Period pains – information for girls

Periods are different for every girl and young woman. Some don’t feel anything, and others have pain or even cramps in their lower belly. But period pains often get better over time. Find out why that is and what can be done here.

What happens during your period?

Throughout a woman’s reproductive years, the mucous membranes lining the inside of the womb build up once a month. This thick lining supplies the embryo with nutrients if the woman becomes pregnant.

If she does not become pregnant, the uppermost mucous layer of her womb is shed together with a little blood. That is what your period (menstruation) is. A menstrual period lasts between 3 to 5 days in most women.

To shed the lining, the muscles of the womb tighten (contract) and relax in an irregular rhythm. The shed tissue and blood leave the body through the vagina.

Many women do not notice the muscle contractions, or they only experience mild discomfort. Others feel pain at times. But some women regularly have strong and very painful cramps. Period pain may also be felt in the back or legs. Sometimes the cramps cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, too.

How common are period pains?

If you have period pains, you are not alone: about 3 out of 4 women have pain of varying intensity at some point during their period. The pain is very strong in 1 out of 10 women. And as many as 7 to 9 out of 10 young women under the age of 20 have moderate to severe period pains.

But periods tend to become less painful over time: most young women find that their period pains get better within a few years after their first period, and sometimes disappear completely.

What causes period pains?

It is not known why some women have painful periods and others do not. Certain hormone-like substances called prostaglandins probably play a role. Women who have period pains are believed to produce too many prostaglandins or be particularly sensitive to them. Your body will probably get used to these substances over time so the pain could become milder or even go away completely.

What can I do about the pain?

Many women try out several things to find out what helps them the most. The different approaches include:

• Methods which aim to relieve the cramping and pain: Movement, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises (e.g. yoga); applying heat (e.g. a warm bath, hot water bottle or heating pad, sauna); massage.
• Herbal medication and dietary supplements: There is weak scientific evidence that taking fish oil, vitamin B or magnesium supplements may help reduce menstrual pain. More research is needed though.
• Painkillers like ibuprofen: these have been shown to reduce pain but can cause adverse effects, including stomach problems, nausea, vomiting and headaches.
• Hormonal contraceptives like the “pill” which is used for birth control. It prevents ovulation, where an ovary releases a mature egg. If a woman does not ovulate, the lining of her womb does not become as thick as usual, and she has a lighter period. Hormonal contraceptives have been shown to reduce period pain. But they can have adverse effects, too.

If your period pains are so bad that you often have to stay at home in bed or you would like to take medication, it might help to see a doctor. With the help of your doctor you can find out whether the pain is being caused by other health problems and discuss suitable treatment options.

You will find more information about menstruation here.

Author: German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)

© IQWiG (Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care)