DOUCHING

What is douching?

The word "douche" means to wash or soak in French. Douching is washing or cleaning out the vagina (also called the birth canal) with water or other mixtures of fluids. Usually douches are prepackaged mixes of water and vinegar, baking soda, or iodine. Women can buy these products at drug and grocery stores. The mixtures usually come in a bottle and can be squirted into the vagina through a tube or nozzle.

Why do women douche?

Women douche because they mistakenly believe it gives many benefits. In reality, douching may do more harm than good. Common reasons women give for using douches include:

• to clean the vagina
• to rinse away blood after monthly periods
• to get rid of odors from the vagina
• to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• to prevent pregnancy

How common is douching?

Douching is common among women in the United States. It is estimated that 20% to 40% of American women aged 15 to 44 years douche regularly. About half of these women douche every week.

Is douching safe?

Most doctors and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggest that women steer clear of douching. All healthy vaginas contain some bacteria and other organisms called the vaginal flora. The normal acidity of the vagina keeps the amount of bacteria down. But douching can change this delicate balance. This may make a woman more prone to vaginal infections. Plus, douching can spread existing vaginal infections up into the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

What are the dangers linked to douching?

Research shows that women who douche regularly have more health problems than women who do not. Doctors are still unsure whether douching causes these problems. Douching may simply be more common in groups of women who tend to have these issues. Health problems linked to douching include:

• vaginal irritation,
• vaginal infections called bacterial vaginosis or BV,
• sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and
• pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of a woman's uterus, Fallopian tubes and/or ovaries. It is caused by bacteria that travel from a woman's vagina and cervix up into her reproductive organs. If left untreated, PID can cause fertility problems (difficulties getting pregnant). PID also boosts a woman's chances of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in the Fallopian tube instead of the uterus). Some STDs, BV, and PID can all lead to serious problems during pregnancy. These include infection in the baby, problems with labor, and early delivery.

Should I douche to clean inside my vagina?

No. Doctors and the ACOG suggest women avoid douching completely. Most experts believe that douching increases a woman's chances of infection. The only time a woman should douche is when her doctor recommends it.

What is the best way to clean my vagina?

Most doctors say that it is best to let your vagina clean itself. The vagina cleans itself naturally by producing mucous. Women do not need to douche to wash away blood, semen, or vaginal discharge. The vagina gets rid of it alone. Also, it is important to note that even healthy, clean vaginas may have a mild odor.

Regular washing with warm water and mild soap during baths and showers will keep the outside of the vagina clean and healthy. Doctors suggest women avoid scented tampons, pad, powders, and sprays. These products may increase a woman's chances of getting vaginal infections.

My vagina has a terrible odor, can douching help?

No. Douching will only cover up the smell. It will not make it go away. If your vagina has a bad odor, you should call your doctor right away. It could be a sign of a bacterial infection,urinary tract infection, STD or a more serious problem.

Should I douche to get rid of vaginal discharge, pain, itching, or burning?

No. Douching may even make these problems worse. It is very important to call your doctor right away if you have:

• vaginal discharge with a bad smell
• thick, white or yellowish-green discharge with or without a smell
• burning, redness, and swelling of the vagina or the area around it
• pain when urinating or
• discomfort during sex

These may be signs of a bacterial infection, yeast infection, urinary tract infection, or STD. Do not douche before seeing your doctor. This can make it hard for the doctor to figure out what is wrong.

Can douching after sex prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

No. This is a myth. The only way to completely prevent STDs is to not have sex. But practicing safer sex will dramatically decrease your risk of getting these diseases. You can greatly reduce your chances of getting an STD in the following ways:

• using latex condoms or female condoms every time you have sex
• avoiding contact with sores on the penis or vagina
• preventing the exchange of semen, blood, and vaginal secretions

Can douching after sex stop me from getting pregnant?

No. Douching does not prevent pregnancy and should never be used as a means ofbirth control. Actually, douching may make it easier to get pregnant by pushing the sperm further up into the vagina and cervix.

