Every woman can determine that a monthly event called “menstruation” is about to occur without a calendar. Due to some special changes characteristic of her body, which are united under the name PMS.

Fatigue and mood swings. Swelling in the morning and tenderness of the mammary glands. Depression and anxiety. Discomfort, strange sensations in the joints and painful cramps in the abdomen. We owe all this to our favorite hormones - estrogen and progesterone. During the peak period of the menstrual cycle, they literally attack the central nervous system, causing mental and physical discomfort.

What to do and how to get rid of pain? Changing your usual diet can work wonders. For starters, limit yourself to caffeine. Give preference herbal tea instead of the usual cup of coffee. For example, a classic medicinal mixture - St. John's wort, chamomile and mint (pour one teaspoon of dry herb into 200 ml of boiling water and leave in a water bath for 15 minutes). Drink half a glass three times a day. St. John's wort relaxes the muscles of the uterus, chamomile has an analgesic effect, and mint is a good sedative. This way, your worries and irritability will fade into the background.

In case of increased blood loss (more than 80 ml per day or if heavy periods last longer than 5 days), it is recommended to use nettle infusion (pour one tablespoon into 200 ml of boiling water and leave in a water bath for 15 minutes). Take one teaspoon of infusion 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

Add magnesium to your diet. Whole grain cereals and many vegetables contain it sufficient quantity. This mineral helps relieve painful muscle spasms of the uterus during menstruation. If you find it easier to take it in pill form, ask your doctor for help. He will select the required daily dose for you.

Calcium supplements and vitamin B6 can also help make you feel better these days. Calcium regulates bleeding, participates in the transmission of hormonal signals, and relaxes muscles. B vitamins normalize an unstable neuro-emotional state and monitor the amount of blood in the body.

At this time, you should avoid fatty and spicy foods. During your period digestive tract does not cope well with heavy foods. Give preference to porridge, cottage cheese, baked fish and fresh vegetables and fruits - they are rich in useful microelements and vitamins. In this regard, bananas have proven themselves very well. When critical days approach, introduce these fruits into your diet. Try eating one banana during the day and another before bed.

Of course, you can lie flat and use a warm heating pad. This may relieve pain, but there is a risk of increased bleeding. Therefore, it is better to put yourself in order in more active ways. By the way, it has been noted that women who exercise regularly suffer from pain during menstruation much less often.

Moderate physical exercise and proper breathing relax muscles, promote blood circulation and stimulate the production of endorphins, thereby blocking pain. Walk yourself around fresh air, go for a run or dance in front of the mirror - don’t die lying on the couch. Remember your grandmother's advice - to get rid of stomach pain you need to wash the floor.

For menstrual pain, “deep breathing” is beneficial, it increases our energy level and relieves menstrual pain. Try different yoga poses:

1) Take the “Corpse” pose. To do this, lie down on the floor. Spread your legs and arms. Relax. Breathe slowly. Take 10 deep breaths. Then bring your left knee to your chest first. Keep breathing. Take 10 deep breaths. Change your leg. And repeat everything for right side. Now bring both knees towards your chest. Rock from side to side. Then stop in the center. Again, take 10 deep breaths. Next, start swinging back and forth like a ball. Do 5 swings and take a sitting position. Cross your legs and continue to breathe deeply.

2) Try child's pose. To do this, sit with your knees on the floor and your buttocks on your heels. As you inhale, bend forward, touching your forehead to the floor. Stretch your arms along your body. Close your eyes. Hold this position until the first sign of discomfort. Try taking 5 to 10 deep breaths in and out. Three minutes of exercise significantly reduces pain in the lower abdomen. After completed breathing exercises stay in this position for as long as you want. However, remember that this pose should not be used if you have a knee injury, diarrhea, or pregnancy.

3) If your condition allows, then you can use the “camel” yoga pose. Get on your knees with your back straight, your knees directly under your hips, and your toes rounded. Place your hands on your hips with your fingers pointing to the floor. Then take a deep breath and feel your ribs rise up and begin to lean back. Imagine that there is a large ball between your legs and back. As you bend over, round your back. Slowly place your hands on your heels. Take 5 deep breaths in and out, head tilted back. Do not tense the muscles of your face and neck. On your last inhalation, tense all your muscles and return to the starting position.

