Menstrual cramps affect almost everyone who has ever had a period. Those who are luckier than the rest may get mild cramps with little difficulty, while others may experience excruciating pain that prevents you from doing almost everything.
Menstrual cramps can affect anyone who has a period, can be mild or severe, and can occur both before and during your period. As women use tampons, they think that the tampon can cause their cramps.
Tampons and pads have been around for a long time for a reason: they work. But Do tampons cause cramps? Do tampons make your cramps worse than before? Typically tampons have nothing to do with period or cramps being worse. Here’s what you need to know.
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Tampons Make Period Worse
Tampons are one way to absorb menstrual flow when you’re on your period. Tampons can be used with or without an applicator to enter the vaginal canal. Surprisingly, tampons are regulated as medical devices by the FDA. Tampons approved by the FDA are intended to be used once and then discarded.
Tampons are also unlikely to cause period cramps. Period cramps start in your uterus, much deeper in your body than a tampon can reach.
On the other hand, tampons may contribute to painful periods in various ways, like tampons are challenging to use, may leave residue in your vagina, and have a higher risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
But Tampons might contribute to pelvic pain in some circumstances. However, not all pelvic aches are period cramps.
Tampons and Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic illness that can significantly impact your mental health and relationships. Campaigners, charities, and individuals have worked relentlessly to raise awareness about chronic pain and confront how devastating it can be.
Endometriosis causes chronic pain because the tissue that resembles the lining of your womb can develop and swell with blood in the same manner that the lining of your uterus does during your period. This blood cannot quickly leave your body, resulting in excruciating discomfort.
The usage of tampons seems to have a more significant protective effect. Compared to women without endometriosis, women with endometriosis were less likely (11.6 percent) to use tampons solely during menstruation (20.9 percent). About the same number of women said they used both pads and tampons in each group.
Women with endometriosis were 31.3 percent more likely than non-endometriosis women to use just pads, compared to 22.1 percent of non-endometriosis women. According to a statistical study, women who exclusively used tampons were 2.6 times less likely to have endometriosis than women who used pads or pads and tampons.
For comparison, general rates of tampon use were determined from many published studies utilizing control groups matched to instances of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Tampon use among women with endometriosis was like that of the general population, ranging from 75 to 83 percent.
Cramps After Inserting Tampon
The uterus releases prostaglandins, which produce cramps. Insertion of tampons has nothing to do with cramps. But there are some reasons why your tampon may hurt. You must insert your tampon deep enough at the right angle.
Also, tampons may hurt if they absorb your flow too much. If you insert it correctly, it will never be hurtful. So, tampons must be inserted correctly, with enough lubrication to get the best Use.
Tampons should be scarcely perceptible, or at the very least pleasant for the duration of the time; they are worn if they are inserted appropriately.
Of course, everyone is unique. Some people may be more sensitive to tampons than others. While those folks may be able to feel the tampon inside of them, it should never be unpleasant or uncomfortable.
Here is the proper way to insert a tampon which may come in handy removing discomfort after inserting tampons:
- Clean your hand correctly to remove the wrapper of the tampons.
- To insert a comfortable position, use one hand to hold the tampon by its applicator and the other hand to open the labia.
- Gently insert the tampon into your vaginal canal and lift the tampon’s plunger to remove the tampon from the applicator.
- You can use your pointer finger to push the tampon the rest of the way in if it isn’t far enough inside.
Also, you must understand which size of tampons you should use. The size of your tampon is entirely dependent on how heavy your flow is. The period is different for everyone, and you’ll undoubtedly notice that some days are more severe than others.
Do Tampons Cause Cramps?
The straight answer to this question is “No.” Tampons have nothing to do with your cramps. Period cramps start in your uterus, much deeper in your body than a tampon can reach.
On the other hand, Tampons may contribute to painful periods in various ways. Here is the reason why tampons cannot cause cramps.
These are the causes of cramps-
- Prostaglandins, molecules associated with pain and inflammation, are released during your flow.
- Uterus contractions are triggered by the prostaglandins, which help your uterus shed its lining.
- Prostaglandins continue to be released as the lining and blood flow out until your menstruation is over. Prostaglandin levels in certain persons rise to dangerously high levels, resulting in excruciating cramps.
So, as we can see, there is no link between cramps and the vagina. It starts in the uterus. On the other hand, tampons stay in your vagina. So, tampons cannot be a reason for cramps.
Do Tampons Make Cramps Better?
As we discussed above, there is no connection between cramps and tampons. If you correctly insert the tampon, there is no reason to hurt or make your cramp better. Also, you must adequately remove the tampon to be more comfortable using it.
Tampons may add to your cramps. It may grow into the cervix, causing cramping, pressure, irritation, and fibers accumulating in the cervical opening. Tampons can irritate vaginal tissues and tug on vaginal walls while absorbing moisture, which can cause pain. Tampon ingredients could be hormone disruptors.
What Period Products Can You Use Instead?
We’ve gone a long way since the 1970s when women had to use belts to keep their pads in place because adhesive sanitary napkins had not yet been produced. As technology advances, there are even more inventive ways to greet your menstrual cycle when she visits town.
