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OUR BLOG ON ALL THINGS HEALTH, CULTURE, AND INNOVATION FROM DAYE
Women's Health
5 min read
BV And Thrush: What's The Difference?
What is bacterial vaginosis? Will thrush go away b...
What is bacterial vaginosis? Will thrush go away by itself? Can BV trigger thrush? Daye answers your...
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Women's Health
4 min read
Yes, Period Poo Is Real
Are period poops a thing? Absolutely. From consti...
Are period poops a thing? Absolutely. From constipation to bloating to diarrhoea, discover the caus...
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Women's Health
5 min read
5 Myths About The Contraceptive Pill
We've all heard the rumours about the contraceptiv...
We've all heard the rumours about the contraceptive pill, but what is fact and what is fiction? We d...
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Sustainability
4 min read
How To Have An Eco-Friendly Period
Each person who menstruates uses between 11,000‐...
Each person who menstruates uses between 11,000‐16,000 tampons and pads in their lifetime, which c...
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Women's Health
5 min read
Endometriosis Symptoms, And Why It's So Hard To Diagnose
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that causes s...
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that causes severe pain and heavy periods. Here's everything yo...
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Daye in the Life
5 min read
A Deep Dive on Daye Tampons
Everything you need to know about Daye tampons, fr...
Everything you need to know about Daye tampons, from how we source our organic cotton and CBD, how w...
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Women's Health
3 min read
What Is Tampon Fibre Loss?
Also known as “tampon shedding”, tampon fibre ...
Also known as “tampon shedding”, tampon fibre loss is extremely common in mainstream and organic...
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Women's Health
3 min read
How Your Vaginal Discharge Changes During Your Cycle
Changes in vaginal discharge are normal throughout...
Changes in vaginal discharge are normal throughout the menstrual cycle. The colour and consistency o...
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Cultural Musings
6 min read
The Gender Pain Gap, Explained
A dive into how female pain has historically been ...
A dive into how female pain has historically been sidelined and dismissed....
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Women's Health
3 min read
What Is Toxic Shock Syndrome?
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a disease commonly a...
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a disease commonly associated with tampons, but do tampons really caus...
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Women's Health
4 min read
Meet Your Vaginal Microbiome & The Bacteria In Your Vagina
Here's everything you need to know about the vagin...
Here's everything you need to know about the vaginal microbiome, the bacteria in your vagina that pr...
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Women's Health
8 min read
PCOS & Weight
Why weight management is used as a treatment for p...
Why weight management is used as a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and why it's so h...
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Women's Health
5 min readWhat Is Fibromyalgia & Can It Cause Painful Periods?
Why women are more likely to have fibromyalgia, and how the menstrual cycle plays a role
If you suffer from period pain, you’re not alone. Dysmenorrhea is common amongst people who menstruate, but if you suffer from a chronic illness like endometriosis or fibromyalgia, you may find that your periods are even more painful.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia, also known as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), or “fibro” for short, is a chronic condition that causes fatigue, pain and tenderness all over the body. Although it can affect anyone, women are seven times more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
Researchers aren’t sure why women have a higher risk of suffering from fibromyalgia than men, but it’s believed that reproductive hormones may play a role in both the frequency and severity of the condition.
Fibromyalgia symptoms
The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia is chronic, wide-spread pain that is either felt all over the body or specific muscle groups (like your legs or back). Other symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog and cognitive difficulties
- Trouble sleeping
- Headaches, migraines and dizziness
- IBS
- Painful and/or heavy periods
- Sensitivity
- Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
- Restless leg syndrome
- Depression and anxiety
Women with fibromyalgia are often more likely to experience more widespread pain, morning fatigue, and IBS symptoms compared to men with fibromyalgia.
Women with fibromyalgia are also more likely to experience higher levels of depression compared to men.
Fibromyalgia symptoms
Fibromyalgia causes
Fibromyalgia is still poorly understood, so the exact cause is unknown. Scientists believe there may be a genetic component to fibromyalgia, but the main theory is that fibromyalgia is related to the way the central nervous system processes pain.
People with fibromyalgia may have a heightened sensitivity to pain signals in the brain, and therefore have a lower pain threshold and essentially experience pain in stronger ways compared to those who don’t have the condition.
This is believed to be caused by lower levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and endorphins, which play a very important role in pain management as your brain releases endorphins as a response to pain. Studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia often feel pain when people without fibromyalgia don’t.
In many cases fibromyalgia is also triggered by physical or emotional trauma caused by a stressful life event, injury, childbirth, or death of a loved one.
Fibromyalgia and periods
Many women report experiencing stronger symptoms of fibromyalgia during their period. This may be because of hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle.
Gender differences in pain response still aren’t fully understood due to a lack of research (you can blame the gender pain gap for that), but it’s believed that oestrogen (one of the main hormones involved in the menstrual cycle) affects women’s pain response.
When oestrogen levels are high, your brain releases more endorphins and to increase your pain threshold. On the other hand, when oestrogen levels are low (like when you’re on your period), your body’s natural pain response is inhibited.
Fibromyalgia diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosing and treating fibromyalgia can be a fairly long and frustrating process. Aside from being a bit of mystery, the symptoms of fibromyalgia mimic those of many other conditions.
Currently there is no definitive test for fibromyalgia and it’s very often misdiagnosed. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed by process of elimination, so your GP or healthcare provider will first rule out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
The diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia are
- severe pain in three to six different areas of your body, or milder pain in seven or more areas
- Persistent symptoms for at least three months
- no other reason for your symptoms has been found
Since the causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, treatment focuses on relieving individual symptoms – and as fibromyalgia causes several symptoms, there is no one single treatment that will work for all of them.
Treatment for fibromyalgia can involve a combination of medication to treat pain, along with lifestyle changes (such as regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and trying to reduce stress) and sometimes therapy.
Although complimentary or alternative therapies (such as acupuncture and massage) are not officially recognised as treatment for fibromyalgia, they can be used to help manage symptoms.
Illustrations by Sabrina Bezerra. Sabrina is a designer and illustrator at @second.marriage, a Brooklyn-based brand, illustration, and design studio.
Written by Liv Cassano. Liv is the Editor of Vitals, follow her at @liv_css.