Period pain is very common where around 7 in 10 women have painful periods. That doesn't mean you have to put up with it, especially if it keeps you off school or stops you training.
Why do periods hurt?
Before your period starts, the lining of your womb makes chemicals called prostaglandins. They make the muscle of your womb tighten so it can push the lining out. People with painful periods tend to have higher levels of prostaglandins, so the squeezing is stronger and hurts more. Prostaglandins can also affect your gut, which is why some people get diarrhoea or feel sick around their period.
When nothing else is causing it, doctors call this primary dysmenorrhoea. It usually starts just before or as your period begins and is worst in the first day or two.
What helps
Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen or naproxen work well for most people, because they block the body from making prostaglandins. They work best if you take them as soon as the pain starts. Your doctor may recommend them to help you with the dose and always ask a pharmacist first if you have asthma or a sensitive stomach. They don't work for everyone, though. Around 1 in 5 people get little relief from them.
Heat helps too. A hot water bottle or heat pad on your lower tummy can ease cramps. A scientific study found that heat may work about as well as anti-inflammatory painkillers, with fewer side effects.
Moving your body regularly can lower period pain over time where science found that exercise done regularly across the month may reduce how bad period pain feels.
Hormonal contraception such as the pill is also often used to make periods less painful. This is something to talk through with a doctor.
When to get it checked
Pain that stops you doing normal things is always worth getting looked at. Sometimes it's a sign of endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it. Symptoms often start in the teenage years.
International guidance says doctors should think about endometriosis in young people who have one or more of these:
period pain that affects your daily life
pain during or after sex
pain when you poo or pee around your period
long-lasting pain in your lower tummy or pelvis
See a doctor too if:
painkillers aren't helping
your pain is getting worse over time
you have pain between periods
If you can, bring your cycle tracker with you. A record of your pain each month helps a doctor see the pattern.