3 unlikely causes of your period pain
Image: Sydney Sims on Unsplash
When it comes to period pain, so many of us tend to brush it away as simply part of being a woman. That its part of some mysterious, mystical thing we have no control over, but I’m here to tell you: that’s simply not true. The way we live our lives also impacts the way we experience our periods because, even if we barely think about the fact that we have a womb or will it into submission with hormones, its still there - part of our biology and affected by everything we do.
The good news? If you’re suffering with period pain, you might be able to experience less painful bleeds, simply by tweaking your lifestyle. Here are three, possibly unlikely, culprits that could be adding to your period pains:
Your shower gel
And your body lotion, toothpaste, nail varnish, lipstick, perfume, washing up liquid and toilet cleaner. Cosmetics and household products are loaded with synthetic chemicals that are known by now to be endocrine disruptors (your endocrine system is your hormonal system). So how do those things affect your period?
Your body has an amazing, in-built detoxification system that flushes out all kinds of toxic substances from your body. Your liver is a super special organ (and can also regenerate and grow back - how cool is that?!) and it’s responsible for removing the chemicals found in the items I’ve listed above. It’s also responsible for getting rid of excess oestrogen - one of the important hormones in your menstrual cycle.
If your liver is overloaded from having to remove a massive amount of harmful chemicals, it’ll put oestrogen as low priority, because its produced by you. It’s seen as less of a threat. And if you’re constantly loading your body with these chemicals, then the amount of excess oestrogen you have will rise. And why is that a bad thing? Because excess oestrogen is linked to a whole host of menstrual issues, including heavy bleeding, strong cramps and tender breasts. Having more oestrogen than you need can also increase your risk of ovarian and breast cancer.
What to do? Firstly, don’t panic. Your body is wiser than you credit it for and it wants to keep you in balance. Start switching your cosmetics and household cleaners with natural ones, and reduce the load that your liver has to work with.
Your gin
Or maybe for you, it’s wine. I mean, who doesn’t love a chilled glass of rose on a summer’s evening? I do! But while alcohol tastes wonderful, it is technically a poison and needs to be processed by your liver. Which means it’ll get higher priority at being removed than your oestrogen and you’ve just learned about that. But secondly, alcohol has the added downside of being able to actually increase the production of of oestrogen in your body, giving you a double whammy of yet more stuff for your liver to have to sort through.
And lastly? Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it dehydrates your body, which can make your cramps worse because it can make your menstrual blood and mucus thicker, and therefore harder to pass through your uterus and vagina.
What to do? Try ditching the booze while you bleed, and tracking how your beloved G & T impacts you throughout your cycle.
Your tampon
While there’s no scientific evidence yet, there’s a TON of anecdotal evidence that the products you use can contribute to your pain. If you’re living with endometriosis, PCOS or experiencing awful cramps, switching from an internal period product to an external one can reduce your cramps by leaving your vagina free to bleed. And whilst we’re at it, did you know that conventional period products are usually chemically bleached and doused in pesticide? Again, adding extra work for your poor liver.
What to do? Switch to organic, chemical free period products, period. The less chemicals you have near you,the better - not to mention if you’e wearing them inside your body. If you’re looking for external products, try period underwear or re-usable pads and see how you go.
We delve into more lifestyle factors that affect your menstrual health in my course, Love Your Flow, along with learning how to accurately predict when your period will come and how to implement self-care to help you go from having period pain, to period power.
If you’re curious about applying menstrual cycle awareness to your life, you can schedule a free 30min call with me or check out my coaching space.