Periods Pain and Mood Swings
Cradling your stomach with a hot water bottle might seem like the norm at ‘that time of the month’. However, if you are doubling over with debilitating pain, it could actually be a sign of something much worse. While most ‘normal’ period pain can be fixed with ibuprofen or an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, severe symptoms such as nausea, back or leg pain, or bleeding at unexpected times of the month can all point to a more serious condition – endometriosis.
Dr. Lara Briden explains that endometriosis is a condition where bits of the uterus lining grow in other places outside of the uterus such as the ovaries, bladder, or intestines. ‘Women who experience some degree of menstrual pain, caused by prostaglandins, will be suffering from your run-of-the-mill, standard period pain,’ she says.
