Women with menstrual pain should drink hot drinks and eat chocolate in moderation

Some women roll on the ground due to the pain during their menstrual period, so they have to buy painkillers on their own to relieve the pain. In fact, doctors recommend that non-steroidal painkillers or birth control pills prescribed by a doctor are the best options. In addition, acupuncture and taking vitamin E can also help relieve pain.

Dr. Huang Yining said that chocolate should be consumed in moderation during menstruation.

Huang Yining, a family medicine physician at the Ren'ai branch of Taipei City United Hospital, pointed out that according to a survey, 23% of women "experience pain every time they have their menstrual period", 30% "often experience pain", 40% "only occasionally experience pain", and only 7% of women "have no such problem at all", which shows that menstrual pain is a very common experience. Clinically, in the emergency room, it is common to see women aged 17 or 18 holding their stomachs, curling up on the bed like shrimps, and even breaking out in cold sweats and rolling around. After examination, it was found that they were suffering from menstrual cramps. Menstrual pain can be divided into two categories, including "primary dysmenorrhea" and "secondary dysmenorrhea".

"Primary dysmenorrhea" usually starts 1 to 2 years after the first menstruation. The nature of the pain is similar to labor pains, but the degree varies from person to person. Some people only feel stuffy in the lower abdomen or back pain, while others experience severe pain. It may be related to prostaglandins causing uterine contraction and ischemia. Other factors such as psychological factors, physical constitution, and endocrine factors also have an impact. Foreign studies have found that the higher the socioeconomic status of women, the more severe their menstrual pain. This shows the connection between psychological stress and menstrual pain. "Secondary dysmenorrhea" is pain caused by pathological problems such as endometriosis, pelvic bacterial infection, and uterine fibroids.

Huang Yining said that when women experience menstrual pain, the most common thing they do is "drink hot drinks", accounting for 38%, such as brown sugar, longan tea, hot cocoa, etc. The second place is "rest and do nothing". Then the order is "eat chocolate", "drink warm water", "take painkillers", "hot compress", etc. This shows that women prefer to relieve pain through diet and do not like to use medication.

Once it is confirmed to be primary dysmenorrhea, medication is still the most effective. One is non-steroidal analgesics, and the other is contraceptives. It can also adjust the menstrual cycle, but it is best to get a prescription from a doctor. As for other auxiliary treatments, such as acupuncture and taking 400 to 800 mg of vitamin E per day, they can improve blood circulation in the uterine muscles. Apply heat to the lower abdomen with a hot water bottle or electric blanket. In addition, reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids such as meat and dairy products and replacing them with polyunsaturated fats (such as foods containing omega-3 such as salmon, tuna, and saury) have all been proven to be effective.

Others include: taking more B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium during menstruation. Whole-wheat cereals are rich in fiber and contain a lot of magnesium, so you can eat more of them. Moderate exercise, such as yoga, meditation, and jogging, can also help. In addition, you should pay attention to reducing caffeine intake, keeping your body warm, and avoid eating raw or cold food, including cold lettuce, watermelon, and icy food and drinks, so as to avoid aggravating the pain caused by abdominal vasoconstriction.

Girls like to eat sweets during their menstrual period. For example, chocolate can induce the release of endorphins in the brain that make people feel happy. Each gram of chocolate contains about 1 mg of magnesium, but chocolate also contains caffeine, so Huang Yining recommends eating it in moderation. In addition, eating sweets during menstruation will make you fat. During menstruation, you consume calories and eliminate some water. It may be difficult to gain weight at that time, but matter is indestructible and you will still gain weight after consuming too many calories, so you still need to be moderate.