Terrible pain during menstruation. Pain during menstruation: causes and treatment. Tablets and drugs for pain during menstruation

“Why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation?” is a question that every woman should know the answer to.

Only a specialist who owns scientific information can give it.

Why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation and what to do

With the advent of menstruation, girls begin to experience pain in the lower abdomen and use them to determine the time of their onset. Here it is important to know why the lower abdomen hurts during menstruation and whether to worry about this.

This may have physiological roots, but may be associated with any disease. To begin with, we will figure out why menstruation is painful, heavy.

Causes of menstrual pain

A huge number of women in these few days, when menstruation passes, suffer from pain, feel bad. Where does pain come from?

This is an inflammatory reaction, the release of special substances of an inflammatory nature, which provoke painful sensations in the lower abdomen above the pubis.

As a rule, for menstruation, it is characteristic that women have a stomach ache, swelling occurs at this moment, because the hormonal background changes, a lot of the hormone progesterone is produced.

There is an increased appetite, a bad mood. Menstruation makes you feel worse. This is premenstrual pain syndrome (PMS). Doctors call menstruation a "scheduled nightmare."

During menstrual bleeding, a woman’s natural defense mechanism is triggered, which helps to spasm blood vessels so that blood does not flow all the time.

This mechanism is called the release of prostaglandins, special substances that spasm blood vessels.

Essentially, pain is related to prostaglandins. It's simple: prostaglandins were thrown out - the vessels spasmed. Pain causes this spasm.

It turns out that nature protects the woman from great blood loss with this pain. And she feels heaviness, discomfort.

Menstrual pain associated with menstruation can be of a different nature.

1. Often, young girls have pulling pains in the abdomen, which make themselves felt before and during menstruation. They may persist until pregnancy.
2. With the bending of the uterus, increased sensitivity of the nerve plexuses, on which it puts pressure, a woman may experience prolonged aching pain in the abdomen. They are given in the lower back.
3. As a result of heavy physical exertion, at the beginning of menstruation, dull pain may occur in the form of a feeling of heaviness, which lasts no more than a day.
4. A woman during menstruation may experience paroxysmal severe pain. Here you need to consult a gynecologist. Why? This pain is characterized by intense contraction of the uterus, spasms of the bladder and intestines. This indicates violations of these systems.
5. Menstruation may be accompanied by severe pain. In general, severe pain in any part of the body is a sign of some kind of disease. In this case, these are violations of the reproductive system or inflammatory, infectious diseases.

It should be noted that during menstruation, the legs and lower back may hurt, nausea, weakness, and diarrhea may appear.

In addition to physiologically caused menstrual pain in 30-year-old women, against the background of an increase in the hormone estrogen, algomenorrhea may occur. There are two causes of pain in this case.

Some are associated with the anatomical individuality of the woman and hormonal changes. The cause of the latter may be inflammation in the cyst, endometriosis, intrauterine device. During menstruation, there may be heavy bleeding.

How to get rid of painful periods

Menstruation can flow more comfortably. Prostaglandin blockers - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) will help to do this.

These include over-the-counter drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen, voltaren, nurofen, paracetamol.

They relieve inflammation, and most importantly - block prostaglandins, resulting in reduced spasm, reduced pain.

In addition, they disrupt the function of platelets, which form a clot and stop bleeding.

Women who have a tendency to bleeding, for example, hereditary, or they take drugs that thin the blood, with poor blood clotting, drugs in this group are contraindicated.

In those who have hypertension, drugs in this group will constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Also, the ban on these drugs is associated with gastric and duodenal ulcers.

In really serious cases, with severe pain, the gynecologist prescribes prescription drugs.

In addition to drugs, you can take herbal teas and infusions. They can be purchased at any pharmacy.

When choosing a herbal collection, you need to look so that they include herbs with analgesic, anti-inflammatory and sedative effects.

