The period symptoms women are taught to tolerate
For some women, the days before a period bring as much anxiety as the bleeding itself. Severe cramps, heavy flow, and other disruptive symptoms are often dismissed as normal, leaving many to endure pain that deserves medical attention.
For some women, the approach of a period is something to worry about. Before the first sign of bleeding, there may already be questions running through their minds. Will the pain be as bad as last month? Will painkillers work? Will they be able to get through the day without rushing home or looking for somewhere to lie down?
The anxiety is not always about the inconvenience of bleeding. It is about remembering what came with it the last time: cramps that made it difficult to stand upright, bleeding that seemed impossible to manage, nausea, exhaustion, or pain that made ordinary activities feel like too much.
Yet, women who describe these experiences are often told that painful periods are normal. Some have heard it for so long that they no longer consider seeking help. They prepare for the discomfort, stock up on painkillers and rearrange their lives around a few difficult days every month.
Research among 310 female students at a private university in Ogun State found that 78.1 percent experienced dysmenorrhoea, the medical term for painful periods. Many of those who reported the condition ignored the pain. The study also found that menstrual pain restricted physical activities and contributed to social withdrawal. Although the findings relate to university students rather than women across Nigeria, they point to how easily period pain becomes something women are expected to endure.
When period pain is more than a bad few days
Some discomfort during menstruation is common. As the womb contracts to shed its lining, women may experience cramps in the lower abdomen, back, and thighs. The pain often lasts a few days and can be managed with appropriate pain relief and heat therapy.
But pain that regularly prevents a woman from going to work or school, makes it difficult to carry out everyday activities, becomes progressively worse, or does not respond to painkillers should not be brushed aside.
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There may be an underlying condition. Endometriosis, for instance, occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it. It can cause severe period pain, persistent pelvic pain, pain during sex, and discomfort when passing urine or stool. Adenomyosis and fibroids can also cause painful menstruation and heavy bleeding.
Having painful periods does not automatically mean a woman has one of these conditions. However, recurring pain that disrupts daily life deserves medical assessment. The fact that it happens every month does not make it harmless.
The problem with being used to heavy bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding can also become part of a woman’s routine without her recognising that it needs attention. She may know which pads offer the most protection, carry spare clothes or avoid long journeys on certain days. She may even assume that bleeding through clothes or waking up to stained bedsheets is something every woman experiences.
Signs of unusually heavy bleeding include changing a pad or tampon every one to two hours, needing two forms of menstrual protection at once, passing large blood clots, bleeding for more than seven days or regularly soaking through clothes and bedding. Heavy bleeding can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia, which may cause exhaustion, weakness and shortness of breath.
Bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, and periods that suddenly become heavier or more painful also warrant medical attention. A healthcare professional may recommend an examination, blood tests or an ultrasound, depending on the symptoms.
Women should not have to plan their lives around pain
When difficult periods become a familiar experience, it is easy to focus on getting through them rather than finding out why they are happening. Keeping painkillers close, cancelling plans, and enduring the discomfort can become routine. But managing the symptoms does not necessarily address their cause.
Keeping a record of menstrual cycles can help women identify patterns and explain their experiences during a consultation. This can include how long bleeding lasts, how frequently sanitary products need changing, how severe the pain is, and whether symptoms affect sleep, work or everyday activities.
Severe or worsening pelvic pain, particularly when pain relief does not help, needs prompt medical attention. Very heavy bleeding accompanied by dizziness, weakness or shortness of breath should also be assessed urgently.
Women should not have to spend the days before every period dreading what their bodies are about to put them through. Menstruation is normal; debilitating pain and unusually heavy bleeding should not simply be accepted as the price of having it.
