6 Reasons Ladies Have More Period Pains Than The Other

Here, six reasons your period could be lighter — or heavier— than your girlfriends’.

1. Your Diet Stinks
So you fell off the wagon for a few months— it happens. But a lousy diet doesn ’ t just affect the
scale . “ If women have a few months where their diet is really bad, that can alter menstrual flow, ”
says Dweck. One study of school- aged girls found that students who ate more junk food also suffered from more premenstrual symptoms .
Other research demonstrates that good - for - you nutrients— like omega- 3s and calcium— reduce period pains.

2. Your Age Is to Blame
“ For the first years after menstruation begins , there is no ovulation and longer cycles are common, ” says Mamta Mamik, M. D. , an
assistant professor of obstetrics , gynecology , and reproductive science at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai. As we age , periods normally become more regular and shorter, she
adds . That is until your 40 s or 50 s . Some women experience uncomfortable and haphazard
periods as they enter perimenopause — the stage right before menopause, says Dweck, who adds
that this could include worsening pain or bad bleeding.

3. You Don ’t Exercise — or You Exercise Too Much
There ’s a fine line when it comes to exercise and your period. “ Women who do not exercise at all
may have worse periods than women who do exercise, ” says Dweck. The good news is that
the fix may be as simple as little movement .

Ladies with bad cramps who exercise usually ease their cramping— cardio can improve your
flow and probably lighten your period, she says .

Just don’ t take it too far : “ Excessive exercise can lead to absent or reduced periods due to the
effect on the hypothalamus , which can suppress periods,” says Mamik. This , she adds , has to do
with a low body mass index ( BMI ) — which can lead to amenorrhea (a . k . a . total lack of a period).

4. Weight Woes Are at Play
This one ’ s hard to tease out, but Dweck says that
— in general— overweight women tend to have worse, more irregular periods. Research suggests
that this could be due to hormonal factors , such as amounts of insulin and estrogen .

The key to smooth sailing is landing somewhere in the middle. “ We’ ll see women with eating
disorders or who are athletes with BMIs below 18 or 19, and they will lose their periods, ” says
Dweck. Some theorize this is nature ’s way of preventing pregnancy during times of stress, she
says . Long term , not ovulating exposes you to less estrogen — which can have a negative effect on the bones , putting you at risk for osteoporosis.

5. You’re Not on the Pill
Docs don’ t just prescribe the Pill to prevent pregnancies : “ Taking oral contraceptives makes
periods more manageable and not as heavy, ” says Mamik. It’ s not just the Pill either — while some people report cramping after IUD insertion ,
studies suggest that the devices don’t increase cramping, and contrary to that, many report a decrease in the uncomfortable stomach pains.

6. Something More Serious Is Going On
None of these explanations fit the bill ? “ Periods may be affected by various underlying pathological factors in the uterus , ” says Mamik.
Fibroids ( abnormal growths in or on the uterus) and polyps (benign outgrowths from the lining of
the uterus ) can both make periods heavier and more painful than normal, she says .

Metabolic syndromes like polycystic ovarian syndrome can also cause irregular periods and
prolonged, excessive bleeding, says Mamik. The bottom line : If you ’re getting your period more
often than every three weeks or less often than every five weeks, bleeding in between periods, or
going through multiple tampons an hour , it’ s time to make an appointment with your ob- gyn , says
Dweck.