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Cramps and PMS
Another thing you may have heard about periods is cramps. Cramps happen for women because there are parts of our bodies that are actually muscles. The uterus and the vagina are both muscles. So, like any other muscle in the body, it can get cramps. Now, many women don't have cramps at all, but some women do. That means that part of their body goes into contraction and sometimes it can be uncomfortable or even painful. So, if you're a person who gets cramps during their period, here are a few things you can do: 1. You can use a hot water bottle, place it on the abdomen or lower back, or you can use a heating pad. Sometimes, drinking water can alleviate cramps, just like a cramp in any other part of the body, cramps can be caused by dehydration. Another thing that people can do is exercise. Sometimes you just have to get out a move around, even though that might feel like the last thing you want to do when you have a cramp, it actually can help make your body relax. So, cramps can happen. Also, sometimes people have cramps that are quite severe and uncomfortable and in that case they might need to take a medicine. And if you need to do that you probably need to talk to a doctor or a trusted adult to make sure that you are taking a medicine that is not unhealthy for your body. Another thing that can happen during periods and during puberty is called PMS. Some people call it pre-menstrual syndrome. That's kind of a fancy word for "pre", which means before, "menstrual" which means period, and "syndrome" which means a collection of things. Let me explain. Sometimes just before a period, there are hormones that move through people's bodies that cause some symptoms. Here are some common symptoms of PMS: sometimes people might notice that they are sore and tender, other times people might feel that they are gaining some weight and feel a little heavier around the middle area, sometimes people have very emotional experiences during PMS, they could feel very moody, like its easy to start to cry or get angry at someone. All of these things are common and its important to know that its just hormones and can signal that you are about to start your period. So, that's called PMS.
