Synonyms
Dysmenorrhea; menstrual pain The term “menstrual pain” (pain during menstruation/period) refers to the occurrence of mild to severe, pulling abdominal pain that occurs during the rejection of the uterine lining.
Introduction
Pain during menstruation/period is usually experienced by very young women. Especially young girls who are having their period for the first time may experience severe pain during the rejection of the uterine lining. In general, one should assume that any kind of pain during menstruation/period justifies a visit to a specialist in gynecology (gynecologist).
In most cases, however, there is no identifiable cause for the occurrence of pain during menstruation/period. In medicine, it is rather assumed that menstrual pain is a phenomenon that mainly affects young women and disappears as they grow up. Despite this assumption, young women who suffer from severe pain during menstruation/period should not simply accept this phenomenon. Pain during menstruation/period can in many cases be relieved by using simple household remedies. In case of severe pain during menstruation/period, painkillers (analgesics) can help to provide relief to the affected women.
Backgrounds
Pain during the menstruation/period is mostly manifested by contraction-like, cramp-like pain that occurs in the lower abdomen. In many of the affected women, the pain even radiates into the lower back. Typically, the pain symptoms begin several days before menstruation begins.
Usually the pain lasts for about three to four days during menstruation/period. Only in rare cases do the symptoms become so severe that the affected women are no longer able to perform everyday tasks. Besides the pain during menstruation/period, many women suffer from other symptoms such as: Menstrual pain can be divided medically into two classes (primary and secondary menstrual pain).
Primary pain during menstruation/period This form of menstrual pain is characterized by the fact that the symptoms occur several days before the onset of menstruation. In most cases, the pain does not subside as the menstrual period gets older. Many women are accompanied by primary pain during menstruation/period until menopause (last menstrual period in a woman’s life).
A pathological physical cause for the occurrence of the complaints cannot usually be found in these cases. The direct reason for the development of primary menstrual pain is the cramping of the uterine muscles caused by prostaglandins (tissue hormones) and the associated detachment of the lining of the uterus.
- Headaches
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
Secondary pain during menstruation/period Secondary menstrual pain typically occurs after the age of 30 or 40. The direct cause of this form of pain during menstruation/period is various gynecological diseases. In most cases, scattered cells of the uterine lining, polyps or inflammatory processes in the area of the fallopian tubes trigger secondary menstrual pain.
