Step 3- manage

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

 

Work out if your experiences are;

Normal

Normal (pre)menstrual change

(Pre)Menstrual Inflammation- PMI

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

(Pre)Menstrual Inflammation - PMI

If regularly moderate and/ or occasionally severe.

Respond to anti-inflammatory approaches.

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

  1. Abdominal (period) pain
  2. Irritability/ anger
  3. Digestive changes: bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, food cravings, nausea/ vomiting
  4. Back/ muscle/ joint pain
  5. Breast tenderness
  6. Fatigue
  7. Headache
  8. Low mood/ self esteem
  9. Anxiety/ tension
  10. Blood loss regularly around 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
Premenstrual Inflammation
Unusual changes