Most women have endured the torment of menstrual cramps. Do you know how severe your pain is? Take this quick quiz to assess your pain level. Discover 7 relief strategies and 4 period-friendly dietary recipes to ease discomfort and make your cycle smoother.Dysmenorrhea is categorized into three levels: mild (Level 1), moderate (Level 2), and severe (Level 3). Tailored treatment based on severity is key to alleviating symptoms. How do you gauge your pain level? Let's find out.
Self-assess your menstrual cycle symptoms and their severity (base score: 10 points)
Intolerable abdominal pain: 2 points
Noticeable abdominal pain: 1 point
Restless agitation: 2 points
Shock: 4 points
Pale complexion: 1 point
Cold sweat: 2 points
Extremity coldness: 2 points
Requires bed rest: 4 points>Restlessness (2 points)
Shock (4 points)
Paleness (1 point)
Cold sweat (2 points)
Cold extremities (2 points)
Requires bed rest (2 points)
Impacts work/studies (2 points)
Accompanied by lower back pain (1 point)
Accompanied by nausea/vomiting (1 point)
Anal distension: 1 point
Pain temporarily relieved by standard analgesics: 1 point
Pain unrelieved by standard analgesics: 2 points
Pain duration ≤1 day: 1 point
+2 points for each additional day of pain
Summary analysis:
Mild Grade 1: Total score 10-14 points.This level of pain can be alleviated through psychological and dietary adjustments. Appropriate consumption of ginger tea, brown sugar water, or rose tea may help relieve discomfort.
Moderate Level 2: Total score 16-24 points. This level of pain may benefit from appropriate medication. Using mild yet effective Chinese herbal products to regulate the body is a healthy approach. Herbal remedies that warm the meridians, promote blood circulation, and dispel blood stasis can be employed for adjustment.
Severe Level 3: Score 26-30 points. This signals a serious warning—the current level of physiological pain has reached a severe stage. For young girls, severe menstrual pain not only impacts studies but also significantly affects physical development.
For mature women, severe menstrual pain may trigger gynecological conditions such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, or endometriosis.Seek prompt medical evaluation to identify the cause of dysmenorrhea and undergo treatment under professional guidance.
Eight Strategies for Dysmenorrhea Management:
1. Protect Against Cold Exposure
Many women with dysmenorrhea have a uterus prone to cold. Prioritize warmth in daily life. When in air-conditioned spaces during summer, wear a long-sleeved jacket to shield the body from chill.
2. Limit cold beverages and cooling foods
Just as the stomach fears cold, frequent consumption of cold drinks can harm the uterus. Avoid indulging in ice cream or icy beverages.Cold-natured foods like bitter melon, watermelon, and purslane may help clear heat and detoxify for those with "heat" symptoms. However, women should minimize these during their menstrual cycle to prevent blood stagnation and severe pain.
3. Increase intake of warming foods
Since the uterus is sensitive to cold, we can counteract this by consuming more warming foods. The most common practice is drinking ginger and brown sugar tea around menstruation. This not only promotes overall comfort but also warms the uterus, facilitating smoother blood flow.
4. Increase intake of iron-rich foods
Menstrual blood loss can lead to anemia in some women, with iron deficiency anemia being the most common. Therefore, before your period, eat more iron-rich foods such as animal liver, cherries, and oysters. Iron is a key component of hemoglobin in the human body. Adequate iron supplementation helps promote blood production and prevents anemia symptoms during menstruation.
5. Maintain regular exercise
Stay active throughout your cycle, including before and after menstruation. The belief that exercise worsens cramps is unfounded; inactivity actually hinders blood flow. Engage in moderate physical activity—such as walking—before and during your period to promote smooth blood circulation.
6. Appropriate Use of Antispasmodic Pain Relief Medications
If pain becomes severe, consider using antispasmodic pain relief medications as directed. Do not force yourself to endure the pain, as this is detrimental to your health and significantly impacts your quality of life and work.
7. Psychological adjustment
Alongside physical care, mental adjustment is equally important. Excessive tension, anxiety, and irritability can trigger or worsen menstrual cramps. Understand the causes of menstrual pain and learn to regulate your emotions.
8. Dietary remedies for menstrual cramps:
【Angelica Sinensis】
Angelica, Ginger, and Lamb Soup
30g Angelica sinensis, 30g ginger, 500g lamb. Place Angelica sinensis and ginger in a clay pot with sufficient water. Add lamb cut into strips. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, then simmer over low heat for about 1.5 hours until lamb is tender. Add a moderate amount of rice wine when serving.
【Motherwort】
Motherwort and Goji Berry Soup
Use an appropriate amount of motherwort, 1 preserved egg, a handful of goji berries, and mushrooms to taste. Place all ingredients in a pot with sufficient water. The other ingredients help reduce the inherent bitterness of motherwort, maximizing its efficacy.Women experiencing qi stagnation and blood stasis-type dysmenorrhea may benefit from regularly consuming this soup. Additionally, incorporate liver-soothing, qi-regulating, blood-activating, and menstrual-regulating foods like white radish, citrus fruits, citron, and fennel.【Mugwort】
Old Hen with Mugwort Soup
1 old hen, 15g mugwort, a pinch of salt. Wash the old hen thoroughly and cut into chunks. Rinse the mugwort and add it to the pot with the hen pieces. Pour in an appropriate amount of water and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat, add salt, and stir until dissolved.Divide each batch into 2-3 servings. Consume 2-3 consecutive doses around menstruation. This helps alleviate menstrual cramps, tonifies qi and strengthens the spleen, and improves symptoms like scanty menstruation due to deficiency, insomnia with vivid dreams, and cold pain in the lower abdomen.First, place Buddha's Hand, Curcuma, and rice into a pot. Add sufficient water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer into porridge. Season to taste before serving. This porridge can also be consumed regularly outside of menstruation. Buddha's Hand aids in regulating qi, resolving phlegm, harmonizing the stomach, and alleviating pain.