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Painful menstruation is a group of symptoms that occur together with the onset of menstrual bleeding. The most persistent pain is located in the area of the lower abdomen and the sacrum area of the spine. It is generally of a colic or blunt character, often of a severity making everyday existence difficult.
A few words about painful menstruation …
Painful menstruation is made up of many discomforts that occur with the appearance of menstrual blood. It is a serious health problem for women of reproductive age. It occurs in about 3% -12% of women, some sources say up to 30%. It happens that the symptoms accompanying menstruation are very bothersome and cause serious symptoms. The most hated is the troublesome pain located in the area of the lower abdomen and the sacrum of the spine. They can also suffer from dyspeptic symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, as well as troublesome, severe headaches that do not respond to treatment. The symptoms become most troublesome, most often on the second day of menstruation, and then gradually ease.
Women struggling with painful menstruation should not delay and see a gynecologist as soon as possible. This is very serious because it can occur as a result of a woman’s genital pathology that she has no idea about.
The causes of painful menstruation
Painful menstruation may be primary, the so-called functional, i.e. related to the emergence of ovulatory cycles. Then it is the result of the contraction of the uterine muscle due to the action of prostaglandins produced by endometriumwhich are in the secretory stage.
Painful menstruation may also be secondary, i.e. acquired, related, for example, to the appearance of endometriosis or post-traumatic (usually postoperative) stenosis of the cervical canal. Another cause of painful menstruation may also be abnormal structures in the area of the uterine cavity, e.g. polyps of the endometrium or the emergence of pedunculated fibroids.
endometriosis — is a chronic disease that is a common cause of painful menstruation. Its feature is the presence of an active endometrium outside the uterine cavity (most often it is the peritoneum and the smaller pelvis). Endometriosis usually affects women of childbearing age, adolescents and postmenopausal women using hormone replacement therapy. The factors that increase the risk of the disease include short menstrual cycles or long and heavy periods. In adult women with endometriosis, pain begins even before menstruation and lasts throughout the period of bleeding. In addition to painful menstruation, patients experience pain during sexual intercourse and problems with passing stools.
It should also be added that dysmenorrhea may result from uterine malformations and its incorrect position.
It is worth remembering that acquired dysmenorrhea may not be related to uterine abnormalities. Often, such ailments appear during menstruation during acute pelvic inflammation, as well as as a result of chronic inflammation associated with the formation of subsequent adhesions within the pelvis.
Prostaglandins and some leukotrienes play a role in dysmenorrhea, and their concentration increases in the second phase of the woman’s menstrual cycle. This is why pain that occurs before menstruation is considered a woman’s natural physiological state.
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Symptoms of dysmenorrhea
The most bothersome symptoms of dysmenorrhea are:
- headache,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- cramps in the lower abdomen
- lack of appetite
- irritability,
- sometimes aggressiveness.
Painful menstruation can also be associated with heavy bleeding, so you must have the appropriate sanitary napkins. We recommend, for example, Biodegradable pads with wings for the night, made of organic cotton Vuokkoset, which are thin but very absorbent at the same time.
Painful menstruation – diagnosis and treatment
The most important in the diagnosis of dysmenorrhea is a medical interview with the patient and a clinical examination. If the cause of dysmenorrhea is still unknown, the diagnostics is extended to include additional tests such as hysteroscopy and ultrasound. The most important thing is to exclude the fact that the patient has any pathologies of the reproductive organs that may be the cause of this unpleasant ailment. Then the doctor will be able to diagnose primary dysmenorrhea.
Treatment should in each case be selected individually in the case of the patient. The severity of pain and possible co-morbidities should be taken into account.
In the case of primary dysmenorrhea, treatment is usually implemented to reduce the secretion of prostaglandins or, in consultation with the patient, to inhibit ovulation with low doses of estrogen-progesterone drugs in the form of oral contraception.
You can also try some natural ways. The soothing effect in case of strong contractions during the period is shown by, for example, the herbal Mollis oil for intimate massage.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is treated by removing anatomical obstacles, e.g. dilating the narrowed canal of the cervix, removing the content of the polypous uterine cavity by curettage. If it is difficult to determine the cause of the disease, there is a possibility of immediate treatment with analgesics, diastolic agents and sedatives.
There are cases of very severe ailments that do not respond to any treatment with pharmacological agents. In such a case, it is necessary for the doctor to initiate surgical treatment, which consists in disrupting the uterine innervation.
A woman’s psyche is very important in the occurrence of dysmenorrhea. Often, due to severe pain symptoms, anxiety appears a few days before the upcoming menstruation, which leads to the patient’s irritation. This, in turn, may aggravate the discomfort and even further aggravate the pain during menstruation, excluding the woman from her personal and professional life for many days. Therefore, it is important to remember the important role that psychotherapy plays in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.
Home remedies for painful menstruation
- do exercises with your favorite music that relaxes you, e.g. starting position: propped kneeling; do: go to sit on the heels (repeat);
- massage the sore area (gentle rubbing);
- apply a warming or cooling compress to the lower abdomen. Natural compress for women made of cotton and cherry seeds Yokompres, which has the shape of a uterus, so it perfectly fits the female body, will be perfect here. A bottle of warm water placed on the abdomen or an electric cushion, eg Vitammy Warm-Up warming cushion, shows a good effect;
- drink ginger tea, which has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties;
- go for a walk (at least for 20 minutes); thanks to this you will improve circulation and well-being.