It's official - science says period pain is "as bad as having a heart attack".

If you’re a woman, chances are you’ve experienced severe menstrual cramps at least once in your life.

You know the kind – you’re doubled over in pain, which somehow manages to extend all the way around to your thighs and lower back. Every muscle in your abdomen tenses, as you try in vain to fend off what feels like you’re being repeatedly punched and kicked in the stomach. You’ve probably spent sleepless nights huddled over a toilet bowl as the nausea sets in. Oh, and this is all after you’ve popped a couple of painkillers. The best part though, is that it happens once a month. Something to look forward to.

Welcome to womanhood. It’s a special kind of hell men will never truly understand, which explains why we’ve been putting up with PMS jokes since the beginning of time. PMS is no joke, people. In fact, it’s as painful as a heart attack. Literally.

According to ELLE UK, professor of reproductive health at University College London, John Guillebaud, has conducted a study which proves menstrual cramps – more formally known as dysmenorrhea – are “almost as bad as having a heart attack”. See, we told you we weren’t be overly dramatic, John.

The best and most vindicating part of all of this though is that it came from a man. Finally, someone who is prone to man flu believes us when we tell them that women simply have a higher pain threshold than men thanks to the crippling pain we experience once a month.

So the next time anyone (probably a man) tries to minimise the pain you're experiencing whenever that time of the month rolls around, you'll be able to tell them with no uncertainty that science has spoken and what you are going through is not only very real, but it hurts like hell.

Not that there was any uncertainty before, but it's nice to know we now have science on our side.

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