Painful periods can be a nightmare all on their own, with or without the presence of chronic illness. The menstrual process can give you an array of symptoms including cramps, headaches, nausea, backache and general fatigue. There is no such thing as a ‘normal’ period as we are all different and what may be the norm for one person may be completely different for someone else. Periods can be heavy, light and anything in between with some people experiencing intermittent periods.

My own experience

From the age of 13 my periods were regular on the nose monthly affairs, as was the stomach pain I experienced along side them. Over the last few years though my periods have significantly changed due to my PCOS. Whilst the pain is still there, and at times worse than before, my actual period has decreased over the years and changed dramatically. My PCOS brings its own array of symptoms, but I also experience fatigue, nausea and backache intensely during this time.

My top tips for painful periods – as always speak to your doctor/specialist before trying any new tips or ideas.

• Heat Sources – Hot water bottles (wrapped in tea towels) are heaven sent in tackling stomach cramps. Heat pads are an alternative if you don’t have a choice but to leave the house. However be mindful of the heat of the hot water bottle and don’t burn yourself in your desire to attack the pain.

• Try gentle exercises – When you are in pain the last thing you want to do is exercise and stretch, especially as the pain makes you want to hunch into a ball, but just going against the grain and stretching your legs out can help with the cramps. You can do this with some basic yoga poses or by simply walking about (even around the house).

• Speak to pharmacist – Ask your pharmacist about any over the counter medications you can take to combat the pain.

• Try massage – Trying gentle massage on your stomach to calm your cramping muscles can aid in relaxing your whole being. You can do this yourself or get a very helpful assistant to do this for you.

• Find distraction techniques – As difficult as it may seem one of the best ways with dealing with your pain is to find things to distract you. That way you put your focus onto something other than the pain niggling away at you. Activities such as watching tv or a film, reading a book, some kind of crafting are great low energy activities that do not require much from you, but are enough to give you focus elsewhere.

Next weeks symptom: Body temperature issues