7 Period Symptoms That Are Totally Normal
Once a month, some people find themselves face to face with mother nature, avoiding white pants, and binging on chocolate. Yup, I'm talking about periods, and while no one enjoys them, we all have to answer that monthly call with lots of tampons and some Aleve. Whether it's your first rodeo, or you've been riding the crimson wave for years, you may have some questions about what's normal and what's not when it comes to symptoms that accompany monthly bleeding. Well, we talked to an adolescent gynecologist and got the lowdown on everything that should and shouldn't be happening when it's your time of the month.
Bleeding
This one is obvious. You're not having your period if you're not bleeding! And as I said above, everyone's flow is different. It can be totally freaky when you look at your underpants and see blood for the first time, but you'll get used to it, I promise. It's also important to note that everyone experiences menstruation differently. Your friend might use one light tampon for a whole day while you're changing out a super every other hour.
When you should be worried: That being said, there is such a thing as too much bleeding. "If you feel like your flow is abnormally heavy, that could make you anemic," said Dr. Melisa Holmes, cofounder of Girlology and adolescent gynecologist. "If you're passing blood clots - which look kind of like dried up jell-o - that are bigger than a quarter or if you're soaking a pad or super tampon more that once an hour for several hours, those are warning signs that you're bleeding too much." In that case, make an appointment and talk to your doctor.
Cramps and Pain
You've heard the horror stories - cramps so rough they keep you in bed for days. In reality, cramps are another normal symptom of your period. Yes, they hurt, and they can leave your on the floor in the fetal position, but pop an ibuprofen and you should be good to go.
The same goes for back and side pain. These are two other totally normal symptoms, though, again, they shouldn't be too unbearable and should be easily alleviated with the help of some OTC meds.
When you should be worried: "There are some people who end up in bed, they end up missing school or work because of their cramps," said Dr. Holmes. "If that's the way your periods are affecting you, you definitely should see your provider because there's a lot of different things we can do to help with that." Cramps can be painful, but they shouldn't interfere with your daily life (you shouldn't have to miss school because you're on your period). If that's the case for you, head to the doctor. It may just be as simple as them prescribing a stronger pain med, but it could also be something more serious.
If the pain becomes too much to handle, this could be a sign of endometriosis or something more serious. That's when you should def call your doctor to get checked out.
Cravings
Yup, your period can cause cravings, that's not a myth. So, when you're on your second Oreo sleeve during your time of the month, go ahead and blame mother nature. Just keep in mind, a healthy diet can help ease some period symptoms, like cramps, and acne.
Emotions
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is real. If you're wondering why every few weeks that Riverdale episode causes you to get a little more emotional than intended and a slightly raised voice from your mom sends you into a tail spin, it could be because your time of the month is just a few days away. Dr. Holmes calls it "pre-menstrual emotional magnification," and it's totally normal.
When you should be worried: Dr. Holmes used the word "magnification" because PMS can intensify the emotions that are already there. So, if you deal with mental health issues in your daily life, getting your period can amp them up even more. Try to be cognizant of that and seek help if you have any thoughts of harming yourself or others.
Acne
Period breakouts are the WORST. "Our oils can be affected by our hormones," explains Dr. Holmes. The increase in hormones during your period causes an increase in oils, which clog your pores and leads to pimples. That means that someone who is prone to acne might experience it even more so, and those with normally clear skin may get the rare pimple during their time of the month. Don't worry, though, because we've got tons of tips to get rid of pimples, fast.
Boobs
And of course, you may notice that your boobs are popping out of your fave bra a little more than usual when you're on your period. "When you're menstruating, you've got a little more estrogen around and that makes your boobs tender and sometimes swell," said Dr. Holmes.
Magnification of Preexisting Conditions
If you haven't noticed, for the most part, during your period, a lot of the symptoms involve the intensification of conditions you already deal with (acne breakouts, emotional outbursts, etc.). That's actually a really common symptom that people experience in a multitude of different ways. "We call it menstrual magnification of preexisting conditions," said Dr. Holmes. "So, if you have a health condition like inflammatory bowel disease or an autoimmune disorder, or even if you get bad headaches, a lot of time you'll get a magnification of those symptoms when you're on your period." So, if you're feeling a little more ill than usual during your time of the month, you can crack it up to your period. Of course, whenever these symptoms start affecting your daily life, go see a doctor. There's no harm in just checking in to make sure everything is A-OK!
Carolyn Twersky is the Editorial Fellow at Seventeen.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram!
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