Pads
Pads, often known as sanitary napkins, are underpants that stick to your underwear and gather menstrual blood on a padded surface. Some choices have wings that fold under your underwear to minimize leaks and stains.
Although some are made of organic cotton, most pads are single-use and can be cleaned and reused. Instead of adhering to the underwear, this pad usually uses buttons or snaps.
Period Underwear
Period underwear can act as a backup for tampons, allowing you to get the hang of things without having to worry about leakage. They’re also perfect for full-time Use on lighter days or for individuals who don’t want to use internal menstruation products and prefer a more sustainable solution.
Although there is no fixed time for changing your period underwear, bacteria begin to build after a few hours, and they begin to smell rather nasty, so it’s a good idea to do so regularly.
Menstrual Cup
Menstrual cups, which collect blood from inside the vaginal canal for up to 12 hours at a time, are one of the most popular alternatives to tampons and pads. You may be overwhelmed by a large number of styles, sizes, and shapes from which to choose.
Menstrual Disc
Menstrual discs are implanted and collect period blood in the same way as menstrual cups. Apart from that, a few significant distinctions place these tampon alternatives in a class of their own.
Discs, as the name suggests, are discs rather than cups. But it’s the positioning that sets them apart. Menstrual discs sit at the vaginal fornix, deeper into the vaginal canal than the menstrual cup, where a tampon also sits.
This is a significant distinction because it allows discs to be worn safely during intercourse while limiting blood flow (menstrual cups cannot). Menstrual discs, like tampons, are disposable and should not be reused
Reusable Cloth Pads
A fabric pad is snapped onto your underwear’s crotch and can be worn for up to six hours. Chuck it in the washing machine after use. It is just a more environmentally friendly alternative to a disposable pad. Cloth pads (and other reusable feminine goods like the menstrual cup) are an eco-friendly alternative to disposable pads and tampons, which wind up in landfills every year in the millions.
Sterile Gauze
If you don’t have any other options (say, you’re at home and out of tampons), reach for sterile gauze instead. Gauze is more absorbent than a typical tissue; in addition to being sterile, it was designed to absorb blood.
It’s the last resort and certainly not a standard method of period management, but it’s the best option.
When to Call the Doc About Your Period Cramps
If you have an unusual discharge when inserting, wearing, or removing a tampon, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consulting a doctor. You must remove the tampon and call a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
- fever of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher
- dizziness
- diarrhoea
- vomiting
- fainting
These can be symptoms of toxic shock syndrome as well as any of the following problems:
- sexually transmitted infection
- cervical inflammation
- vulvodynia
- endometriosis
- vaginal cysts
Final Words
So, the conclusion is tampons should not be painful or uncomfortable. You may barely notice its existence while wearing it. Also, it doesn’t cause or make worse cramps, as we discussed above. Still, if you have trouble with tampons, you must be using them wrong, or there can be any disease-causing severe menstrual cramps.
You must insert and remove it properly and use the correct size. If it still causes trouble, there are a lot of kinds of stuff you can use instead of tampons which may comfort you during the period. If you are facing severe cramps, you must consult a doctor.
It goes away by over-the-counter medication most of the time, but sometimes the doctor may need to examine and then give medication.
FAQs
Hormone therapies and birth control tablets are also possibilities for managing your cycle if you experience severe menstrual cramps. Specific hormone therapy can prevent ovulation, resulting in a dramatic reduction in menstrual cramps.
Prostaglandins are frequently reduced with birth control tablets. Consult your doctor about the advantages and disadvantages of hormonal birth control and hormone therapy for menstrual cramps.
Do tampons make you bloated?
During their periods, many women experience bloating. The tummy feels thick and tight to the touch, and it may be unpleasant or, at the very least inconvenient. It’s also typical to pass gas regularly before and during menstrual days.
Women can also have digestive problems that impact their bowel motions. As cramps, this is also not a thing connected to tampons.
Do tampons make your period longer?
Periods can last longer for many reasons like hormone and ovulation changes, medications, uterine fibroids or polyps, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, thyroid condition, bleeding condition, obesity, and cancer. Tampons usually are not a reason for your period to last longer.
But Tampons absorb menstrual blood, but they may also restrict some menstrual flow from the vaginal canal, thereby lengthening the bleeding period.
Why do tampons make cramps worse?
It may vary as everyone’s body is different. Normally tampons have nothing to do with cramps. It neither makes your cramps worse nor comforts your pain. But you may feel that tampons make your cramps worse or better from time to time.
Do pads cause cramps?
It is unlikely to cause cramps by using pads. But you may get rashes on your thighs and vaginal area after wearing pads for the entire day. These itchy rashes can be uncomfortable and cause inflammation. It is not only uncomfortable, but it also makes you irritable and unpleasant.
Do chemicals in tampons cause cramps?
Cotton, rayon, or a combination of the two are used to make tampons. The absorbent fibers used in today’s FDA-approved tampons are bleached without the use of elemental chlorine, ensuring that products do not contain harmful levels of dioxin. So there is no such chemical in tampons to cause cramps.
Do tampons prevent cramps?
Tampons do not induce or aggravate cramping. Cramping is caused by uterine contractions, and tampons never reach that far. So, there is no reason that tampons can prevent cramps.