These simple rules will help overcome the ailments typical of these days. Forget about “painkillers”, and an important meeting or romantic date will not be ruined by your poor health. Tell him: goodbye!

One of the most common complaints with which women turn to a gynecologist is painful “critical days.” For the vast majority of women, this period becomes a real nightmare.

The first thing that comes to mind when you mention “red days” is pain in the lower abdomen. Pulling, aching, radiating to the lower back, bladder and intestines, they may get worse during the first two days, but in some cases they become completely unbearable. The situation is aggravated by the fact that pain is often accompanied by whole list other symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, general weakness, fever up to 37-38 °C. A considerable number of women during this period change literally before our eyes, becoming whiny or, conversely, irritable, even aggressive. In this case, the severity of certain manifestations, as a rule, depends on the general physical condition. Thus, with problems with the cardiovascular system, vegetative-vascular disorders are more pronounced, and with impaired metabolism, metabolic-endocrine disruptions predominate.

"Victims"

“My husband clearly knows that it’s better not to approach me these days,” says Natalya Yasina from Moscow. “Then I feel incredibly ashamed of my behavior, but at such moments I seem to lose control of myself. Any little thing can make me angry, even the way my favorite person puts a cup on the table or puts a spoon down. And my irritability has a very negative impact on my work, because I communicate with a huge number of people and I have to be nice and accommodating. A month ago, the matter almost ended in dismissal, as I seemed to have broken free and was rude to one of my most beloved clients. If only I could explain to her the reason! I think as a woman she would understand me.”
“During my period, I don’t just have a stomach ache, I lose consciousness several times a day,” adds Olga Maklokova from St. Petersburg. “I stand there and feel like I’m being cut into pieces inside.” Everything floats before my eyes, I instantly switch off.” I lost consciousness once on the subway. It's good that we were nearby good people, they sat me down on a bench and gave me some water. After that, I decided that I would take these days off at my own expense and lie on the sofa with a heating pad. But my boss, to put it mildly, is not happy about this. It turns out that every month at least a couple of days are thrown out of my life, plus the notorious PMS, when literally every little thing infuriates me!”
“It is important to follow the terminology,” comments the girls’ revelations Dorina Muntyan, obstetrician-gynecologist, doctor of medical sciences, specialist in anti-aging medicine, CEO Expert Clinics. — PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, occurs a few days before the onset of menstruation. This may include irritability, insomnia, increased appetite, headaches, and nagging pain in the lower abdomen. Painful menstruation has a different definition - algomenorrhea, which can occur both in women who have given birth and in young girls, starting from the first days of menstruation. Conventionally, algomenorrhea can be divided into primary and secondary. In the first case, the problem is more of a functional nature and is not associated with serious diseases. It is important to note that to date, the exact cause of pain during menstruation has not yet been established. There are a number of predisposing factors, such as heredity or frequent stressful situations. The body’s increased production of so-called inflammatory factors—prostaglandins—is also of considerable importance. They provoke active contractions of the smooth muscles of the uterus, which causes unpleasant cramping pain. In addition, prostaglandins are able to penetrate the bloodstream, causing vascular spasms. Result - headache, rapid heartbeat and dizziness. If pain haunts a woman at a more mature age, after about 30-35 years, this phenomenon is called “secondary algomenorrhea.”

To the doctor!

The course of algomenorrhea is usually divided into three degrees of severity. In the first case, it is not even pain, but unpleasant sensations, while other symptoms, as a rule, are mild or completely absent. But they are characteristic of the second degree - general weakness, headache, nausea, which, however, is easily relieved with the help of painkillers. In the third degree, taking a number of medications practically does not bring results or only lasts for a minimally short period of time, and the pain itself literally brings the woman to exhaustion and prevents her from living and working fully. You should not suppress your feelings with packs of medications, especially since this negatively affects the state of the gastrointestinal tract. There is a strong possibility that in this way the body is giving you an unambiguous SOS signal. Painful " critical days"may indicate a pathology of the female reproductive system - this inflammatory processes, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and mastopathy.
“Treatment of algomenorrhea, like PMS, should be carried out comprehensively,” says Dorina Muntyan. - You should make sure that we are not talking about a pathology that causes discomfort. The doctor examines the external genitalia, analyzes hormonal status, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, and, if necessary, prescribes other studies. All this will make it possible to more accurately determine the main cause of painful menstruation; based on the results, the patient is prescribed treatment. For example, PMS and algomenorrhea often occur against the background of breast diseases. In such cases, it is recommended to direct all attention to restoring the normal function of the ovaries, adrenal glands and thyroid glands, and all the unpleasant symptoms accompanying menstruation will disappear on their own.