These are St. John's wort, calendula, chamomile, motherwort, daisy flowers. They give the greatest effect compared to other herbs. You need to start drinking them already a few days before the onset of menstruation.

Also, when a woman has a severe stomach ache, it is recommended to use a relatively hot heating pad to relax her lower part so that she does not hurt.

Warmth should be comfortable. This is good pain relief.

With algomenorrhea, contraceptives will help relieve severe abdominal pain and normalize the state of hormones. But you should not assign them to yourself.

Only a gynecologist, after examining and confirming the diagnosis, will prescribe an effective contraceptive drug that is best suited for your case.

Diseases that cause pain

Severe abdominal pain during menstruation can be associated with serious diseases. In this case, the help from drugs that relieve pain during their usual course will be temporary.

Treatment of these diseases is required. Consider what diseases can cause such pain.

Cystitis

Cystitis is a very unpleasant disease. With menstruation, his symptoms intensify. They, in turn, exacerbate menstrual pain. It becomes not only strong in the lower abdomen, but also spreads to the lumbar region.

If you never paid attention to any painful sensations before your period, then the aggravation of pain will help you pay attention to them.

These are manifestations of cystitis that require treatment. These include pain when urinating, cramps, itching in the vagina, and a headache. The temperature may rise.

If you have these symptoms, you should contact your urologist. It is important that cystitis does not become chronic. Moreover, it is easily treated if started on time.

Usually, to clarify the diagnosis, a urine test is taken and an ultrasound examination of the organs of the genitourinary system is performed.

After the diagnosis is made, drug treatment with antibacterial drugs is prescribed.

You will also need to give up fatty and spicy foods for this time.

With timely access to a urologist, you will solve the problem with two components - restore the health of the genitourinary system, reduce pain during menstruation.

endometriosis

In a woman on critical days, this disease causes severe pain and heavy periods. He starts to pull his lower back, his stomach hurts a lot. Brown discharge occurs.

To understand that severe pain is caused by this disease, you need to know the symptoms. This disease is characterized by delayed periods, nausea and vomiting, problems with the intestines and bladder, as well as very severe intense pain.

They may be aching or contraction-like. Strengthening them is associated with a large amount of output of endometrial cells.

When contacting a gynecologist, a special diagnosis is prescribed, including ultrasound, computed tomography, laparoscopy.

Depending on the result of the examination, hormone therapy or surgery may be prescribed. Endometriosis is an insidious disease in which it is very difficult for a woman to get pregnant.

Therefore, if you observe these symptoms in yourself, you need to undergo an examination.

Inflammation of the appendages

Inflammation of the appendages has an infectious-inflammatory nature. The body is supercooled, picks up a sexually transmitted infection.

As with endometriosis, this disease during exacerbation is manifested by intense pain, concentrated on the right and left.

It can be aching, pulling, sometimes sharp, is a "harbinger" of menstruation, often disappears the next day. Other symptoms resemble endometriosis and cystitis. This is a burning sensation in the vagina, painful urination, high fever. May be nauseating.

Allocations are either large or meager. The diagnosis is made after an examination. Treatment is prescribed in the form of antibiotic therapy. Also recommend suppositories for local treatment.

Cyst

The presence of an ovarian cyst can be suspected when an exacerbation of unbearable pain occurs during menstruation. It has the character of constancy or periodicity.

The place of pain is determined by the presence of a cyst on one of the ovaries. There are also other signs of this disease.

An ovarian cyst is characterized by pain during intimacy, long delays in menstruation, painful sensations when urinating, an increase in the abdomen - more on a certain side, hirsutism.

When you notice these signs in yourself, undergo an examination to clarify the diagnosis using an ultrasound scan. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then depending on the size of the cyst, hormonal treatment or surgery is prescribed.

Operations can always be avoided if the disease is detected at the very beginning. Large cysts and a large number of them are removed only surgically.

In addition to the considered serious diseases, it is necessary to take into account an additional range of causes that cause pain during menstruation.

