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Diseases & Conditions

Menstrual Cramps Causes and Treatments

Why is my period more painful than usual? How do you relieve menstrual cramps? Every healthy woman in the reproductive age has her period regularly. The menstrual cycle is usually experienced every 28 days. However, this process can also occur between 21 and 35 days. It is not considered normal for menstruation to be more frequent or less than the specified days. Menstrual cramps are the most significant aspects of menstruation in daily life. More than half of women experience these pains during menstruation. Pain can sometimes be mild or severe. Severe menstrual cramp is called dysmenorrhea in medical terminology. In the following article, we have explained to what causes menstrual cramps and how they can be treated. You can read the rest of our article if you want to know the symptoms of menstrual cramps. 

What Causes Menstrual Cramps?

Menstruation, or period, occurs when the uterine wall, normally prepared for infant development, is removed by the body as a result of lack of fertilization. The uterus is muscle tissue. Here, this muscle tissue begins to contract to help throw the soft wall surrounding the inner side. The hormone prostaglandin triggers these contractions of the uterus. Prostaglandin reaches high levels in the blood one to two days before the start of menstruation and begins to decrease after the first two days of menstruation. The higher the prostaglandin level, the more severe the menstrual cramps are. It is why menstrual pains are felt at the very beginning of menstruation. Menstrual pains occur due to the menstrual cycle are called primary dysmenorrhea. Besides, menstrual pains occur due to the following medical conditions are called secondary dysmenorrhea:

  • Cervical stenosis: In some women, the opening of the cervix is ​​small enough to prevent menstrual flow. This small opening may cause increased pressure in the uterus, causing more severe pain.
  • Uterine fibroids: Uterine fibroids consisting of muscle and fibrosis tissue in the uterine wall are tumors that are not cancerous but can be stiff and large. Those carrying uterine fibroids may cause to feel more severe pain during menstruation.
  • Adenomyosis: In this condition, the tissue covering the uterus begins to grow towards the muscle walls of the uterus.
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease: This infection of the female reproductive organs is usually caused by sexually transmitted bacteria.

Menstrual Cramps Symptoms

Menstrual cramps and other symptoms that can be observed together in these cramps are as follows:

  • Pains in the lower abdomen.
  • This pain, which can begin 1 to 3 days before the menstrual period, reaches its peak 24 hours after the start of menstruation and decreases within 2 to 3 days.
  • Pain can spread to the waist and cause numbness.

Some women also have the following symptoms:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Headache

When To Consult A Doctor?

If menstrual cramps occur intensely every month, affect your daily life, if your symptoms gradually worsen, or if you do not experience severe menstrual cramps after 25 years of age, you should immediately consult a specialist.

|What Is Amenorrhea?|

What Medications Are Used For Menstrual Cramps?

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Drugs containing the active substances ibuprofen or naproxen both suppress prostaglandin levels and help relieve the feeling of pain. It can be used in the dose recommended by the doctor from the first day of menstruation.
  • Contraceptives (oral contraceptives): Oral contraceptives contain hormones that prevent ovulation and reduce the severity of menstrual cramps.
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You should not use any medication before consulting a doctor.

Menstrual Cramps Treatment At Home

  • Heat: Filling the tub with hot water and entering it or a hot water bag on the underside of your stomach can ease menstrual cramps. Besides, you may also benefit from some heat patches sold for menstrual pain.
  • Regular exercise: Regular exercise for at least half an hour 3 days a week helps to release a substance called beta-endorphin. This substance is the body’s natural painkiller. Besides, exercise may lead to more rapid destruction of prostaglandins.
  • Eating Habit & Diet: Some studies have shown that vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-1 (thiamine), vitamin B-6 and magnesium reduce menstrual cramps.
  • Reducing Stress: You may have observed that menstrual cramps and pain are more severe when you are under psychological stress. In such cases, you can benefit from meditation and yoga.

Although there is not enough scientific work on most alternative treatments like acupuncture to treat menstrual cramps, these methods may help some people. Acupuncture is an alternative medicine that treats various ailments by inserting very thin needles into strategic points in your body. Some studies have shown that acupuncture helps relieve menstrual cramps.

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