What is dysmenorrhea ?
It is a medical term referring to painful menstruation or menstrual cramps. It’s a common condition among women, especially during adolescence and early adulthood. Dysmenorrhea can be classified into two types:
- Primary dysmenorrhea. This occurs when you first start your period and continues throughout your life. It is usually life-long. It can cause severe and frequent menstrual cramping from severe and abnormal uterine contractions. which is menstrual pain without any underlying pelvic pathology
- Secondary dysmenorrhea. This type is due to some physical cause. It usually starts later in life. It may be caused by another medical condition, such as pelvic inflammatory disease such as endometriosis, fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
Symptoms:
The following are the most common symptoms of dysmenorrhea. However, each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- Cramping in the lower abdomen
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Low back pain
- Pain radiating down the legs
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Fainting
- Headaches
The symptoms of dysmenorrhea may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your health care provider for a diagnosis.
Causes:
Primary dysmenorrhea is believed to be caused by an excess of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that are involved in inflammation and pain.
Secondary dysmenorrhea can be caused by conditions such as
- Endometriosis. Tissue that acts similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, most commonly on fallopian tubes, ovaries or the tissue lining your pelvis.
- Uterine fibroids. These noncancerous growths in the wall of the uterus can cause pain.
- Adenomyosis. The tissue that lines your uterus begins to grow into the muscular walls of the uterus.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease. This infection of the female reproductive organs is usually caused by sexually transmitted bacteria.
- Cervical stenosis. In some women, the opening of the cervix is small enough to impede menstrual flow, causing a painful increase of pressure within the uterus.
Risk factors
You might be at risk of menstrual cramps if:
- age younger than age 30
- started puberty early, at age 11 or younger
- bleed heavily during periods (menorrhagia)
- irregular menstrual bleeding (metrorrhagia)
- a family history of menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
- smoking
Complications
- Menstrual cramps don’t cause other medical complications, but they can interfere with school, work and social activities.
- Certain conditions associated with menstrual cramps can have complications, though. For example, endometriosis can cause fertility problems. Pelvic inflammatory disease can scar your fallopian tubes, increasing the risk of a fertilized egg implanting outside of your uterus (ectopic pregnancy).
Preventive Measures:
- Regular exercise and physical activity
- Maintaining a healthy diet with balanced nutrition
- Stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises
- Avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption
- Using heat therapy, such as heating pads, to alleviate pain
- Taking over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen before the onset of menstruation
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Reference
Dysmenorrhea (2019, May 13), Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/dysmenorrhea [Accessed
Menstrual cramps – Symptoms & causes – Mayo Clinic (2022, April 30), Mayo Clinic. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menstrual-cramps/symptoms-causes/syc-20374938 [Accessed