These are abortions, thyroid disorders, developmental anomalies, magnesium and calcium deficiency, neoplasms, low sensitivity threshold, low activity. They also require a medical look.

There are signs by which it is easy to understand when a medical examination and treatment is urgently needed. These include:

• pronounced symptoms associated with inflammatory processes. This is a violation of the temperature regime, increased sweating and palpitations, discharge with a strong odor during menstruation;
• very severe abdominal pain with profuse discharge and weight loss for several days;
• itching, burning sensation in the vaginal area and when urinating.

Thus, minor pains in the lower abdomen during menstruation are physiologically determined and are considered absolutely normal.

It is worth worrying about the occurrence of acute, prolonged, unbearable pain in combination with the symptoms of serious illnesses discussed in the article, when you simply cannot do without medical help.

Useful video

Cramps during menstruation - a nasty thing, but at least familiar. That is why it is worth paying special attention to any changes - for example, if the discomfort that is usually quite tolerable has turned into real suffering. Or the pain does not leave you even a few days after the menstruation is over. Finally, the discharge is unusually profuse and continues for an abnormally long time. Whatever the change is expressed in, it signals that something may be wrong with the body. “And you can’t ignore it,” concludes Alice Dweck, an ob/gyn at the Mount Kisco Clinic in New York.

To get an idea of ​​possible problems, read on.

Very severe pain and profuse discharge

Possible reason: fibroma of the uterus. This is a benign tumor on the inner or outer wall of the uterus. Why fibroids appear is not fully understood, but the problem is very common among women in their 30s and 40s. The pain, which Dweck describes as "off the charts," is usually due to mechanical pressure from the tumor on the uterus or inflammation.

What to do: Make an appointment with your gynecologist and talk about your symptoms. The doctor will most likely conduct several examinations, as a result of which it will become clear whether you have a fibroma and whether it needs to be removed. The latter depends on many factors - including the location of the tumor and its size (ranging from a button to an average grapefruit). Since fibroids are sensitive to estrogen levels, COCs may be prescribed for pain relief.

Constant pulling pain

Possible reason: an inflammatory process in the pelvic organs, that is, an infection of the ovaries, bladder, uterus and / or fallopian tubes. Where does inflammation come from? Well, for example, any STI in an advanced stage can lead to it (recall that chlamydia and gonorrhea are often asymptomatic). “The pain is almost constant, usually without severe attacks, but at the same time very unpleasant,” Alice clarifies. And during menstruation, in combination with cramps, the pain from inflammation can increase.

What to do: without delay go to the gynecologist. "Inflammation is rarely a very urgent action, but it can't be triggered," says Dweck. - The sooner the doctor examines you and determines the cause, the sooner he can prescribe antibiotics. If inflammation is ignored for a long time, it can cause scar tissue to form, which ultimately affects your ability to conceive.

Sharp pain in one side

Possible reason: torsion of the ovary. “This happens when something (like a cyst) causes the ovary to twist, blocking blood flow,” says Dweck. “This is very severe, almost unbearable pain that requires immediate medical attention.” One of the consequences is the extinction of ovarian function.

What to do: call an ambulance. Most likely, an ultrasound and other studies will be required. Once the diagnosis of torsion is confirmed, immediate laparoscopic (i.e., minimally invasive) surgery is needed to bring the organ back into a normal position. “Sometimes with timely intervention, the ovary can be saved. But if it already looks unviable, it will have to be removed. Fortunately, this organ is paired, and the production of estrogens and eggs will take over the remaining ovary.

Severe spasms that regular painkillers don't help

Possible reason: endometriosis is a disease in which the tissues of the uterus move to other organs (for example, to the ovaries or fallopian tubes) and take root there. According to the American Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, endometriosis is found in almost 10 percent of women. But the thing is, it can take years to establish a correct diagnosis. Before this happens, most patients believe that severe pain during menstruation is a common phenomenon, and suffer. Plus, they often experience discomfort during sex.

