Painful menstruation – how to deal with it and what can it mean?

How often do period pains prevent you from concentrating, disrupt your professional plans, or keep you under the covers for days? It is estimated that menstrual pain affects about 84% of menstruating people, and between 5% and 14% of them have to miss school or work because of menstrual pain.

Regardless of your stamina, don't ignore menstrual pain. Sometimes, painkillers or rest are enough to relieve menstrual pain, but sometimes much more advanced treatment and regular consultation with a specialist are required.

Dysmenorrhea Syndrome – Symptoms

UTI is a set of symptoms that often accompany menstrual bleeding. If fertilization does not occur, the uterine muscle contracts, shedding the built-up layers of mucosa with menstrual fluid . The contractions are caused by prostaglandins – hormones that generate inflammation in the body. Their spectrum of action is not limited to the uterine muscle, but affects the entire body. For this reason, people struggling with UTI, who have elevated levels of prostaglandins in their blood during menstruation, often also experience additional symptoms, such as:

• headaches and dizziness,
• vomiting and nausea,
• diarrhea,
• weakness, weakness and general fatigue,
• insomnia,
• heart palpitations,
• shaking hands.

Painful menstruation often precedes PMS, or premenstrual syndrome . Its symptoms include mood swings and irritability, breast and headache pain, a feeling of swelling, and appetite disorders. In order to alleviate PMS, you can act on your own by taking painkillers and antispasmodics, as well as taking care of relaxation, diet, and supplementation. However, if the symptoms before menstruation are disturbing and the previous methods of reducing them do not bring relief, it is worth seeking the opinion of a specialist.

Also read our text about menstruation.

What causes painful periods?

As if that wasn't enough ;), period pains have two faces. Many people take their occurrence for granted, treating them simply as inseparable companions of menstruation. However, they can inform about an illness or more serious hormonal fluctuations - so thanks to a quick reaction and proper diagnostics, we can not only get rid of the pain, but also deal with serious diseases of the reproductive organs.

Menstrual pain: primary and secondary

Pain associated with menstruation usually begins about 2 to 3 years after menarche, or the first period. This is when the menstrual cycle becomes established, the body gets used to its new role and continues to develop, and hormones “go wild.” At this age, many young people struggle with acne, excessive sweating, oily scalp, or period pain, which is called primary pain.

Primary menstrual pain is caused by hormonal fluctuations and increased production of the aforementioned prostaglandins. Their high concentration during bleeding causes uterine muscle tension and menstrual pain. Primary menstrual pain mainly affects people between 15 and 20 years of age, but this is not a strict rule - some sources say between 20 and 25 years of age. Treatment of primary menstrual pain is based on occasional use of painkillers and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.

Secondary menstrual pain, on the other hand, is caused by specific disease entities. These include:

• Endometriosis – is characterized by the migration of uterine lining cells outside the endometrium. Inflammation occurs in the areas where the tissue is deposited because the blood in it – instead of being released as during a period – accumulates, forming cysts and adhesions.
• Uterine fibroids – benign tumors of the reproductive organs. They can cause very severe pain during both bleeding and intercourse. People suffering from fibroids often struggle with irregular urination. They should be under constant medical care, especially if they are planning a pregnancy – uterine fibroids can cause fertility disorders.
• Polyps – are a result of hormonal disorders; cervical polyps can increase menstrual bleeding and uterine contractions.
• Hypothyroidism – thyroid hormones are closely linked to sex hormones. Their deficiency can cause increased estrogen production in the ovaries, which negatively affects the course of the period.

Ways to deal with painful periods

To relieve menstrual pain, you can opt for pharmacotherapy or try home remedies. Both methods have their pros and cons - taking medication usually guarantees quick action and relief from symptoms, but pharmaceuticals can negatively affect the bacterial flora of the digestive system. In turn, these home, unconventional methods, despite being safer for the body, often turn out to be an insufficient antidote to menstrual pain.

In the case of the first option, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are particularly recommended for menstrual pain. They inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. These include:

• paracetamol,
• ibuprofen,
• naproxen.

It should be remembered that NSAIDs can irritate the gastric mucosa. They should not be used chronically, as this can lead to stomach ulcers. Painkillers such as Polopiryna, which contain acetylsalicylic acid (commonly called aspirin), relieve pain, but can intensify menstrual bleeding. Additionally, tablets with antispasmodic effects are available on the market (for example, the popular No-Spa).

In some cases, gynecologists decide to prescribe single-phase hormonal contraception to relieve the symptoms of painful periods. This type of therapy must be preceded not only by a gynecological examination, but also by control breast examinations and laboratory diagnostics.

It is also worth trying home remedies – they are less invasive than painkillers and can bring relief during the menstrual cycle. The following are particularly suggested:

• Physical activity – of course, no one is suggesting that you run a marathon or break swimming records :) Many people give up sports during their period, but doing yoga and light, non-weight-bearing pelvic floor stretching exercises during your period can ease abdominal pain and relax tense muscles!
• Warm compresses – if your menstrual bleeding is not too heavy, a hot water bottle or a hot water bottle can work wonders: they can ease cramps and relieve abdominal pain. We recommend our cherry stone hot water bottle , which can be used as both a hot and cold painkilling compress.
• Herbal infusions – many of them have antispasmodic effects, which helps relieve menstrual pain. Lemon balm, mint or chamomile teas are especially worth trying.
• A proper diet – it should be easily digestible, so as not to burden the stomach and prevent flatulence. Eating more calcium, for example, from dairy products, nuts or fish, can also help reduce uterine contractions. You should also remember to drink enough water – dehydration can worsen your well-being. During menstruation, you should avoid alcohol, coffee and tea in excessive amounts (they can increase blood pressure and thus intensify bleeding).
• Relaxation – menstruation is a time when you absolutely deserve some rest and shameless lying around. Stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) have a negative effect on the body, which can intensify menstrual pain.

Not all pain is the same – and it doesn’t have to appear with every period. All menstruating people know that how we feel during our period can change like in a kaleidoscope and sometimes it’s very difficult to read the signals our body is sending us. However, pain is a symptom that shouldn’t be ignored.

When we talk about menstrual pain, we mean crampy pain in the lower abdomen, which sometimes radiates to the lower back – sharp and stabbing pains may indicate other sources. So once again for the last rows: it is worth checking with your gynecologist that your symptoms are a natural consequence of raging hormones, and not an ongoing medical condition.