Few women experience some pain, cramping, and discomfort during menstrual periods, these are normal. However, excessive pain that could cause a woman to regularly miss work or school is not normal. The medical term for painful menstruation is dysmenorrheal.
There is what you call primary and secondary menstrual pains or dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrheal occurs in women who experience pain just before and during menstruation, this is otherwise healthy. However, some women who have had normal periods which later become painful may have secondary dysmenorrheal. This condition is usually accompanied by a problem affecting the uterus or other pelvic organs. Any woman experiencing the latter should see a doctor without delay.
There may not be an identifiable cause for pains during menstrual periods, some women, however, are at a higher risk of having painful menstrual periods. The risk factors include; being age ( usually under 20 ), having a family history of painful periods, smoking, having heavy bleeding with periods, having irregular periods, never having had a baby, having experienced early puberty; which is puberty before the age of 11.
According to the Mayo Clinic, hormone-like substances called prostaglandins trigger muscle contractions to help the uterus expel its lining each month. These contractions could cause pain and inflammation. Women with higher levels of prostaglandins may experience more severe menstrual cramping and pain.
In some cases, secondary dysmenorrheal or painful menstrual periods could be the result of an underlying medical condition, such as: premenstrual syndrome (PMS), endometriosis which is a painful medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body. Fibroids in the uterus, pelvic inflammatory disease which is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries often caused by sexually transmitted infections (STI) among others. Some birth control devices, specifically intrauterine devices (IUDs) made of copper, are also associated with increased pain during menstruation.
It is important to know that if menstrual pain is interfering with your ability to perform basic tasks and live a normal life every month, it becomes very nessesary to talk to a gynecologist if you experience any of the following; pain after IUD placement, painful menstrual periods that have lasted longer than three months, passing too much blood clots, cramping accompanied by diarrhea and nausea and pelvic pain when not menstruating
An untreated infection could cause scar tissue which could damage the pelvic organs and may lead to infertility. If you have symptoms of an infection, seek prompt medical attention these symptoms include: fever, severe pelvic pain, especially if you are not pregnant and foul-smelling vaginal discharge
In the case of simple or primary menstrual pains or dysmenorrheal home care treatments may be successful in relieving painful menstrual periods. Home treatment includes; using a heating pad on your pelvic area or back, massaging the abdomen, taking a warm bath.
Others include, regular physical exercise, eating light nutritious meals, practising relaxation techniques or yoga, taking an anti-inflammatory medication several days before your expected period, reducing intake of salt, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar to prevent bloating and raising of legs or lying with knees bent.
Additional Report: Mayo Clinic
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