What to do: Again, go to the doctor and describe your symptoms. You are assigned several tests and studies to determine possible treatment options. Because endometrial tissues are sensitive to hormone levels, taking hormonal contraceptives can help reduce pain. But the only way to confirm endometriosis is still laparoscopy, during which the doctor may try to remove as much excess tissue as possible.

Severe cramps after insertion of intrauterine contraceptives

Possible reason: copper (non-hormonal) intrauterine device. Within three months after the installation of this tiny T-shaped device, pain may increase, because the coils need time to "take root" in the body.

What to do: “If the pain continues for a long time or comes on suddenly after a long period of normal IUD function, then you need to make an appointment for an ultrasound to find out what condition the helix is ​​in,” Dweck advises. The doctor can check and slightly correct the position of the IUD, after which the pain should go away.

Pain in the abdomen during menstruation in just a couple of hours brings some women to complete incapacity. However, a comprehensive view of the problem today can help most of them.

How to get rid of pain during menstruation? This question worries more than 40% of all women of childbearing age. One - enough to drink a few glasses of delicious juice. Others have to take a long and hard time to heal. But what can we really do?

Menstrual pain symptoms

Unpleasant sensations in the peritoneum can begin as early as 5-8 days before the start of the exit of the inner lining of the uterus. Initially, there is an infrequent weak "sipping" in the area of ​​​​the ovaries, to which, over time, sharp jerking pains are added along the entire height of the uterus.

Directly menstrual pain symptoms:

• cramping and twisting uterine spasms
• feeling of a foreign body in the abdomen
• drawing, squeezing pain in the uterus, passing to the intestines and in the lower back, intestinal spasms
• shooting pains in the ovaries, kidneys, along the entire length of the spine, in the head

Cause of pain during menstruation

The main "culprit" of pain during menstruation is the hormone-like substances prostaglandins. They irritate the nerve endings of the tissues in which they have developed, which causes uterine contractions and the release of the endometrium with secrets and blood.

Another common cause of menstrual pain- endometriosis. The very endometrial cells of the uterus that should come out during menstruation grow into the surrounding peritoneal tissues or rise into the ovaries. Active synthesis of prostaglandins causes them to exfoliate, swell and break down at the same time as everyone else.

Some teenage girls physiologically do not have time to fully form before the onset of the first menstruation. This applies both directly to the structure of the body, and the balance of hormones responsible for the cycle.

Why severe pain during menstruation in adolescents?

Yes, just an underdeveloped or improperly located uterus does not allow a free exit of menstrual blood. As it contracts, it literally puts pressure on the surrounding organs and irritates trillions of highly sensitive pain receptors. Teenage estrogen-progesterone background "adds fuel to the fire."

Most often, discomfort in the lumbar region during menstruation is caused by swelling and excessive strain, as well as radiating (radiating) pain.

The processes of the vertebrae dig into the swollen muscles of the back and injure them. And the reflex mechanisms of the spread of nerve impulses make you feel menstrual pain literally throughout the body.

Why does my lower back hurt so much during menstruation?

Existing ailments can also contribute to this unpleasant phenomenon:

• fibroma
• cervical dysplasia
• endometriosis
• polycystic ovaries

Why does the back hurt so much during menstruation in those who have given birth?

The uterus of the woman who carried the child, although it returns to normal, nevertheless acquires somewhat different sizes. During menstruation, this "extra" volume is enough to infringe on the nerve endings of the small pelvis, squeezing blood vessels and worsening blood microcirculation in the lower back.

Why does the back hurt so much during menstruation in those who have given birth?
The female uterus can increase in size not only during pregnancy, but also under the influence of the progression of nonspecific postpartum diseases:

• fibroids
• endometrial hyperplasia
• pelvic organ prolapse

IMPORTANT: All such gynecological defects affect the back with irradiating (reflected) pain sensations.

