What are painful periods

Painful Menstruation

A painful period is called Dysmenorrhea. It is manifested in pain in the lower abdomen that occurs during menstrual bleeding and spreads to the back, thighs, and hips. Also, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or pain in the whole body may occur, but only during menstrual bleeding. A woman who has a painful period is irritable and very pale and feels bad.

It is normal for a woman to have pain in the form of spasms of small intensity in the lower part of the abdomen in the first two days of menstruation. Almost half of women have these symptoms. However, in 10% of women, the pain is so strong that everyday activities cannot be done without taking drugs.

Primary Dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation that is not a symptom of some gynecological disease, but it is caused by insufficiently developed or improperly placed uterus or very high levels of prostaglandins - substances that lead to convulsions (contractions) of the uterus.

Primary Dysmenorrhea is painful but not dangerous. It is common during adolescence and disappears in the mid-thirties or after birth.

Secondary Dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation caused by a gynecological disease.

It is characterized by pain that lasts longer than three days, bleeding between periods or even no menstrual blood, pain occurs several days before the start of menstruation, pain is accompanied by profuse blood flow or bleeding is very scarce in the form of stains.

The terms “menstrual pain” and “dysmenorrhea” are commonly considered synonymous in clinical practice and literature. They indicate a cramp-like, dull, throbbing pain that usually emanates from the lower abdomen, and that occurs just before and/or during menstruation. Some authors suggest that a type of menstrual pain that is lighter than dysmenorrhea, called normal menstrual cramps, could exist. Dysmenorrhea seems to be associated with late or early menarche, prolonged and heavier than normal menstrual flow, low bodyweight and body mass index, inadequate physical exercise, genetic predisposition, active and passive cigarette smoking, low socioeconomic status, diet, stress, and mental illness.

Dysmenorrhea appears to have an impact on public and occupational health, but its prevalence is unclear, with studies performed in different populations reporting rates of between 20% and 94%. This wide variation may derive from ethnic, sociocultural, or biological factors of the study populations, and also from the range of definitions of dysmenorrhea.
This study aimed to determine the frequency of dysmenorrhea, as identified by different definitions, in a population of young women, and to investigate factors associated with this complaint.
A final group of 408 young women completed a self-assessment questionnaire. This was a cross-sectional analytical study.
Menstrual pain was reported by 84.1% of women, with 43.1% reporting that pain occurred during every period, and 41% reporting that pain occurred during some periods. Women with menstrual pain had an earlier menarche (P = 0.0002) and a longer menstrual flow (P = 0.006), and this group was characterized as having a higher prevalence of smokers (P = 0.031) and a lower prevalence of hormonal contraception users (P = 0.015). Pain intensity was correlated (r = 0.302, P
Considering the parameters of menstrual pain, a need for medication, and inability to function normally (absenteeism from study or social activities) alone or together, the prevalence of dysmenorrhea is 84.1% when considering only menstrual pain, 55.2% when considering the association between menstrual pain and need for medication, 31.9% when considering the association between menstrual pain and absenteeism, and 25.3% when considering the association between menstrual pain, need for medication, and absenteeism (P
The probability of having more severe dysmenorrhea is directly related to pain intensity as measured by a visual analog scale, but does not coincide with it.

✓ Fact confirmed: Prevalence of menstrual pain in young women: what is dysmenorrhea? Giovanni Grandi, Serena Ferrari, Anjeza Xholli, Marianna Cannoletta, Federica Palma, Cecilia Romani, Annibale Volpe, and Angelo Cagnacci; 2012 Jun 20.

Causes of secondary Dysmenorrhea can be benign tumors of uterine muscle (myoma), adenomyosis - mucous membrane of the uterus located within uterine muscle, diseases that are transmitted during sexual intercourse, endometriosis - uterine mucosa is localized outside the womb (in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, small pelvis, the intestines, the vagina, etc.), pelvic organs inflammation, ovarian cyst or tumor. Secondary Dysmenorrhea is a very serious problem, but all the diseases that lead to it can be treated.

Diagnosis

Firstly, the doctor must exclude the existence of secondary causes of Dysmenorrhea. So, it is necessary to do a gynecological examination and blood and urine testing. Sometimes the diagnosis requires ultrasound and laparoscopy.

Treatment

Primary Dysmenorrhea is treated with analgesics. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually used, but they are effective in only 80% of women. Oral contraceptives and Aspirin are also effective.

Secondary Dysmenorrhea is cured by removing the causes of its origin.

General measures such as proper nutrition without a lot of spices, resting, walking in the fresh air, and recreational activities are recommended in the treatment of painful menstruation.