hot baths and period

[after_dinner]

Hello,
I was reading recently your article http://www.scarleteen.com/article/advic ... t_the_pill and it reminded me of what my pal said last week. She claimed that hot baths and compresses (and heat in general) is bad when on period, because it can cause internal bleeding. I'm not sure what she meant exactly, but she said it supposedly widens the blood vessels and makes the flow bigger and can be bad also for other body organs and stomach.

I thought it's a myth or at least something that isn't well proved, but no matter how much I search I only come upon popular portals, but nothing resembling legit sources. And here comes my request: I would be grateful if you could help me with directing me to serious source, where I could read legitimate informations or proofs about it...

I don't want to worry anymore when I take baths on period! Especially because they help me with cramps and make me feel better in general...

[Heather]

Really this is one of those things where you are asking for someone to prove why something unfounded -- and clearly based on misunderstanding how the body works -- is unfounded, and that's always tricky.

But if you just take a look at any FAQ from companies that make pads or tampons, and the most basic information about periods from reproductive health organizations and sites like ours -- all people who are educated with these things -- you'll find nothing to suggest there is an issue with hot or warm baths or compresses while menstruating. In fact, you'll find it very frequently suggested.

Your friend also seems to be assuming menstrual flow works like the blood in the rest of the body, and it actually doesn't, in part because most of it isn't blood in the first place, and the part that is isn't the same kind of blood as we get with say, a cut or internal injuries of any organs.

Too, the uterus -- the only place this flow is coming from, so talking about internal bleeding elsewhere makes no kind of sense -- is a muscle, and cramps occur because that muscle is cramping. Heat relaxes that muscle, which then also tends to ease the flow of menses. And no one has to worry about that flow happening, because it's supposed to.

So, all this is to say that yes, heat does encourage flow, but that's a kind of "internal bleeding" that is supposed to be happening, and it's coming out as it is supposed to. Heat used for cramps -- especially since it's a given you're not going to soak in anything hot enough to harm your skin -- does not injure the body or any of its organs, whether people are or are not menstruating.

If you want this kind of information, and want it from one source, your best bet is just to get your hands on a basic book about periods -- Toni Weschler's "Cycle Savvy" is a good one -- or a basic textbook for reproductive healthcare providers or students.