You're not alone

Next time you're curled up in bed with a hot water bottle, wishing the cramps would go away, it might make you feel a bit better to know that most women have period pain at some point in their lives and that some suffer every month. So if you've got a mate who hardly feels a thing when she's on, tell her she's one of the luckiest girls on the planet.

A lot of girls say that stomach cramps are a sign they're about to come on and that the aches and pains only last a day or so. But some girls can suffer for 3 days or even longer - if this is you, we really do sympathise.

When it comes to how bad the cramps get, you might feel slightly uncomfortable but be able to carry on with what you're doing, or you could be in absolute agony, with such intense pain that you can't even stand up and have to take time off school or work.

Usually the pain is centred in your lower abdomen but sometimes it travels up your spine, down your legs and round to your lower back. To make matters worse, you might also feel dizzy or nauseous, and you could even be sick or have other symptoms such as headaches, diarrhoea or constipation.

For some girls, it's not just period pain they have to contend with every month. In the days (sometimes weeks) leading up to their period, they also suffer from Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), with symptoms such as bloating, tender breasts, a swollen stomach, back and lower abdominal pain, headaches, lack of concentration, mood swings, clumsiness and tiredness.

Period Predictor

Use our Period Predictor to find out the likely start dates of your periods for the next 12 months

Click here

Did you know?