Dealing with typical period symptoms, such as moodiness, cramps, and headaches, is bad enough. But if you feel like death is coming for you every single time Aunt Flow stops by, that may be cause for concern. So how can you tell if your period symptoms are normal or something you should talk to your doctor about?
Everyone experiences their period differently, so it’s important to differentiate between period symptoms that are “normal” and ones that are not.
As Dr. Nita Landry, OB/GYN and co-host of CBS’s The Doctors (who goes by “Dr. Nita”), tells HelloGiggles, typical period symptoms include things like breast swelling and tenderness, tension, bloating, mild acne breakouts, and mild leg, back, or stomach cramps. While none of these symptoms could be classified as fun, they’re pretty manageable.
But, says Dr. Nita, “If your period symptoms are severe or if they’re disrupting your daily life, that could be a sign of something more serious.”
“For example, severe cramps and pain–sometimes bad enough to cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting–could be cause for concern. You should also tell a doctor about heavy bleeding, irregular bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge and odor, or pain during intercourse.”
If any unusual period symptoms are left untreated, you could potentially be dealing with a much bigger health problem. Here are some period symptoms you should be concerned about, according to doctors.