I have severe menstrual pains

I am an 18-year-old student who started menstruating four years ago. Since last year, I have been experiencing very painful menstrual cramps accompanied with fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting every first day of my period on a monthly basis. Please, I will like to know the cause of this and how I can prevent it from recurring.

Rabia (by SMS)

Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea) occur as a result of the inability of oxygen to reach the uterus tissue due to muscle contraction of the uterus walls. Also, the symptoms you are exhibiting are usually termed ‘premenstrual tension’ which will usually subside with age. It is however important for you to exclude such serious problems as endometriosis, fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease which need special treatment. Once these are excluded, the next line of treatment is the use of medications as prescribed by your doctor.