Severe menstrual cramps can make your whole body feel like it has been pulled into the pain. The lower belly tightens. The back aches. The thighs feel heavy. Nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, and bloating can show up at the same time. Some people are expected to work, study, parent, and function through pain that would send anyone else to bed.
Period bloating has a special talent for showing up at the worst time. Your jeans feel tighter. Your belly feels swollen. Your appetite changes. You may feel gassy, heavy, uncomfortable, and irritated because your body suddenly feels unfamiliar.
Period pain can feel different from person to person. For some, it is a dull ache that passes with rest. For others, it feels like sharp pelvic pain, lower back pressure, nausea, diarrhea, heavy bleeding, fatigue, and cramps strong enough to interrupt work, school, sleep, and daily life.
Soaking through pads in an hour? Bleeding for more than a week? Experiencing intense cramps that leave you curled up on the couch?
If your period feels like more than “just a bad month,” it could be endometriosis. This condition affects 1 in 10 women and is often linked to heavier, longer, and more painful periods.
Let’s break down why endometriosis can cause such heavy bleeding—and what you can do to feel better.