It's Time to Speak Up About Period Symptoms!

If you're living with disruptive period symptoms, and aren't sure what to do, you're not alone! According to one Dutch study, many women who suffer from heavy, painful periods keep their suffering to themselves. Even when these symptoms affect their ability to live a normal life!

After surveying 45,000 women, researchers found that 85% experienced painful cramps during their periods. 77% had mood disorders, and 71% experienced near-crippling exhaustion. And 33% of the respondents reported that these symptoms kept them from performing their daily activities. But among those 33% who cut back on activities because of their periods, less than half told their doctors or family members the reason for their life changes.

Lead study author Dr. Mark Schoep of Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands said, "We think there is a taboo on menstrual symptoms, mainly because women think this is just a normal part of life, and they might feel it is not accepted to openly discuss this matter.”

Period Symptoms: Painful Periods Are NOT Normal

While mild cramping isn't unusual during your period, symptoms that affect your daily life are a problem you should talk about with your doctor. In fact, menstrual symptoms can indicate serious complications, like uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis. If you don't talk to your doctor about these symptoms, you may miss a diagnosis-and keep suffering for nor reason.

“Women need to know that they should seek health care if they have menstrual symptoms that affect their daily life,” said Dr. Trine Stanley Karlsson of the University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm, Sweden, who was also involved in the study. And that's especially true, since these symptoms could be an early warning sign of uterine fibroids.

What are Fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous, muscular growths. They can develop in or on your uterus. And they're one of the most common health complications women face. Yet many women with fibroids don’t know the cause of their pain, often because they don't discuss warning signs like period symptoms.

Luckily, we can easily treat fibroids, especially if we diagnose you before they grow large. Remember, while we don't know exactly why women develop fibroids, we do know that race, family history, and certain environmental factors contribute to your risk. So, if you are one of the women at greater risk for fibroids, we suggest getting screened to help with early detection.

Solving Period Symptoms with Minimally Invasive Fibroid Treatment

When you treat your uterine fibroids, your period symptoms should resolve. For that reason, we suggest scheduling a consult with our team of fibroid specialists as soon as you notice changes in your cycle, or receive the diagnosis of a fibroid. Along with period symptoms, other signs of fibroids include constipation, weight gain, infertility, frequent urination, pelvic pain and heavy bleeding.

Remember, if you don't talk about your period symptoms, we can't help you find a solution. That's why, at our Houston Fibroids center, we encourage women to be proactive about their health. With UFE, (Uterine Fibroid Embolization, a minimally invasive fibroid treatment option) we can alleviate painful period symptoms related to your fibroids. But only if you speak up! So stop keeping discomfort to yourself. The sooner you share your health information, and make an appointment with our team of experts, the quicker we can get to work making you feel better.