Don't Just Go With The Flow: 5 Tips To Make Your Period Lighter

Periods are known for being a pretty big pain, but they can be even worse for some women. If you have a really heavy menstrual flow, you could be wondering what you can do to improve it. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to make your periods lighter.

1. Eat Healthier

Although you might already know that eating a proper diet can help you enjoy better overall health, you might have never thought about the effect that your diet might have on your period. However, your diet can actually help you regulate your period in more ways than one. For example, consuming a diet that is low in animal fat but that contains plenty of fish oils can help moderate your heavy period, so it's a good idea to start eating more fish and less red meat. Eating more vegetables and whole grains can help, too.

2. Get More Exercise

Along with eating a healthy diet, exercising is also critical for maintaining good health, and it can actually help your period as well. Along with potentially lightening your period, exercising regularly can also help stabilize your mood, reduce the pain that comes from menstrual cramps and otherwise help make your period a little more bearable.

3. Take Birth Control

Did you know that taking birth control pills or other forms of birth control can actually help lighten your period? This is because birth control pills help regulate the estrogen and progesterone hormones in your body. Plus, you'll notice that your periods are more regular and less uncomfortable. If this is something that you're interested in, you should talk to your gynecologist or your primary care physician to find out more about getting on birth control.

4. Have Potential Health Concerns Ruled Out

Sometimes, heavy periods are more serious than they seem. Menorrhagia, which means having heavy periods, can be caused by fibroids, a miscarriage, problems with your IUD form of birth control, pelvic inflammatory disease or a host of other health concerns. Although having heavy periods does not necessarily mean that you have one of these health conditions, it is critical to see your gynecologist to get checked out. Then, you can find any potential problems and can seek treatment for both your health and to help reduce your monthly menstrual flow.

If you have heavy periods, you know just how uncomfortable menstruation can be. Luckily, you don't have to just deal with it. Instead, if you follow these four tips, you are sure to see a difference in your periods. Then, you can start feeling normal again -- all month long.

Contact a gynecologist like Desert Rose OBGYN PC for more information.