DYSMENORRHEA MEDICAL COUNSELING

DYSMENORRHEA TIPS(MENSTRUAL PAIN)
................................................................
Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for
the painful cramps that may occur
immediately before or during the
menstrual period.
There are two types
of dysmenorrhea:
primary
dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea.
Primary dysmenorrhea is another
name for common menstrual cramps.
Cramps usually begin one to two years
after a woman starts getting her
period. Pain usually is felt in the lower
abdomen or back. They can be mild to severe.
Common menstrual cramps
often start shortly before or at the
onset of the period and continue one
to three days. They usually become
less painful as a woman ages and may
stop entirely after the woman has her first baby.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain
caused by a disorder in the woman's
reproductive organs.
These cramps
usually begin earlier in the menstrual
cycle and last longer than common
menstrual cramps.
What Are the Symptoms of
Menstrual Cramps?
The symptoms of menstrual cramps
include:
Aching pain in the abdomen (Pain can
be severe at times.) Feeling of pressure in the abdomen
Pain in the hips, lower back, and inner
thighs When cramps are severe, symptoms
may include:
Upset stomach, sometimes with
vomiting Loose stools
What Causes Common
Menstrual Cramps?
Menstrual cramps are caused by
contractions in the uterus, which is a muscle. The
uterus, the hollow, pear-
shaped organ where a baby grows,
contracts throughout a woman's
menstrual cycle. If the uterus contracts
too strongly, it can press against
nearby blood vessels, cutting off the supply of oxygen to
the muscle tissue
of the uterus. Pain results when part of
a muscle briefly loses its supply of
oxygen.
How Can I Relieve Mild
Menstrual Cramps?
To relieve mild menstrual cramps: Take aspirin or
another pain reliever,
such as Tylenol (acetaminophen),
Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve
(naproxen). (Note: For best relief, you
must take these medications as soon
as bleeding or cramping starts.) Place a heating pad or
hot water bottle
on your lower back or abdomen.
Taking a warm bath may also provide
some relief.
To relieve menstrual cramps, you
should also:
Rest when needed.
Avoid foods that contain caffeine and
salt.
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
Massage your lower back and
abdomen.
Women who exercise regularly often
have less menstrual pain.
To help
prevent cramps, make exercise a part
of your weekly routine. If these steps do not relieve pain,
your
health care provider can order
medications for you, including: Ibuprofen (higher dose
than is
available over the counter) or other
prescription pain relievers Oral contraceptives (Women
taking
birth control pills have less menstrual
pain.)
How Do Problems With
Reproductive Organs Cause
Menstrual Cramps? When a woman has a disease in her
reproductive organs, cramping can be
a problem.
This type of cramping is
called secondary dysmenorrhea.
Conditions that can cause secondary
dysmenorrhea include:
Endometriosis, a condition in which the tissue lining the
uterus (the
endometrium) is found outside of the
uterus
Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection caused by
bacteria that starts
in the uterus and can spread to other
reproductive organs
Stenosis (narrowing) of the cervix, the
lower part of the uterus (the hollow,
pear-shaped organ where a baby
grows), often caused by scarring Tumors (also called
"fibroids"), or growths on the inner wall of the
uterus.