How to relieve pain during menstruation?

Significantly reduce painful manifestations before or during menstruation help:

1. Food enriched with potassium and calcium. The lack of these elements significantly increase the frequency and strength of uterine contractions.
2. Surgical intervention or special gynecological treatment of functional problems of the uterus
3. Complex hormonal treatment to restore the required balance of biologically active substances acting on the uterus
4. Medications and supporting pharmaceutical preparations
5. Traditional medicine and exercise

How to relieve pain during menstruation?

Be sure to take care of your health and eat right. Pharmacies and simple gestures will help to cope with the remaining problems.

Tablets and drugs for pain during menstruation

To get rid of discomfort, doctors recommend antispasmodics, complex analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Among others, the most in demand:

• no-shpa
• papaverine
• tempalgin
• spazmalgon
• baralgin
• ibuprofen

If the above pills and drugs for pain during menstruation are not suitable (give unacceptable side effects), then paracetamol can also be used. To achieve high-quality pain relief, it should be taken at a dose of 3-4 tablets every 6-8 hours. However, the official instructions for the medicine indicate the possible danger of such self-treatment.

What helps with severe pain during menstruation?

In some women, menstruation is extremely painful: the sensations during uterine contraction are comparable in strength to labor pains. At the same time, the spasm also "moves" to the intestines, which causes painful three-day diarrhea.

In such situations, ketanov and tamipules are saved (2 tablets every 12 hours). The first, however, is sold by prescription. Both drugs have a very mild effect on organ systems and practically do not cause side effects.

What helps with severe pain during menstruation yet? In extreme cases, analgin and solpadein can be used.
However, it is quite difficult to predict the strength and extent of the side effects of these drugs on the nervous system. Even with the third and subsequent receptions.

Folk remedies for menstrual pain

In addition to herbal decoctions of horsetail, tansy, meadowsweet and oregano, sweet pepper is considered an extremely effective remedy for pain during menstruation. At the same time, it is used as a salad base or freshly squeezed juice.

Other folk remedies for menstrual pain:

• asparkam tablets (usually used for other purposes)
• dried and fresh apricots, grapes, bananas
• pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
• wheat bran and wheat germ

Treatment of severe pain during menstruation

There aren't a lot of exercises that can help relieve stomach pain during your period, but they do exist! For example:

• it is necessary, sitting on a fitball / legs wide apart and crouching, make circular movements with the pelvis in both directions alternately
• it is necessary for the maximum possible time to take the pose “mother washes the floor” from a standing position, it is advisable to touch the feet while tilting your hands
• you need to sit or lie in a "knuckle up" in different positions-turns alternately

Treatment of severe pain during menstruation with physical activity another kind is contraindicated due to the possibility of heavy bleeding. By the way, ready-made tincture of water pepper will help to regulate them.

REVIEW: I suffer terribly in the first three days after the start of menstruation. I save myself with sedalgin or ibuprofen. It seems to me that nothing but pills or injections can relieve this terrible pain!!!

REVIEW: God forbid to be treated with analgin! Now I know how high drug addicts feel. Maybe. The gynecologist said that he has this effect on many people. Girls! Be careful!

REVIEW: Once they brought me a whole bucket of sweet pepper from the dacha. I used it in salads for a week and ate it. Menstruation went in a week. And I did not feel the moment of their onset at all. Since then, I eat pepper at the first opportunity I get. Which is what I recommend to you.

REVIEW: Naproxen relieves my severe period pain. A friend advised. And the gynecologist insists on taking hormonal contraceptives. Until I refuse. I'm afraid of various side effects.

REVIEW: And I was advised indomethacin suppositories. Well helped. But now the stomach hurts, and nothing can cure it. I'm going to the doctor one of these days.

REVIEW: The first day of my period begins with an injection of a mixture of analgin, papaverine and diphenhydramine. Otherwise, I climb the wall or lose consciousness.