Can douching hurt my chances of having a healthy pregnancy?

It may. Limited research shows that douching may make it more difficult for a woman to get pregnant. In women trying to get pregnant, those who douched more than once a week took the longest to get pregnant.

Studies also show that douching may boost a woman's chance of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg attaches to the inside of the Fallopian tube instead of the uterus. If left untreated, ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening. It can also make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant in the future.

Featured: Douching (Vaginal Douche) Main Article
Women douche for a variety of reasons, however, physicians do not recommend douching. Douching can change the vaginal flora, and make women more prone to vaginal infections, increase risk of infertility or ectopic pregnancy. Health problems linked to douching include vaginal irritation, STDs, pelvic inflammatory disease, and vaginal irritation.

How to Answer the Salary Question during Interview

How to Answer the Salary Question during Interview

 How to Answer the Salary Question during Interview
We all want to be honest and forthcoming in an interview. So when the question “What are you making now?” or “What kind of salary are you looking for?” comes up, it’s tempting to just cite a
number or a range and move forward – but try to resist the urge. If you reveal your salary expectations too early in the process, you lose two big opportunities:

   1. The opportunity to make them love you before they know your price.
   2. The opportunity to demonstrate your ability to handle an uncomfortable situation confidently and respectfully, without caving (a prized skill in most jobs).

To Answer or Not to Answer?

If you’ve done your homework, you should have a fairly good idea of the typical salary range for someone with your level of experience in the kind of position you’re seeking within your market.

If you feel it’s in your best interests to avoid the question, your reply should respectfully and professionally communicate three general principles:

    * Your interest in the opportunity;
    * Your expectation to be paid in line with market conditions and your experience level; and
    * Your willingness to discuss salary history once you and the company decide you’re the right person for the position.

If you’re applying for a sales-oriented job where negotiation skills are critical to success, then by all means demonstrate your negotiating finesse and your ability to diplomatically sidestep the question. If you’re applying for an administrative assistant’s position in a huge company with a rigid salary structure, there’s not much point in negotiating.

However, when you should answer depends on when in the hiring process the question comes up. Some companies demand a salary history with your application. Others will ask the salary question in an initial phone screen. The trouble is, at these early stages, they’re most likely trying to screen you out, not in. Even at these early stages of the selection process, you have a choice whether or not to provide a compensation number.

What to Say, When You Say It

Don’t get caught off guard. Craft a response that feels comfortable for you and practice saying it. Think that sounds silly? Remember that being unprepared for this question can literally cost you thousands of dollars.

Use the following examples as a guide. Modify them to suit your style and personality, then practice until you can say any one of them with a smile!

   1. “I was paid well in my last position. The number was in line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I’m very interested in this opportunity, and I’ll be happy to discuss my compensation history when we determine that I'm the right person for the job.”
   2.  “I realize you need to be sure my expectations are consistent with the salary range for this position. To ensure that we’re aligned, please tell me your range for this position.”
   3. “I’m reluctant to focus on just one factor at this stage when so many other factors affect what makes an opportunity a great fit: the job itself, the company, the people I'd be working with, and growth potential. So far, I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and I remain very interested in learning more!”
   4. “The actual figure will depend heavily on a number of important variables, but my experience and research tell me that fair compensation for this position falls in the range of __________.”  [Note: Name a wide salary range toward the higher end of your expectations. For example, “$45,000 to $65,000 per year” or “$14 to $19 per hour.”]

Remember, your negotiating leverage goes way up once they’re convinced they can't live without you. Just keep in mind that even if you don’t give a range immediately, chances are the employer won’t toss your resume in the wastebasket, says Michael Neece, chief strategy officer at PongoResume. “Your resume has already proven that they want to talk to you. I’ve never known of a situation in which a prospective employee was eliminated from consideration after an interview because he or she refused to answer the question.

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Some One

 

Fall In Love

 

I Love You

 

Let Me Kiss You

 

feel My Love

 

Best Wishes....

