painful cramps (dysmenorrhea)! Some even compare it to early labour contractions. The cramps can range from mild to throbbing. What happens, is the muscle of the walls of your uterus contract and a chemical called “prostaglandin” is released from the lining of the uterus. This substance increases the strength of the contractions. The pain can strike a day or two before your period and last for two to four days during your period. Some women have nausea, vomitting, diarrhoea and dizziness during their period.

Soothe the pain

Apply heat to your lower abdomen and back to relax your muscles. A hot shower or bath and a hot water bottle will help.
Over-the-counter medication can help. Stick to painkillers like ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol.
Yoga and other stretching exercises can ease the cramps.
According the University of Maryland Medical Center, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, magnesium, Omega-3 fatty acids and calcium citrate, can help with menstrual pain.
Birth control pills can balance your hormones and lessen heavy flow.

Foodie friends

Green tea is said to help soothe cramps.
Relieve the bloating and cramps by drinking two to three litres of water.
Potassium and Vitamin B6 can help with cramping and water retention. Get your fill from a banana.
Oats are filled with anti-cramping vitamins like zinc and magnesium. This will help with the painful menstrual cycle.
Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling properties to reduce the cramps.
Ginger tea has soothing properties to calm stomachache, relax muscles and prevent nausea and vomitting.
During your period you lose iron. Replace your stores with chicken, fish and green leafy vegetables.
Cinnamon tea with its natural healing ingredients can quell bloating, wind, and indigestion.

References

Pregnancy & Periods: Truth vs. Myth

May 24th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

You’re on your monthly period, so falling pregnant is highly unlikely right? Wrong. When it comes to menstruation and pregnancy, there are many misconceptions. And, if you follow them blindly, you may harm your health. We separate myth from fact.

Myth #1: Your period protects you from pregnancy

Ovulation is when you release an egg each month. During this process you may bleed and confuse it with your monthly period. You’re at your peak fertility in ovulation, so if you have unprotected sex during this time, you’re more likely to fall pregnant. A male’s sperm can live inside a woman for up to 72 hours after ejaculation. Towards the end of your period, your chances of falling pregnant may increase, so if you have sex during this period and sperm is still inside you, you could fall pregnant.

Myth #2: You shouldn’t have sex while you’re pregnant

Sex cannot physically harm your baby. The baby is fully protected by your strong uterine muscles and an amniotic sack. A thick mucus plug also seals your cervix. Contractions from an orgasm are completely different to the ones in labour and will not induce early birth. If you’re worried, check with your doctor. He will advise whether it is necessary for you to avoid sex while pregnant.

Myth #3: Your cycle is always supposed to be every 28 days

The average menstrual cycle is usually 28 days long, but can range from 21 to 35 days. To figure out the first day of your next period, start counting from the first day of your next period and end it on the first day of the following one. A regular cycle is a sign of good health, but often, stress can delay or bring on your period early. If you’re always irregular, speak to your doctor. You may have a hormonal imbalance or other health problem.

Myth #4: You get your period to cleanse your reproductive system

Your period marks the end of a process where your body grows a lining of uterine tissue to prepare your body in case you are impregnated. Once your body realises that your eggs haven’t been fertilised with sperm, the lining is unnecessary. Your hormone levels, which help grow the tissue, then drop and your body sheds the tissue as your period.

Good to know

Always use a condom to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STDs, whether you’re on your period or not.
If you have a short period cycle, you won’t have the same amount of time between having your period and ovulating.
If you’ve been trying to get pregnant and haven’t been successful after having unprotected sex for more than a year, speak to your doctor.

References

We answer your top 10 health questions

November 29th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

We gave your top 10 most popular health questions to our resident doctor to answer – this is what Dr Thomson came back with: Continue reading “We answer your top 10 health questions”