I have been doing yoga for two years. After four months of training, I began to notice that the intensity of monthly pain is gradually decreasing. Today, I hardly use any medication. This is despite the fact that earlier Ketanov could not do without injections.

How to relieve menstrual pain:advice and feedback show that drug self-treatment is held in high esteem. First, we drink drugs, and then we consult with specialists. After all, you need to start from the other end!

Video: Painful periods (desmenorrhea)

Video: Everything you need to know about menstruation

Video: Painful menstruation. Women's diseases

During menstruation, which, according to normal indicators, should last from three to five days, a woman experiences hormonal surges, her mood often changes for no particular reason, she quickly gets tired, and feels unwell. All of the above factors are considered natural and do not go beyond the concept of the norm. But, unfortunately, many of the fair sex during menstruation experience severe pain in the abdomen. They are so intense that the lady becomes disabled and forced to take handfuls of painkillers. First of all, it is important to understand that pain in itself, even a slight one, is already a cry for help from our body, and severe pain is a sign of pathology that can be caused by various diseases and hormonal disorders. Most women delay the visit to the doctor, and steadfastly endure the pulling pain during menstruation. And this is absolutely impossible to do, because serious diseases can develop in the body.

What pains occur during menstruation and what do they indicate

Menstruation is a natural process during which waste products of the reproductive system are excreted from the body along with the blood. For its implementation, nerve pains are involved, therefore, minor pulling pains that occur on the first day are considered a natural phenomenon and should not cause alarm. But, if they are so strong that the girl is forced to take painkillers, then these are already obvious symptoms of serious disorders in the female reproductive system.

As a rule, the first sign of pain appears a few hours before the onset of menstruation. Its duration is individual, from a couple of hours to several days.

There are several types of pain during menstruation:

• cramping;
• stabbing;
• aching (pulling).

Localization is the lower abdomen, the sacrum and lower back are often affected.

According to the severity, nature and localization in medicine, menstrual pains are divided:

• slightly pronounced, in which there is no particular discomfort, a woman may experience slight malaise, drowsiness and fatigue. This condition is observed in most women, in addition, a quarter of the fair sex of the entire planet experience it throughout their lives. This form of dysmenorrhea appears, as a rule, in the first menstrual cycle. If the pain does not increase and there are no other unpleasant symptoms, then there is no cause for concern;
• the next in severity of pain during menstruation is algomenorrhea. A woman during critical days experiences chills, severe pain in the lower abdomen, blackouts, tinnitus, even fainting may be present. This condition is not complete without taking painkillers;
• when algomenorrhea is also accompanied by arrhythmia, heart pain, vomiting, then in this case we are talking about a severe form of dysmenorrhea. In this condition, it is quite difficult to cope with pain during menstruation with the help of analgesics. A woman needs immediate help from a doctor who, based on a diagnostic examination, will decide what to do next and what treatment tactics should be chosen.

The reasons for pain during menstruation can be varied. Among them, the leading positions are occupied by hormonal disruptions, gynecological pathologies, trauma to the genital organs.

To give an exact answer to the question: “Why does the stomach hurt during menstruation and what to do in this case?” Only a doctor can give. After all, the reasons may be different. Very severe pain is typical with an incorrect location of the uterus, with adhesions and scars that form on the reproductive organ after abortion, as well as with a low threshold of pain sensitivity.

In addition, an important role in this case is played by:

• heredity;
• avitaminosis;
• lack of magnesium and calcium;
• passive lifestyle;
• use of an intrauterine device;
• endometriosis;
• uterine fibroids;
• inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• polyps, cysts in the uterus and other ailments.

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why pulling and cramping painful manifestations occur during critical days. Therefore, with severe pain, in addition to the use of painkillers, it is necessary to take much more serious measures.