 

I MISS U

I MISS U

Pyelonephritis

What is the Definition of Pyelonephritis?

Pyelonephritis is a serious bacterial infection of the kidney that can be acute or chronic.

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Description of Pyelonephritis

One of the most common renal diseases, acutepyelonephritis is a sudden inflammation caused by bacteria. It primarily affects the interstitial area and the renal pelvis or, less often, the renal tubules.

Chronic pyelonephritis is persistent kidney inflammation that can scar the kidneys and may lead to chronic renal failure. This disease is most common in patients who are predisposed to recurrent acute pyelonephritis, such as those with urinary obstructions or vesicoureteral reflux.

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Causes of Pyelonephritis

Doctors believe that the bacterial infection causingpyelonephritis may sometimes develop elsewhere in the body and travel through the bloodstream to the kidney. Far more commonly, however, the infection is the result of bacteria from outside the body traveling back up the urinary stream through the urethra to the bladder and eventually to the kidneys, in which case it is known as an ascending infection. This may explain why women, whose urethras are short and in close proximity to the anus, a potential source of bacteria, have four times as many cases of pyelonephritis as men.

The flow of urine backward is known as reflux and may be caused by an anatomical defect or by an obstruction. In the former case, instead of a tight valve between the bladder and the ureter, there is a wide opening. When the bladder contracts during urination, the urine goes both ways, out through the urethra and back up through the ureters. The defect is not easy to correct and those who have it are subject to repeat infections.

Obstructions that cause reflux in women are commonly in the form of a stricture, or scar tissue, itself formed from infection or inflammation in the urethra. In young men, such strictures form less often and usually are a consequence of a sexually transmitted infection. In older men, the prostate is commonly responsible for obstruction to the flow of urine.

Reflux can also be caused by the insertion of catheters or instruments such as cystoscopes for diagnosis or treatment. The introduction of any foreign body into an area of obstruction is fraught with danger of infection which can be more difficult to treat.

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Symptoms of Pyelonephritis

No matter what the underlying cause, the symptoms of acute bacterial pyelonephritis are often the same. The first indications are usually shaking chills, accompanied by a high fever and pain in the joints and muscles including flank pain. Attention may not be drawn to the kidneys at all.

The situation may be especially confusing in children, when high temperature may suddenly bring on a seizure or a change in mental state, or in the aged, where fever may bring confusion, or the infection may be masked by generalized aches and pains.

There may be irritative voiding symptoms (burning when urinating, a sense of urgency, or increased frequency of urination).

In acute infections, the symptoms develop rapidly, the fever noted first, followed by possible changes in the color of the urine, and then tenderness in the flank. As the kidney becomes more inflamed, pain, loss of appetite, headache, and all the general effects of infection develop. This type of kidney pain differs from renal colic pain of kidney stones in that it is continuous and does not come in waves, stays in one spot, and may be worse by moving around.

While patients with chronic pyelonephritis may have acute infections, sometimes there are no symptoms, or the symptoms may be so mild that they go unnoticed. This carries the risk that the infectious inflammatory disease may progress slowly undetected over many years until there is enough deterioration to produce kidney failure. Thus, hypertension (high blood pressure) or anemia or symptoms related to renal insufficiency may be the first indication of trouble. Unfortunately, irreversible damage may have already taken place.

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Diagnosis of Pyelonephritis

Your physician will take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and recommend tests including blood tests and blood cultures, urinalysis and urine culture, and possibly an ultrasound study of the kidneys.

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Treatment for Pyelonephritis

Treatment centers on antibiotic therapy appropriate to the specific infecting organism, after identification by urine culture. When the infecting organism cannot be identified, therapy usually consists of a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Symptoms may disappear after several days of antibiotic therapy. Although urine usually becomes sterile within 48 to 72 hours, the course of such therapy is 21 days.

Patients with severe infections or complicating factors require hospitalization at least initially. In some patients, surgery may be necessary to relieve obstruction or correct an anatomical anomaly.

