What is it
We speak of dysmenorrhea when menstrual pain is particularly intense and risks compromising normal daily activities.
During menstruation, most women complain of pains that last one or two days and, in general, are easily bearable.
In 10-15% of cases, however, these pains are so strong as to make it difficult, if not impossible, to carry out any activity, be it school, sports or work.
Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary and secondary.
Causes
In primary dysmenorrhea, no diseases of the genitourinary system that may be the cause are identifiable.
The pain is due to spastic contractions of the uterus that are hypothesized to be caused by excessive production of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that stimulate the uterine muscles.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is instead linked to the presence of pathologies, especially gynecological, such as endometriosis and adenomyosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, adherent syndromes, leiomyomas and malformative diseases of the lower genital tract.
Most common symptoms
In the primary forms, the painful symptomatology appears with the beginning of menstrual flow, or shortly before, and is characterized by cramping pains in the lower abdomen, sometimes also in the back and upper thighs.
The pains last from a few hours to 2-3 days and are sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache.
In secondary dysmenorrhea, pain accompanies the entire period in which menstrual discharge occurs and can be associated with dyspareunia (vaginal pain during and / or after sexual intercourse) and metrorrhagia (blood loss even in the intermenstrual period).
Complications
Any complications are related to the cause that is at the origin of dysmenorrhea.
Treatment
The therapy varies depending on whether it is primary or secondary forms.
In the former, treatment aims to reduce pain. All analgesic drugs that also act by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins, such as acetylsalicylic acid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are indicated.
Sometimes the doctor may consider it appropriate to use the estroprogestin pill that also regulates the menstrual cycle and decreases the abundance of flow.
In case of secondary dysmenorrhea, therapy will be aimed at treating the underlying disease.
When to consult your doctor
In the presence of dysmenorrhea it is always advisable to contact the doctor for a correct diagnosis.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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