How to determine the causes and what to do

Why the stomach hurts during menstruation can only be found out after a comprehensive examination. First of all, the gynecologist should examine the woman on the chair, study the history and symptoms. In the future, it may be necessary to conduct an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs, a blood test for hormones, a cytological analysis, sometimes a hysteroscopy and a laparoscopic examination of the abdominal organs are required.

If necessary, the doctor refers the patient to a consultation with narrow specialists, most often an endocrinologist, surgeon, psychiatrist.

After it has been clarified why there is very severe pain, the appropriate treatment is selected.

When pulling pains are a concomitant symptom of pathological conditions of the reproductive system, for example, tumors, adhesions, and so on, then surgery is used.

With the help of medicines, they normalize the hormonal background, relieve inflammation. In the treatment of dysmenorrhea, gestagens, oral contraceptives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are actively used. The latter are recommended to be used the day before menstruation and on the first day during them (Ketaprofen, Diclofenac, Nimesil, etc.). If the pain is very strong, then antispasmodics, tranquilizers, antioxidants are additionally prescribed.

Strongly expressed pulling pains, especially on the first day, in addition to painkillers, also require vitamin complexes. You can also seek help from herbal remedies and homeopathic remedies.

In addition to medicines, following certain rules also helps to cope with menstrual pain very well. These include:

• proper rest and sleep;
• refusal of heavy physical exertion;
• avoidance of stressful situations;
• healthy balanced diet;
• normalization of weight;
• sports.

Breathing exercises, manual therapy, massage, electrophoresis and other methods help to defeat pain and significantly reduce its manifestations.

Do not ignore traditional methods of treatment. Of course, you need to resort to these remedies only after consulting a doctor and in conjunction with other traditional methods.

Normal periods come regularly and last 3-5 days. These days, a woman quickly gets tired, feels unwell. However, this does not cause too much discomfort, does not interfere with the usual way of life. However, some feel severe pain in the abdomen. Sometimes it is so painful that a woman is forced to abandon all business, stay at home, drink painkillers. Such pain during menstruation is a sign of pathology. The cause may be diseases and hormonal disorders. It is impossible to endure and hope that the malaise will pass by itself. You have to go to the doctor.

Content:

When pain during menstruation is considered a pathology

The mucous membrane of the uterus (endometrium) is regularly updated, resulting in menstruation. The removal of dead epithelium from the uterus is carried out by contracting its muscles. In this case, compression of the nerve endings and compression of the vessels occurs, which causes pain in the lower abdomen. Pain radiates to the sacrum and lower back. Usually they appear on the eve of menstruation and in the first 2 days after their arrival.

Painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) is a pathology. In addition to pain in the lower abdomen and back, there are associated ailments of varying severity. If a woman’s cycle is regular, the nature of menstruation is normal, then unpleasant symptoms quickly pass without causing her any particular torment. In severe cases, serious treatment is required.

Types of dysmenorrhea

There are two types of dysmenorrhea:

1. Primary (functional), not associated with any diseases. Usually, menstruation becomes painful 1.5-2 years after the onset of puberty, when the cycle normalizes, ovulation occurs regularly. Often, pain during menstruation is significantly weakened after the first birth.
2. Secondary (acquired), associated with pathological changes in the genital organs and various diseases. It occurs most often in women over 30 years of age. Usually accompanied by vegetative-vascular disorders (dizziness, excessive sweating and others), as well as tachycardia and cardiac arrhythmia.

If over the years the intensity of pain during menstruation remains constant, then such dysmenorrhea is called compensated. If the pain during menstruation becomes stronger every year, then it is called decompensated.

Degrees of dysmenorrhea

There are 4 degrees of dysmenorrhea, differing in the intensity of pain.

0 degree. Pain in the abdomen is mild, pain medication is not required.

1 degree. Pain is moderate, quite tolerable. Natural accompanying symptoms are mild depression, headache, indigestion. The discomfort can be completely eliminated by taking an anesthetic drug.