Follow-up treatment includes reculturing the urine several weeks after drug therapy stops in order to rule-out reinfection.

Patients at high risk of recurring urinary tract and kidney infections - such as those with prolonged use of an indwelling (Foley) catheter- require long-term follow-up.

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Prevention of Pyelonephritis

Some cases of pyelonephritis can be prevented by prompt recognition and treatment of minor bladder infections that, if left untreated, may progress to this more severe condition.

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What Questions to ask Your Doctor About Pyelonephritis?

What is the cause of the inflammation and infection?

Is there an anatomical defect or obstruction?

Can this defect be corrected?

Is the use of an antibiotic indicated?

What can be done to minimize further infection?

Would surgery be an option?

Is there any risk of eventual kidney failure?

Are You Allergic To Sex?

Women can be allergic to sex

A rare condition, in which some women can be allergic to sex with men, can occur. The compounds in the semen that appear to trigger this allergy seem to be proteins from the prostate gland. Allergic women produce an antibody to the proteins. This disorder is termed as "human seminal plasma hypersensitivity." If left untreated, this problem is a sure marriage and relationship wrecker. It could also be a source of frustration for the couple who wants to have children but must always use a condom.

The first case of an allergy to human seminal fluid was documented in 1958. Since then, the disorder has been diagnosed in a small number of cases. However, allergists believe the disorder is not readily recognized by gynaecologists.

Clinical presentation during sex allergy

For many women, a sexual allergy is as serious as a heart attack. Most sufferers complain of symptoms that include wheezing, itching, swelling and hives elsewhere on the body, chest tightness, vomiting, or diarrhoea. Semen allergy symptoms include localized reactions such as itching, burning and swelling in the genitals. Some women even report blisters in and near their genitalia. Severe reactions include choking sensation, loss of consciousness, drop in blood pressure or complete circulatory collapse. These distressed women could also die if anaphylactic shock causes the air pathways to swell up and block completely.

Typically symptoms occur within 30 minutes of intercourse, but in rare cases it may be hours or even days late. In some women, the reaction occurs only with one partner while others are allergic to all partners. Also, women are not in all cases allergic to semen itself, but to chemicals in the semen from food, beverages or medications that the man has had, ranging from penicillin to compounds in walnuts.

In an annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, a researcher put forth that about half of all women with semen allergy have other allergies as well, such as skin allergy or hay fever. Most women with the allergy are between age 20 and 30, and 41 percent experience symptoms the first time they have sex. In most cases, symptoms gradually worsen and occur sooner with subsequent exposures.

Diagnosis of sex allergy

Seminal fluid hypersensitivity can be anticipated when a female has zero symptoms after sex with a condom but shows clear symptoms of human seminal plasma hypersensitivity in case of unprotected intercourse. For the initial diagnostic screening, a single sample of the male's ejaculate is needed. But then the allergist needs 5 to 7 days worth of ejaculate to have the volume to formulate enough vaccine for regular injections. A skin reactivity test can confirm if a woman is allergic to seminal fluid.

Management of sex allergy

The condition can usually be treated by allergists although it takes some effort by concerned, caring male partners. Once the hypersensitivity is diagnosed, partners are called on to do more than just use a condom. This will prevent the semen from coming in contact with the skin. If condoms are not an option, an antihistamine or vaginal Cromolym sodium could often help, especially if it is a mild case. Before using these methods, however, it is important to discuss it with a gynaecologist to make sure that no infection is present. Allergists also warn that any women who suffer from semen allergy needs to have a self-injectable epinephrine kit by their side during the exposure in case of an anaphylactic shock reaction that is life threatening.

A New York allergist put forth that a woman can overcome this allergy by simply having sex more frequently. Frequent sex helps to train the immunity system in allergic women. Researchers have found that having sex two to three times a week can greatly help when dealing with a sex allergy. Patients not living near their partners can refrigerate or freeze specimens so they can continue frequent exposure.

