Frequency
Pain during menstruation/period is not uncommon. Every woman suffers at least once during her life from moderate to severe pain during menstruation/period. It is even estimated that about 30 to 50 percent of women suffer from regular pain during menstruation.
The so-called “endometriosis” (dislocation of endometrial cells) is the most common cause of secondary menstrual pain. Primary pain during menstruation/period Primary pain during menstruation is mainly caused by hormonal influences. During the menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus steadily builds up in order to be prepared for the potential absorption of a fertilized egg.
If the mature egg is not fertilized within the fallopian tube, the thickened uterine lining must be shed at the end of the cycle. The female sex hormone estrogen is mainly responsible for this rejection reaction. This hormone induces within the female organism the release of the tissue hormone prostaglandin, which, in addition to its role in initiating inflammatory reactions, is also responsible for mediating pain stimuli and the contraction of the uterus.In many women, this same tissue hormone is involved in the development of primary pain during menstruation/period.
In everyday clinical practice, several factors can be determined which increase the probability of primary pain during menstruation/period. Among the most common risk factors are: early onset of the first menstrual period (approximately up to 12 years of age) low body weight (BMI < 20) known menstrual pain in close female family members particularly long menstrual cycles It is also believed that psychological factors such as anxiety or stress also favor the occurrence of primary pain during menstruation/period Secondary pain during menstruation/period Secondary pain during menstruation is always caused by organic diseases that require gynecological clarification and prompt treatment. Endometriosis is one of the most common causes of secondary pain during menstruation/period.
In this disease, individual cells of the endometrium are scattered throughout the body. In most cases, mucous membrane cells in the area of the abdomen and pelvis can be detected in the affected women. The scattered endometrium cells can also be influenced at these abnormal locations by the same hormonal changes.
Thus, the influence of estrogen and progesterone also causes small bleedings and contractions. A decisive indication of the presence of endometriosis is severe pain during menstruation/period and discomfort during sexual intercourse. Other indications are deviations from the normal cycle and recurrent spotting.
Myomas and polyps are also among the most common causes of secondary pain during menstruation/period. These are benign ulcers in the area of the uterine muscles and cervix. In addition, malignant changes (tumors) can lead to secondary pain during menstruation/period.
In the early stages, malignant tumors of the female reproductive organs (especially in the area of the cervix and ovaries) usually grow unnoticed. Pain is rather untypical for the early stages of the disease. First indications of the presence of malignant changes can be long-lasting, unusually strong bleeding.
The appearance of brownish discharge after menopause should also be interpreted as a warning and should lead to a prompt visit to the gynecologist. Furthermore, inflammatory processes in the area of the female reproductive organs are among the most common causes of secondary pain during menstruation/period. In this context it can be observed that especially ascending vaginal infections (colpitis) lead to chronic inflammation of the fallopian tubes and thus to secondary pain during menstruation/period. In affected patients, the symptoms typically occur during ovulation.
- An early onset of the first menstrual period (approximately until the age of 12)
- Low body weight (BMI < 20)
- Known period pains in close female family members
- Especially long menstrual cycles
