Do you experience severe abdominal or head pain combined with extreme mood swings? On top of that, you have this incredible craving for a really big piece of chocolate? Don't worry, you're not alone! Almost 85% of menstruating women struggle with similar symptoms before or during their period.
The first symptoms usually appear one to two weeks before your period, making them part of what's known as PMS. Great, another clever acronym, but what exactly is PMS?
This refers to premenstrual syndrome.
It encompasses all physical and psychological symptoms toward the end of the menstrual cycle, just before the next period. The perception of these symptoms depends—as is often the case—on the individual and ranges from barely noticeable to almost unbearable. When dealing with symptoms, it's important to be aware of your own body and learn how it reacts. Only then can you assess what's good for you and what you should avoid. Diet also has a major influence on menstruation. You can read all the important information on this topic in our blog post "How the right diet affects your menstrual cycle."
Causes of menstrual problems
The cause of these side effects is, once again, our hormones. Numerous processes in our body are controlled by hormones and other interacting signaling and messenger substances. If a disruption occurs in this network of hormones and other substances, various symptoms can result. Stress and thyroid hormones play an important role in this context. Stress hormones are released in the adrenal cortex. If our estrogen levels are high, this stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce more stress hormones.
But what are the most common symptoms during menstruation? Here's an overview of the different types of symptoms:
- Cycle disorders: too short (polymenorrhea) or too long (oligomenorrhea)
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Disturbances in bleeding intensity: too heavy (hypermenorrhea) or too light (hypomenorrhea) - Period pain (dysmenorrhea)
- absence of bleeding (amenorrhea)
Dysmenorrhea
Almost every menstruating person experiences period pain. The duration and intensity vary from cycle to cycle and from person to person. Approximately 15% of those affected describe the symptoms as severe. The pain usually manifests as cramps in the lower abdomen or even radiates to the lower back. Some menstruating women also report headaches. The cause of the pain is an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen. If too many of these messenger substances are produced, this stimulates the shedding of the uterine lining and increases the sensation of pain. However, organic causes of period pain are also possible. Endometriosis, fibroids, and adhesions trigger the pain in these cases. In these cases, it is referred to as secondary dysmenorrhea, as the cause is another condition.
We have summarized helpful tips and simple home remedies for severe period pain here.
Always seek medical advice
Important note: This article contains only general information and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a doctor.
Normally, blood is red, although all shades from light red to dark red to almost brownish-black are completely normal.
Blood reveals a lot about health and hormone levels. A grayish-red color, for example, can indicate an infection or disease.
During a healthy period, the blood is a bright red, although it may be lighter on heavier days and darker at the beginning and end.
Very light blood can be caused by low estrogen levels, which can be caused by stress, competitive sports or diets, but also by hormonal contraceptives such as the pill.
Yes, there is no need to worry, as brown blood is simply older blood that flows out of the body more slowly.
A very dark menstruation indicates that the blood is flowing slowly, reacting with oxygen and darkening.
Implantation bleeding is usually very light to pink and significantly lighter than a period.
This varies from person to person. The first period can be very light and brownish, but it can also be clearly visible as red blood.
The discharge may appear whitish to yellowish and its consistency is thick.
Postpartum bleeding is initially deep red and quite heavy. It also contains tissue debris. After the first week, the lochia subsides and becomes brownish, finally becoming whitish and stopping completely after about six weeks.
When menstruation returns after pregnancy, it has the typical red hue in its broad spectrum that you already know.
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