Treatment involves injecting the women regularly with their partner's purified seminal proteins. This is done to desensitize a woman's immune system against semen. Doctors can either apply diluted samples of semen to a woman's vagina every 20 minutes, gradually increasing the concentration over the course of several hours (this technique is called intravaginal seminal graded challenge), or the women can receive allergy shots containing small amounts of semen over the course of several weeks. Both techniques require sex two or three times a week to train their immune system. There are also cases where women have outgrown the allergy without treatment. It is important to note that once these injections are started, couples must continue to have regular intercourse or the bothersome symptoms will return.

Whatever may be the reason behind an allergy to sex, sufferers can be rest assured that there are solutions to the problem other than celibacy. The most important thing is to seek the advice of an appropriate medical professional. Correct diagnosis and treatment can go a long way in making sex something to be enjoyed once again.

Some women are allergic to their own sex hormones

Some women suffer allergic reactions that coincide with their menstrual periods. In some cases this may simply be because menstruation makes them more susceptible to conventional allergens. In other cases, though, they may have "female sex hormone allergy" that is, they've become allergic to their own sex hormones.

Some women have been observed to react to the sex hormone progesterone. In one study of four women who suffered milder forms of anaphylaxis, two experienced marked improvement when they were given hormone-suppressing drugs. It should be noted that female sex hormone allergy is generally related to menstrual periods, not to sex.

Defining Yourself

Take a moment to think about this: What defines your worth?
 
Does your intelligence, your talents, your success, your money, or your looks define your worth? Does this mean that if you fail, lose your money, get old and lose your looks, or start to be forgetful as you grow older, you lose worth as a human being? Is your worth defined by externals or by your enduring internal qualities, such as kindness, devotion, compassion, warmth, honesty, openness to learning, sincerity, integrity, commitment, reliability, and so on? Is your worth defined by your natural abilities, or by your willingness to work hard for what is important to you? Is it outside validation or the inner love of learning that you value the most about yourself? Do you have to succeed to have worth, or can you fail and still find joy in the process of learning and improving?

Now take another minute and think about this: Who defines your worth and lovability? 

Is it your parents, your children, your partner, your friends, or your employer who decide whether or not you are good enough? Is it one person who defines you, or is it the important people in your life, or is it everyone - anyone you happen to meet?

Take another moment now and think about this: How and why would any of these people know your true intrinsic worth? Why would any of them have the authority to define your goodness or your worth as a human being?

I used to believe that if someone didn't like me or was upset with me, it meant I wasn't good enough. Everything changed for me when I realized that no one actually has the authority to decide this for me!

So who does have the information and authority about my intrinsic worth?

God, Spirit, my own Higher Self, my spiritual Guidance - whatever I tap into that is beyond my programmed mind and the programmed minds of others.

Unfortunately, our programmed wounded self believes that our worth is defined primarily by our achievements, and sometimes by our looks. The wounded self often believes that our abilities - such as our intelligence and our particular talents - are fixed quantities. Since they are fixed, why make any particular effort to learn and grow? These false beliefs of the wounded self stop our essence - the part of us that loves to learn - from tackling hard tasks, such as learning Inner Bonding and connecting with our spiritual Guidance. "I'm just not good at this," says the wounded self, "so why try? If I try and fail, then everyone will know that I'm not as smart or as talented or as enlightened as they think I am. If I were good at this, it would be easy for me. It's not worth taking the risk of failure." Since, to the wounded self, failure mean "I am a failure," the wounded self often refuses to put forth much effort.

However, our essence is like all small children - intensely curious and wanting to learn about EVERYTHING! But if, in our families and schools, we learn that our worth is defined by our success rather than by our intrinsic qualities, and we are taught that our abilities are fixed rather than can be developed with effort, we might give up making effort fairly early in life.    

It is never too late to change your mind about who and what defines you. You will find yourself motivated and excited about life when you define yourself by your internal qualities and re-discover the joy of learning!

