Step 3- manage

Evidence-based tips and tricks to improve your health and wellbeing!

 

Work out if your experiences are;

Normal

Normal (pre)menstrual changes

Or a condition that is worsened or triggered by the menstrual cycle

manage

Quick links...

Pain
Bleeding
Digestion
Mood
Other

What are you experiencing?

Normal (pre)menstrual changes

Typically mild and variable (+/-).

Do not usually require intervention.

[Click on individual symptoms to find more specific tips and tricks]

  1. Mild abdominal (period) pain
  2. Mild muscle/ joint pain
  3. Mild digestive changes
  4. Appetite
  5. Sociability
  6. Weight/ water retention
  7. Skin quality
  8. Sleep quality
  9. Energy levels
  10. Tearfulness (e.g. due to joy, empathy or emotional distress)
  11. Mood (positive and negative e.g. feeling 'moved' or a bit irritable- especially if hungry or tired)
  12. Body temperature
  13. Mild dizziness/ low blood sugar feeling
  14. Concentration
  15. Creativity
  16. Sensitivity to light, sound, odour
  17. Blood loss less than 80ml (160ml fluid) per period

Unusual changes

Indicative of an underlying condition.

Seek medical advice.

[Click on individual symptoms to find more specific tips and tricks]

  1. Suicidal ideation/ intent to self-harm
  2. Severe negative mood change
  3. Prolonged or mid-cycle bleeding
  4. Irregular or lack of bleeding
  5. Heavy bleeding- over 80ml blood (160ml fluid) per period
  6. Regularly very painful periods
  7. Itchy or painful vulva/ vagina [specific tips coming soon- general info here]
  8. Itchy yellow or 'fishy' smelling discharge
  9. Sudden sharp abdominal pain- not period pain
  10. Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, odour
  11. Weak bladder/ incontinence
  12. Pain during sex/ tampon insertion

 

An underlying condition

Common conditions that are worsened, or triggered, by (pre)menstrual changes

May improve with anti-inflammatory approaches but unlikely to fully resolve without additional intervention - seek medical advice.

[Click on individual symptoms to find more specific tips and tricks]

  1. Iron deficiency/ anaemia [specific tips coming soon- general info here]
  2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  3. Menstrual Migraine
  4. Fibroids
  5. Endometriosis/ Adenomyosis
  6. Ovarian cysts
  7. Anxiety/ Depression
  8. PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)
  9. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
  10. Asthma
  11. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB)
  12. Epilepsy [specific tips coming soon- general info here]
  13. Myalgic Encephalitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  14. Diabetes [specific tips coming soon- general info here]
  15. Skin disorders; acne, eczema, psoriasis [specific tips coming soon- general info here]
  16. Sleep disorders; insomnia, hypersomnia [specific tips coming soon- general info here]
  17. Auto-immune disorders; Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Fibromyalgia [specific tips coming soon- general info here]

Find out how to manage...

Normal changes
Unusual changes