Overcome Menstrual Pain Without Medication, Follow the Next 5 Steps

Overcome Menstrual Pain Without Medication, Follow the Next 5 Steps

Illustration of menstruating women (Shutterstock)

How to deal with menstrual pain or abdominal pain during menstruation?


Menstrual pain or also called dysmenorrhea is a pain that becomes a woman's subscription every time she has menstruation .

If you often experience pain and cramps during menstruation, you are not alone. At least 3 out of 4 women experience mild dysmenorrhea and 1 in 10 experience severe symptoms.

You may usually treat pain due to menstruation using pain relievers such as ibuprofen. But before you rush to take medication, you can try the following tips to reduce menstrual pain:

1. Physical activity


During menstruation, you may tend to be more lazy on the bed. However, mild exercise can actually help reduce the pain you experience.

When exercising, your blood circulation will become smoother and the endorphins produced can help balance the work of the prostaglandin hormone so that you can reduce the pain and discomfort you experience.

You can choose the type of exercise that is safe during menstruation, such as light jogging or aerobics.

2. Compress the stomach


You can try compressing your stomach with a bottle of warm water. The heat generated will help relax the contracting uterine muscles to minimize pain. Or you can try a warm bath to relax all parts of the body.

3. Drink tea

If you have never tried chamomile tea, it might be a good time to try the flower scented tea. In a journal released by the Journal of Agriculture and Chemistry , there are certain ingredients in chamomile tea that can reduce pain.

The study showed 14 people who participated in the study had a significant increase in hippurate levels. Hippurate is a compound in the body that acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory can help reduce prostaglandin production and reduce menstrual pain.


4. Make sure your vitamin D intake is sufficient

A study in Italy reported by Health.com showed an influence of vitamin D on pain during menstruation. In the study, 40 women were divided into two groups. The first group took a vitamin D3 supplement at a dose of 300,000 IU while the second group received placebo treatment.

Consumption of this supplement is carried out 5 days before the schedule of participants starting their menstrual period. After two months, there was a decrease in pain complaints up to 41% in the group taking vitamin D3 while in the placebo group there was no difference reported in menstrual pain.

According to Dr. Jill Rabin, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Section of Long Island Jewish Medical Center, vitamin D3 can help inhibit the work of prostaglandins to reduce pain. The vitamin also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

5. Avoid certain foods and drinks

Fatty foods, soda, alcohol is a type of food and drink that you must avoid. These foods and drinks can cause bloating and water resistance in your body, which worsens menstrual pain.

In addition, caffeine is also one that you need to avoid. Caffeine found in coffee, tea, soda and chocolate can aggravate cramps and tension in the stomach. Likewise the consumption of sugar which is usually found in caffeinated foods and drinks.

You can replace coffee and tea with a warm ginger or lemon drink. Ginger and lemon can help reduce abdominal pain and provide a calming effect.

So do not rush to take medication when menstrual pain because you will be dependent, it's better to first follow these tips when you menstruate.