Signs and symptoms of menstruation

Your mom has told you, you might be getting your period soon and not to be worried if you see a blood on your panties, right? She even bought pads or tampons in case you get your period when she is not at home and has probably showed you how to use them. But your mom forgot to explain what period really is and if there were signs and symptoms announcing the period’s arrival. This is at least how it was with me.

Other girls have not spoken to their mothers about menstruation but their friends have all already gotten menstruation, so they might be wondering when their turn was. 

Few girls expecting their periods to arrive actually know what period is. 

Menstruation (also known as menarche or period) is a woman's monthly bleeding, sure we all know that (even boys) but where is this blood coming from?

Menstruation is related to the woman’s reproductive organs and pregnancy.  

Menstruation is part of the menstrual cycle, which prepares the body for pregnancy each month. Menstruation is what occurs when pregnancy doesn’t. In menstruation, the body gets rid of the material that has been preparing for the potential pregnancy. The blood that comes out (to put it this simple) comes from the uterus i.e. it is the lining of the uterus (also called endometrium) that was created during the menstrual cycle, so that the fertilized egg (female egg joined with male spermatozoa) could attach to it and develop further into the fetus and grow into a baby. 

A cycle is counted from the first day of one’s period to the first day of the next period. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long, however girls’ cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 35 days. 

Body organs involved in the menstrual cycle

Parts of the body involved in the menstrual cycle include the brain, pituitary gland, uterus and cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and vagina.

The reproductive organs involved are:

1. Vagina - the muscular canal extending from the uterus to the exterior of the body, through which menstrual blood flushes out. 

2. The uterus - a pear-shaped organ which, in its non-pregnant state, is collapsed and about the size of your fist. It is located between the bladder and the lower intestines. The lower third of the uterus is called the cervix. The cervix has an opening called the os which opens into the vaginal canal and permits your period to flow out. 

3. Fallopian tubes - extending from each side of the uterus, through which eggs move to get to the uterus.  

4. Ovaries – placed near the end of each fallopian tube. They are almond-sized organs which produce eggs. 

Hormones preparing the body for the possible pregnancy: 

The ovaries make two important female hormones, estrogen and progesterone while the pituitary gland, situated in the brain, makes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone or LH.  

This is how the whole cycle goes: 

In the first half of the menstrual cycle, there is a rise in levels of estrogen to prepare the uterus for the possible pregnancy by making the lining of the uterus (endometrium) grow and thicken. The follicle-stimulating hormone makes an egg (ovum) from one of the ovaries mature. At about day 14 of a typical 28-day cycle, in response to a surge of luteinizing hormone, this egg leaves the ovary in a process calledovulation (What is ovulation?)

After leaving the ovary, the egg begins to travel through the fallopian tube to the uterus. There is a rise of the progesterone levels, which helps prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy. If the egg becomes fertilized by a sperm cell and attaches itself to the uterine wall, the woman becomes pregnant. If not, the egg either dissolves or is absorbed into the body. When pregnancy fails to occur, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, and the thickened lining of the uterus (showed as bloody material) is shed during the menstrual period.

Now, when we have covered this up, let’s turn to the real questions and problems

When does a girl usually get her first period?

The average age is 12 but not all girls start at the same age. It is actually possible to start period anytime between the ages of eight and 15. Most of the time, a girl has her first period about two years after her breasts had started to grow. 

How long does a woman have periods? 

Women usually menstruate until menopause. Menopause, meaning a woman is no longer ovulating (producing eggs) and can no longer get pregnant, can occur anytime between the ages of 45 and 55, usually around age 50.

How long do periods usually last?

Because all girls are different, the length of a period can vary from girl to girl. One girl might have a 3-day period while another girl a 7-day period. It could even take several years for a girl's period to become regular. One month the period might last 4 days, whereas the next month it might be 6 days. Some women experience irregular periods for several years and might not ever be "regular." Some doctors will prescribe birth control pills to help regulate your menstrual cycle. However, I find taking the pills for the cycle regulation unnecessary because stopping birth controls would take a girl to the previous “wacky” cycles and may cause a range of different annoying side effects. (Birth control side effects)(I do advise birth control for pregnancy prevention though but only after consultation with the gynecologist and necessary tests taken). 

