Painful Periods – Medical Care Provided at Nyle Hospital

Pain during periods is a normal condition of woman’s menstrual cycle. Generally, it is handled without any medical treatment except for some of the home remedies. Such pain is experienced by woman due to contraction of uterus wall for shedding of endometrium. During the contraction of muscular walls, the blood vessels lining the womb gets compressed cutting off the blood and oxygen supply temporarily to the uterus. Due to lack of oxygen, chemicals are released by the uterus tissues that tend to cause the pain.

Upon release of pain-generating chemicals, the body produces new type of chemicals called prostaglandins which enhance contraction of muscles further, thereby increasing the pain. However, the level of pain experienced by each woman differs ranging between less to severe. Dysmenorrhea is the term medically used for describing painful cramps occurring before or at the time of menses. The pain is categorised as primary dysmenorrhea or secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrhea is just the normal menstrual cramps experienced by most of the woman. Cramps begin to occur 1 or 2 years after attaining puberty. Such pain is generally felt in the lower back or abdomen ranging from mild to unbearable. The pain may lasts for 1 - 3 days during their menstruation. However, the pain may reduce upon increase of age or sometimes, may stop after the first delivery.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is referred to the pain that occur due to some disorder in the female reproductive organs. Such cramps begin 2 or 3 days before the onset of menstrual periods and may exist until or few days after the bleeding stop completely.

Medical Conditions Causing Secondary Dysmenorrhoea

Endometriosis – This is a condition where the cells growing normally in the uterus walls begin to develop in other reproductive parts including ovaries and fallopian tubes and finally shed and discard causing intense pain.

Fibroids – The growth of non-cancerous tumours in the uterus may cause heavy bleeding accompanied with severe pain.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – The infection of uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes caused by bacteria may leave the organs badly inflamed or swollen and irritated resulting in severe cramps during menstruation.

Adenomyosis – The tissues lining the uterus begin to grow inside the muscular wall of the uterus, making the monthly periods very painful.

Intrauterine Device (IUD) – If the woman is injected with contraception device into her uterus, she may experience severe pain during menstruation, at the least for 3 to 6 months after insertion of IUD.

There are certain other signs that may enhance the period to be painful, such as:

irregular periods

bleeding between the monthly cycle

foul-smelling or somewhat thick vaginal discharge

Pain during sexual activity

Secondary dysmenorrhea may be experienced by woman upon increase of age. Most vulnerable ones are those falling from 30 – 45 years of age. Severe cramps and heavy bleeding, serious fatigue, vomiting or diarrhoea and other related symptoms tend to affect the day’s activities. If the periods are associated with significant pain, consulting a doctor is very much necessary because for some cases severe menstrual pain can serve as a sign for onset of serious health problem.