As for the treatment of algomenorrhea, oral contraceptives with gestagens are widely used for this purpose today. Progestins are a group of hormones or synthetic analogues naturally produced in the body; their deficiency can lead to infertility, menstrual irregularities, and also provoke spontaneous abortion. Of course, only a doctor should prescribe them, based on test results, since there are about 40 types of them on the market. There are many nuances due to individual characteristics body of every woman, therefore, when using the above-mentioned medications, it is extremely important to correctly calculate the dosage and duration of use. A properly selected drug reduces the development of neoplasms, relaxes the uterine muscles, ensures normal formation of estrogens, inhibits the release of prostaglandins, thus reducing inflammatory reactions, and normalizes the menstrual cycle. In addition, hormonal contraceptives help reduce intrauterine pressure, frequency and amplitude of uterine muscle contractions, which also leads to the elimination of painful conditions during menstruation. As a result, the symptoms of algomenorrhea disappear completely or become less pronounced."
Another group of drugs used in the treatment of algomenorrhea are the so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Traditionally, they are considered a means for young women who do not want to use contraceptives and other hormonal drugs, or in cases where the latter are contraindicated for a number of reasons. NSAIDs have analgesic properties, reduce the content of prostaglandins, are rapidly absorbed and act, as a rule, from 2 to 6 hours. It is important to remember that all of the above drugs should also be prescribed by a specialist, since, despite their pronounced effectiveness, they have a number of individual contraindications. Contraindications to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are bronchial asthma, urticaria, acute rhinitis.

Many girls spend months (perhaps even years!) discussing various intimate topics with their girlfriends, including periods. However, when your period actually arrives, the calmness immediately evaporates! That’s why it’s so important to know everything about menstruation and be mentally prepared for it. It is important to understand that there is nothing shameful in this.

Steps

How to use the gasket

Take off your panties. Sit on the toilet because blood may start to drip past the toilet and it will be really bad if it accidentally drips onto your clothes or the floor.

Unfold the gasket. Don't throw away the wrapper - it's a great way to recycle used pads.

Remove protective film on the sticky side of the pad. Usually this film covers the adhesive strip. After you have removed the film, the pad needs to be attached to the panties.

Place the pad in the center of the panties so that it is directly between your legs. The wide part of the pad should be located closer to the butt. Make sure the pad is well adhered to the panties.

Put on your panties. You will feel some discomfort at first (as if you were wearing a diaper), so walk around the toilet a little to get used to it. Remember that the pad needs to be changed every 3-4 hours (maybe even more often). It is important to change your pads frequently to stay comfortable.

The used pad should be peeled off from the panties, wrapped in wrapper or paper and thrown away. If you throw away the gasket wrapper, simply wrap the used gasket in toilet paper. If you are in public place, throw it in the trash. Never throw a used pad into the toilet! This can cause the toilet to become clogged.

How to prepare for your first period

1. Find out what to expect. The more you know, the calmer you will be when this happens. Most likely, your first period will not be too heavy, that is, there will be very little blood. You may notice just a few red drops on your underwear and they may be brownish and sticky. Don't worry, you won't bleed to death, as a woman only loses about 30 ml of blood during her period. This is about the same volume as two small jars of nail polish.

   Stock up on gaskets. In pharmacies and any department stores you can buy any feminine hygiene product of your choice (pads, tampons). It's best to try both to know which suits you best. First, pay attention to the “droplets” at the bottom of the package - this is an indicator of the degree of absorbency of the pad or tampon. .

   Keep a pad or two in your backpack or bag just in case. This is especially important if you often go to sports or other clubs, visit friends, or attend other events. You will feel much safer if you know you have a pad or tampon with you.

   • If you're worried about your pad falling out of your bag or someone accidentally seeing it, buy a special case for storing pads and tampons.
   • You might want to bring extra panties with you just in case your period starts at school and you get dirty. Soiled panties should be washed in cold water as soon as possible.
   • You can also carry ibuprofen or some Tempalgin tablets with you in case your period becomes very painful.