What are the signs and symptoms of menstruation?

Bleeding from the vagina is the primary sign of menstruation. 

Symptoms that might be felt around the time of menstruation:

•    Cramping, bloating, and sore breasts
•    Water retention
•    Pelvic pressure
•    Backache
•    Food cravings
•    Difficulty concentrating
•    Mood swings and irritability
•    Headache and fatigue

Around 85% of women report some emotional or physical changes around the time their period occurs. If these physical and emotional symptoms are severe, it might be a sign of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).  PMS usually occurs one or two weeks before menstruation and is brought on by rising and falling hormonal levels just before the period begins. 

Some women may also experience positive sensations such as relief, release, euphoria, new beginning, invigoration, connection with nature, creative energy, exhilaration, increased sex drive and more intense orgasms. 

Is there a Way to Relieve These Symptoms?

Uterine cramping is the most common and the most annoying uncomfortable sensation women may experience during menstruation. There are two kinds of cramping. 

Spasmodic cramping – believed to be caused by prostaglandins, chemicals that affect muscle tension. Some prostaglandins cause relaxation while some cause constriction. Foods such as vegetables and fish, high in linoleic and liblenic acids, increases the prostaglandins for aiding muscle relaxation. 

Congestive cramping - makes the body retain fluids and salt. To counter congestive cramping, avoid wheat and dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, and refined sugar.
 
To alleviate cramping, don’t turn to pharmaceutical companies that target and create a market to treat this normal part of a woman's cycle as a disease for their own financial benefits. There are better, natural ways to do so.  

•    Increase exercise to improve blood and oxygen circulation throughout the body, including the pelvis.
•    Keep your abdomen warm. Use a heating pad or hot water bottle to ease your cramping.
•    Avoid using tampons as well as IUD (intrauterine device) as your birth control method because they are said to increase cramping
•    Avoid eating red meat, refined sugars (sweets), milk, and fatty foods. 
•    Eat lots of fresh vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruit. 
•    Avoid caffeine. It constricts blood vessels and increases tension. 
•    Meditate, get a massage. 
•    Have an orgasm (alone or with a partner). 
•    Drink ginger root tea (especially if you experience fatigue). 
•    Put cayenne pepper on food. It is a vasodilator and improves circulation. 
•    Take time for yourself and reduce stress by meditating, having a massage, or taking a bubble bath

Two types of PMS

The first type of PMS is characterized by symptoms such as anxiety, irritability and mood swings, which last until the beginning of the bleeding. This type is believed to be linked to the balance between estrogen and progesterone. If there’s a surge of estrogen, anxiety occurs while progesterone dominance often leads to depression. 

The second type of PMS is characterized by sugar craving, fatigue and headaches. In addition to sugar, women may crave chocolate, white bread, white rice, pastries, and noodles – in one word refined carbohydrates. These cravings are probably caused by the increased responsiveness to insulin related to increased hormone levels before menstruation. Women experience symptoms of low blood sugar and their brains are signaling a need for fuel. A consistent diet with complex carbohydrates will enable a steady flow of energy to the brain and disable the ups and downs of blood sugar variations.

Is it pregnancy or PMS?

Both of these conditions are characterized by the rise of the two hormones – estrogen and progesterone, so it happens often that the symptoms of these conditions overlap, which more than often leads to panic due to possible pregnancy. I’m sure you’ve been there because I have numerous times. 

Symptoms overlapping are: light cramping, backache, spotting for a day, food craving, breast tenderness, mood swings, bloating, etc

The only way to know if it were a period or pregnancy is to wait for the day you are supposed to get your period or the day after and if missed, to get a pregnancy test done. Only this way, you can tell for sure if it’s pregnancy or PMS symptoms you are experiencing. 

I’ve tried to cover the symptoms of the menstrual periods.  If the article has made you wanting to know more about periods, you can go through some of the following ones: