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Dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, affects millions of women with cramps, bloating, and discomfort. Understanding the causes and remedies can help manage symptoms and improve well-being. Explore tips, treatments, and self-care solutions to find relief.

 

Dysmenorrhea

 

What is Dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea is Greek for ‘painful monthly’  and can be put into two categories: Primary Dysmenorrhea and Secondary Dysmenorrhea.

 

Primary Dysmenorrhea is when you experience pain before and during your period. It’s defined as painful, spasmodic cramping in the lower abdomen, just before and/or during menstruation. This is what’s considered normal in consideration to Secondary Dysmenorrhea. The pain usually lasts  8 – 72 hours usually on the first or second day.

 

Secondary Dysmenorrhea has many of the similar characteristics to Primary Dysmenorrhea only difference is that there are conditions that affect the cervix  can help in making the pain more unbearable. The pain usually starts earlier in the cycle and lasts long.

 

Risk Factors:

 

Some of the Risk Factors include: 

  • Earlier age at menarche
  • Long menstrual periods
  • Heavy menstrual flow
  • Smoking
  • Positive family history
  • Being under age 20
  • Reaching puberty before age 11
  • Nulliparity
  • Never having had a baby
  • Disruption of social networks
  • Depression 
  • Anxiety 
  • Weight Loss
  • Mass Body Index

 

Causes

Primary Dysmenorrhea is caused by the level of prostaglandin which causes endometrial shedding during the beginning of menstruation is when the endometrial cells release prostaglandin and causes the uterus to contract and cause painful cramps. The amount of prostaglandin contributes to how painful your cramps can be and the more you produce the more painful it is. This can be caused by how much oxygen is in your blood vessels. 

 

Some causes of Secondary  Dysmenorrhea include:

  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
  • Endometriosis 
  • Fibroids in the Uterus 
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  • Adenomyosis. 
  •  Cervical stenosis. 
  • Other medical condition

 

Symptoms

  • Throbbing or cramping pain in your lower abdomen that can be intense
  • Pain that starts 1 to 3 days before your period, peaks 24 hours after the onset of your period and subsides in 2 to 3 days
  • Dull, continuous ache
  • Pain that radiates to your lower back and thighs

 

Some women also have:

  • Nausea
  • Loose stools
  • Headache
  • Dizziness

 

Diagnoses

Upon visiting your doctor you will be asked questions about your pain, if they suspect it maybe secondary Dysmenorrhea they may decide to run some test doing the following examinations:

 

  • An ultrasound
  • MRI 
  • CT scan 
  • ( Rarely )  Laparoscopy 

 

Treatments

Depending on the severity of the pain and the extent that it’s at, different treatments may be applied which is why it’s always good to start a conversation with your doctors. Some Treatments may include:

 

Medical Treatments including:

  • Diclofenac
  • Ibuprofen
  • Ketoprofen
  • Meclofenamate
  • Mefenamic acid
  • Naproxen
  • Hormonal Contraceptives
  • Antidepressants 

Other alternative treatments include: 

  • Acupuncture
  • Acupressure
  • Auriculotherapy
  • Aromatherapy 
  • Breathing Exercises 
  • Changing your diet to include more greens 
  • Exercise
  • Herbal Medicines 
  • Heating Pads 
  • Massages
  • Relax
  • Get enough Sleep 
  • Yoga 

 

How To Support Someone With Dysmenorrhea

Generally supporting someone with Dysmenorrhea comes down to two simple things, encouraging them to take care of themselves and helping them out. This can happen in a matter of different ways. Whether this can turn into you encouraging them to be healthy or exercising with them so they have a workout buddy or even when they have those painful cramps you do the chores or help out around the house if you live with them. You can even help encourage them to seek the treatment they need but suggest trying a doctor as long as you do it in a respectful and appropriate manner.

 

 

 

In Conclusion

Dysmenorrhea is a painful cramping that often occurs during a period and can be separated into two categories, there’s risk factors that make Dysmenorrhea more likely to happen and symptoms but it’s not untreatable. If you know someone with Dysmenorrhea try your best to help them out.

 

Summary

In summary Dysmenorrhea can be put into two parts, Secondary and Primary Dysmenorrhea. Secondary is linked to more disorders like premenstrual syndrome (PMS), endometriosis, fibroids in the uterus, pelvic, inflammatory Diseases and diseases whilst Primary is more linked to aging and genetic factors.  Some of the symptoms include pain that starts 1 to 3 days before your period, peaks 24 hours after the onset of your period and subsides in 2 to 3 days, dull, continuous ache. pain that radiates to your lower back and thighs and even nausea, headaches, vomiting and loose stools. Getting Diagnosed with Dysmenorrhea will include questions and if suspected of secondary you may be put under a CT scan, MRI, Ultrasound and rarely a Laparoscopy/ Many of the treatment options include self care,  different alternative therapies, over the counter medicine and hormonal medication.

 

Two simple things you can do to support someone with Dysmenorrhea includes helping them out if they’re dealing with a lot of pain or encouraging them to take care of themself and for them to take it easy. 

 

References

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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2020, December). Dysmenorrhea: Painful Periods. Www.acog.org. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/dysmenorrhea-painful-periods

Banikarim, C., Chacko, M. R., & Kelder, S. H. (2000). Prevalence and Impact of Dysmenorrhea on Hispanic Female Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 154(12), 1226. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.154.12.1226

Cleveland Clinic. (2014). What Is Dysmenorrhea / Menstrual Cramps | Cleveland Clinic: Health Library. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4148-dysmenorrhea

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Doug, A. (2019, May 30). Dysmenorrhea: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology. Medscape.com. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/253812-overview

Iacovides, S., Avidon, I., & Baker, F. C. (2015). What we know about primary dysmenorrhea today: a critical review. Human Reproduction Update, 21(6), 762–778. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmv039

Martel, J. (2017, February 2). What Causes Painful Menstrual Periods and How Do I Treat Them? Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/painful-menstrual-periods

Menstrual cramps – Symptoms and causes. (2018). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menstrual-cramps/symptoms-causes/syc-20374938

Nagy, H., & Khan, M. A. (2020). Dysmenorrhea. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560834/

Period Pain. (2019). Medlineplus.gov; National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/periodpain.html