2. Pay attention to what changes are occurring in your body; could they indicate the imminent onset of menstruation? While there is no 100% sure sign that your period is approaching, your body can give you a signal that it is getting ready for your period. Such signals include pain in the abdomen, lower back, discomfort, and chest pain.

How to come to terms with your period

Do not panic. Remind yourself that it will happen someday anyway. Think about all the women you know—every one of them menstruates once a month. All your teachers, favorite actresses and singers - they all went through this. Take a deep breath, relax and congratulate yourself on your transition to new level development of the body.

If your period catches you by surprise when you are not at home, immediately find a toilet. If you notice drops of blood on your panties, ask your nurse, teacher or friend for a pad.

1. If it happens that not only your panties, but also your trousers are dirty, tie a jacket around your waist. The first period is usually not as heavy, so it is unlikely that blood will seep through your clothes. However, sometimes this happens. Take a sweater and tie it around your waist.

   • If you are at school, go to the nurse or security and ask if you can call your parents so they can bring you a change of clothes.
   • You can change into sportswear for physical education.
   • If someone asks why you changed your clothes, just say you spilled tea on your pants or skirt. It's OK.

Helped us:

Evgenia Tishchenko
Gynecologist, osteopath, Ph.D., General Director of the “Quality of Life” clinic

So, how can we now survive critical days...

1. Bloodless

The easiest option is to abandon them, and now this is possible. Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) create an artificial hormonal level in the body, in which the egg does not mature and menstruation is impossible. Eat different types drugs, but they have one thing in common: for three weeks you take “active” pills, and then for seven days you either replace them with a placebo or simply stop taking them. Then menstruation happens. To prevent this from happening at all, it is necessary, in the first case, to abandon the placebo, and in the second, having finished one package, immediately take on another. In a similar way, a hormonal device (installed intravaginally) or an implant (the capsule is sewn under the skin) can deprive menstruation.

“Modern and properly selected contraceptives are relatively safe. However, I want to warn girls who are planning to have children over time: if your periods are stopped for a long period, be aware that after you stop taking the pills, pregnancy may not occur for quite a long time,” comments our expert Evgenia Tishchenko.

Normally, after long-term (from six months) continuous use of COCs, reproductive function is restored within two to six months. But if there are concomitant diseases, problems with the immune system or some other illness, the body can resist longer. In this case, additional treatment will be required to return everything to its place. Manufacturers of implants, for example, honestly warn: our device will operate for five years, during this period the body will get used to the absence of menstruation, and we do not guarantee that it will return.

Conclusion: COCs are safe for strong and healthy women, only under regular medical supervision. Women who already have as many children as are necessary for complete happiness can afford to “switch off” their reproductive function for a long time.

2. With pleasure

Scientists at Columbia University have found a great natural way for you to normalize your cycle - eat cinnamon! And don’t laugh: studies confirm that regular consumption of this spice helps even out the cycle even for women with polycystic ovary syndrome. And they know very well what irregular periods, heavy bleeding, spotting and other horrors are. The consumption rate is a teaspoon per day: add cinnamon to a coffee grinder or sprinkle it on your morning cereal. Tasty, healthy, reproductive system will be happy.

Conclusion: despite all the benefits of spices, store common sense! Cinnamon will not replace a doctor: if cycle disruptions are still with you, get examined and look for the cause.

3. Losing weight

But the American Society of Nutrition claims that by using knowledge about your cycle, you have the opportunity to lose weight more effectively (if there is such a task). According to their research, women who reduced their carbohydrate intake before menstruation and did not restrict themselves from protein and fat lost an average of 5 kg more over six months than women who simply reduced their caloric intake.

Conclusion: when you are attacked by “hormonal” hunger (usually a week before your period), eat it with cheese, not chocolates.

4. Wondering

In Vienna, scientists also did not waste time: they invented the first vaccine against toxic shock. This disease is severe, in 15% of cases it leads to death, and develops due to improper use of hygiene products. The reason lies in Staphylococcus aureus, which normally lives on our mucous membranes, but if you create ideal conditions for it (for example, place a tampon in the vagina and wear it for more than eight hours), it quickly multiplies and releases life-threatening toxins. Fortunately, the disease is extremely rare, but tampon manufacturers still warn customers about this risk.

