Dealing With Cramps

So it’s that time of the month again and you’re thinking to yourself “Why is my case different?” “Why am I not like Ama who has less pain, or even like Akosua who has no pain at all?” Well my dear, the truth is that we are all different and due to several factors such as our unique physiologies, when we started menstruating or even severity of flow, we might or might not experience pain.

Don’t worry girl! I’ve got some good news for you. Menstrual pain can be effectively managed so you don’t have to worry. There are several home-based remedies you can use to control the pain. Your mum or granny probably mentioned you can use a hot-water bottle or take a warm shower or use a warm towel on your abdomen but you figured they were ‘old-school’ and didn’t bother. It works okay, so next month, don’t wait till you have to miss classes because of this pain. Try it out and see.

Do you remember that aunty of yours who used to like chewing ginger a lot when you were younger? She would grate this ginger and boil it, strain and add a little lemon juice and honey and be sipping it like some wonder tea or she would add it to her food a lot more at some particular time of the month. You were too young to notice she did this for only a few days but yeah, that was her own way of dealing with cramps.

Well let’s say you just don’t like this whole ginger thing, or you’re in the boarding house so access to heat can be an issue. Aunty Mansa, the fruit seller who comes around almost always has pawpaw right? Well, this is the time to befriend her. When you realize it’s almost that time of the month and even when you start bleeding, buy some of her pawpaw to add to your diet. This has proven to help some people avoid pain. Of course, since you’re her friend, she would ‘do you fine’.

Some people just have to avoid certain foods that trigger the pain. For some it is hot red pepper, for others it is milk. Yours might be different. You just have to know what doesn’t work for you and try and avoid it as much as possible. Please don’t forget to drink in lots of water during this period. It really helps. In fact, as for drinking a lot of water, make it a regular habit for your general health and well-being.