Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea)

1. Menstrual pain is a common complaint in women of childbearing age. Before and during their monthly bleeding, they have pain in their abdomen and possibly back and legs. Additional complaints are headache, nausea and irritability or a feeling of depression. While period pain can seriously disrupt your life, the cause is usually not serious.

2. Menstrual pain is a common complaint in women of childbearing age. Before and during their monthly bleeding, they have pain in their abdomen and possibly back and legs. Additional complaints are headache, nausea and irritability or a feeling of depression. While menstrual cramps can really disrupt your life, the cause is usually not serious.

What is period pain?

1. Many women of childbearing age, between the ages of 16 and 51, suffer from menstrual pain (medical term: dysmenorrhea). It is caused by uterine contractions, which are designed to shed the built-up mucous membrane when an egg has not been fertilized. This often leads to stitches or cramps in your lower abdomen or a dull, nagging pain, which can also radiate to your lower back and legs. Additional complaints are headache, nausea, irritability and a feeling of depression. Every woman experiences her period differently. Whether or not menstrual pain is present and how severe it is depends on many different factors. In any case, it is not related to the amount of blood that you lose during your period. You can have a lot of pain and lose little blood, but also the other way around. Period pain is somewhat more common in younger women, between the ages of 15 and 24, and slightly less in women between the ages of 25 and 44. A distinction is made between primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. In the first form there is no organic cause for the pain, in the second there is. Then the menstrual pain is caused by conditions such as endometriosis, an infection in the pelvis, an ovarian cyst, or wearing an IUD. Menstrual pain is so severe in about one in ten women that they can no longer perform their daily activities properly. In other women the pain symptoms are milder and there are also women who have no pain during their period. There are several ways to relieve the pain yourself, such as taking painkillers, using a hot water bottle on sore areas, and relaxation exercises. These especially help with primary dysmenorrhea. The contraceptive pill or an IUD can possibly also reduce your symptoms. With secondary dysmenorrhea you often have pain complaints not only during your period, but also at other times. You often need medical attention to get rid of it.

2. Many women of childbearing age, between the ages of 16 and 51, suffer from menstrual pain (medical term: dysmenorrhea). This is caused by uterine contractions, which are designed to shed the built-up mucous membrane when an egg has not been fertilized. This often leads to stitches or cramps in your lower abdomen or a dull, nagging pain, which can also radiate to your lower back and legs. Additional complaints are headache, nausea, irritability and a feeling of depression. Every woman experiences her period differently. Whether or not menstrual pain is present and how severe it is depends on many different factors. In any case, it is not related to the amount of blood you lose during your period. You can have a lot of pain and lose little blood, but also the other way around. Period pain is somewhat more common in younger women, between the ages of 15 and 24, and slightly less in women between the ages of 25 and 44. A distinction is made between primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. In the first form there is no organic cause for the pain, in the second there is. Then the menstrual pain is caused by conditions such as endometriosis, an infection in the small pelvis, an ovarian cyst, or wearing an IUD. Menstrual pain is so severe in about one in ten women that they can no longer perform their daily activities properly. In other women the pain symptoms are milder and there are also women who have no pain during their period. There are several ways to relieve the pain yourself, such as taking painkillers, using a hot water bottle on sore areas, and relaxation exercises. These especially help with primary dysmenorrhea. The contraceptive pill or an IUD can possibly also reduce your symptoms. With secondary dysmenorrhea you often have pain complaints not only during your period, but also at other times. Often you need medical help to get rid of it.

Causes of period pain

1. Menstrual pain is caused by the contraction of your uterus. It is not known exactly why this is accompanied by pain in some women and not in others. Doctors suspect that the body's own prostaglandins, which enable muscle contraction, play a role in this. Presumably these accumulate in the womb in some women, or some women are more sensitive to them. This causes the uterus to contract more intensively, reducing blood flow to the area and causing pain.

2. Menstrual pain is caused by the contraction of your uterus. It is not known exactly why this is accompanied by pain in some women and not in others. Doctors suspect that the body's own prostaglandins, which enable muscle contraction, play a role in this. Presumably these accumulate in the womb in some women, or some women are more sensitive to them. This causes the uterus to contract more tightly, reducing blood flow to the area and causing pain.

Menstrual pain symptoms

1. Period pain feels like stitches or cramps in your abdomen, or a nagging and dull feeling. This can also radiate to your lower back or legs and occur before or during your monthly bleeding.

2. Menstrual pain feels like stitches or cramps in your abdomen, or a nagging and dull feeling. This can also radiate to your lower back or legs and occur before or during your monthly bleeding.

Other common complaints with menstrual pain are also:

1. Headache nausea sore breasts bloating a distended stomach diarrhea tiredness dizziness irritability or a feeling of depression before or during menstruation Many of these complaints are annoying, but can be relieved with painkillers, relaxation exercises or a hot water bottle or a warm bath. Others will pass by themselves when your period is over. If your complaints are very serious or if you also suffer from them if you do not menstruate, please contact your doctor. Even if your bleeding pattern suddenly changes drastically. Then another medical condition may be the cause and you may need medical attention.

How is period pain diagnosed?

1. If you suffer from severe menstrual pain or pain that persists before and after your period, it is best to see a doctor. It helps if you make a note of when your period took place, when and where you had pain, which possibly brought relief, whether you also had pain before and after your period and when and what your additional complaints are, such as headache and nausea. If you also have pain during sex, for example, it is important to indicate this as well. Your doctor will also ask questions to identify your symptoms. If your doctor thinks another condition is the cause of your period pain, you may be referred to a specialist, such as a gynecologist for further testing.

Risk factors / groups

1. Menstrual pain risk factors and groups are difficult to identify. Often it has to do with predisposition. It is true that primary dysmenorrhea occurs more often in women between 15 and 24 years old and secondary dysmenorrhea is more common in older women, over 24 years old.

Treatment of menstrual pain

1. If you suffer from primary dysmenorrhea, you can often relieve the pain yourself by taking painkillers. Paracetamol has the fewest side effects, but NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen, Diclofenac and Naproxen) are more effective in many women. However, these can lead to stomach and intestinal complaints and are also not recommended for people with heart complaints or, for example, asthma. When in doubt, consult your doctor and always read and follow the package leaflet. It is often wise to take the first pain reliever right before your period actually starts, if you can predict this. In addition, heat helps to relieve pain. For example, use a pitcher on your stomach or back, or take a warm bath. Relaxation exercises can also provide relief. For example, if you have back pain, get on your hands and knees and alternately make your back hollow and convex. If you have serious complaints and you take them to the doctor, he or she can check with you whether certain contraceptives can be a solution, such as the contraceptive pill or an IUD. These can reduce your period pain, but are of course not a suitable choice if you want to get pregnant in the short term. Secondary dysmenorrhea can be treated in several ways, depending on the cause. A specialist can discuss this with you.

Forecast

1. Period pain can be quite severe and annoying. Sometimes it disrupts your daily activities. Still, there are several ways to relieve the pain and the cause is usually nothing serious. Only if your bleeding pattern changes suddenly and you also lose blood and have pain when you are not menstruating, can there be another condition, which may be more serious. A Sources)

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