Conclusion: vaccinating against a disease that develops in one woman in 100,000 (the rate falls every year) is probably unnecessary. What really matters is compliance hygiene rules. Change your tampon every 4-6 hours and don’t get carried away with those with increased absorption (4-5 drops).

Blood, sweat and tears

Many people give up training on critical days. We offer a better option: use knowledge about your cycle so that hormonal changes become assistants in your studies.

1st week
Estrogen and progesterone are at zero, menstruation is in full swing, my stomach is aching. But there is also positive side: This hormonal background makes you more resistant to pain and speeds up muscle recovery. Therefore, instead of vegetating in front of the TV in the fetal position, go to the gym: an active workout can pleasantly surprise you.

2nd week
If you add strength training now, you’ll get a bonus in the form of growth muscle mass. The explanation for this is the rise in testosterone levels. Do squats with a barbell or kettlebell (if you've done them before, of course) or have fun with CrossFit. Attention: take care of your knees! An increase in estrogen levels, which prepares the uterus to receive an egg, is associated with increased risk injure the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint.

3rd week
And here comes ovulation! On average, this event occurs on the 14th day of the cycle: estrogen levels are nowhere higher, which makes your body use fats as the primary source of energy, which break down and release energy more slowly than carbohydrates. Due to which your endurance increases. In general, if you are suddenly training for a marathon, plan your longest training run for these days.

4th week
Your entire biological female component is preparing for the great moment - conception, throwing progesterone into the blood. The results are amazing: manifestations of PMS - from mood swings to bloating. You can drive yourself out of the house and into the gym - don’t hold back. Experts say that there are no contraindications to exercise. But if physical education is objectively not a joy, it’s better to take a walk in the park or do Pilates.

Big losses

Are you actively losing weight, working out, running marathons - and suddenly your periods disappear? Wake-up call! One of the modern ailments with the beautiful name “triad of female athletes” is accompanied by the loss of the cycle, and there is nothing good about it.

You don't have to be a super professional athlete to put yourself in such a state. The “triad of female athletes” is characterized, as one would expect, by three factors: insufficient calorie intake, reduction in mineral density bone tissue and absence of menstruation for three or more months in a row.

Not receiving required quantity“fuel” for training and spending days in reckless cardio, the body instinctively begins to suspect that there is a threat to its life. Normally, a person does not run 10 km a day on an empty stomach. As a result, the body first burns fat, then leaches microelements from the bones, and ultimately turns off the reproductive function, as the most energy-intensive and clearly useless in such harsh conditions. If this condition is neglected, treatment will be long and difficult. So please eat regularly, get enough sleep and don’t lose weight to the point of unconsciousness!

EAT DARK CHOCOLATE

No, what we’re not talking about now is that chocolate is very, very tasty and that during menstruation it seems simply divine. We mean that the substances contained in cocoa replenish what we lose in the blood. But remember: this rule only works with dark chocolate.

GET AN ORGASM

During orgasm, the uterus contracts, blood flow increases and pain becomes less intense. Well, pleasure leads to the production of substances that also relieve pain. Two in one!

FOLLOW THE CYCLE

To live in peace, not worry whether your period started on time or was delayed, and not worry about whether your home medicine cabinet has everything you need, keep track of your cycle. How you do it doesn't matter. You can install the application on your phone or mark days on the calendar. The main thing is to know when to expect them.

DO NOT WAX OR SUGARING

Before your period, the skin in the bikini area becomes very sensitive, so depilation will be much more painful than usual.

AVOID CAFFEINE

When estrogen levels are elevated, caffeine only worsens PMS symptoms. So these days your choice is - green tea. Alcohol, by the way, will also help: it lowers blood sugar levels.

TREAT SPASMS WITH ACUPUNCTURE

Masters of this oriental art say that if you press on the area at the base thumb left hand, the pain from menstruation will become much less, and then go away altogether. What’s nice is that you can do this even while sitting in a meeting.

REMOVE BLOOD STAINS IMMEDIATELY

GET ORDERED

Collect all the tampons, pads, and pills you use during your period in a separate purse or makeup bag. This will make it easier to find them, and if you knock over your purse, you won’t have to blush.