2 degree. Pain during menstruation is severe, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, chills, general weakness, migraine, irritability. The duration of the illness increases. Painkillers and sedatives help make you feel better.

3 degree. Severe abdominal pain appears in a woman 2-3 days before the onset of menstruation, continues until it ends. At the same time, the temperature rises, the head hurts a lot (up to vomiting), tachycardia and pain in the heart occur. There may be fainting. The woman is completely incapacitated. It is not possible to improve the condition by conventional means.

Addition: Pain during menstruation may differ in nature (cramping, pulling, aching, stabbing), give to the lower back, hips.

Causes of painful menstruation

Functional pain during menstruation can occur as a result of the pathological location of the uterus, the formation of adhesions and scarring after an abortion, the increased sensitivity of the woman's body to the changes taking place in it, and emotional excitability. An important role is played by heredity. The occurrence of pain can provoke vitamin deficiency and a lack of magnesium and calcium in the body. A sedentary lifestyle is also a cause of progressive dysmenorrhea. Contributes to the occurrence of pain during menstruation and a factor such as hormonal disorders in the body. An excess of the hormone prostaglandin causes an increase in uterine contractions, narrowing of blood vessels.

The appearance of primary dysmenorrhea is facilitated by the use of an intrauterine device. Secondary dysmenorrhea can occur as a result of pathologies such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ectopic pregnancy, inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs. Severe pain during menstruation appears due to the formation of polyps and cysts in the uterus.

Video: What are the causes of painful periods

How to relieve period pain

If the pain is moderate, the cycle is regular, menstruation is normal in volume and duration, then with the help of some techniques, you can ease the pain.

Recommendation: With severe pain, it is recommended to visit a doctor and make sure that there are no diseases that are asymptomatic. In some cases, chronic inflammatory diseases and even tumors may not manifest themselves. A pain symptom may be the only signal of trouble.

If, after a gynecological examination, a woman does not have any diseases, then at home, the condition can be alleviated in the following ways:

1. Massage the abdominal muscles in a clockwise direction, which will help relieve tension in them and relieve spasms. It is also good to massage the lower back.
2. Take a warm shower to help relax muscles and dilate blood vessels.
3. Lie on your side with your legs tucked up to your stomach (fetal position).
4. Take no-shpu to eliminate spasm in the uterus, ketonal or ibuprofen (have a strong analgesic effect), valerian (as a sedative).
5. Do light physical exercises (tilts, rotation of the body). Good for pain relief during menstruation yoga.
6. Apply during menstruation compresses with sea salt on the lower abdomen. Before and after menstruation, it is useful to take relaxing short (15-20 minutes) baths with the addition of such salt.
7. Drink soothing chamomile and mint tea (add 1-2 teaspoons of honey to 1 cup of tea). It is useful to take an infusion of parsley, strawberries.
8. If there is no allergy, essential oil can be rubbed into the skin in the area of ​​the sacrum and lower abdomen. The procedure is carried out 2 times a day 2 days before menstruation and in the first 2-3 days after they start. It helps to relieve severe pain during menstruation with a mixture containing 50 ml of St. John's wort oil, 5 drops of yarrow and sage oil.
9. In case of pain and heavy bleeding, ice should be applied to the lower abdomen for 15 minutes (over clothing, put in a bag).

Swimming is recommended. During swimming, the muscles relax, nervous tension is relieved. Endorphins (the so-called joy hormones, analgesic substances) are intensively produced in the body.

Video: Exercises for pain during menstruation

When to See a Doctor

Obvious signs of serious pathologies are most often severe pain that lasts a long time (more than 2 days). Moreover, the pain is so strong that the woman is forced to put aside all her affairs and stay at home. Abdominal pain is accompanied by diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Dizziness, headache, stabbing pain in the abdomen can be signs of excessive blood loss and anemia.

Severe cramping pain in the abdomen occurs with an ectopic pregnancy. The woman needs urgent surgery.

When painkillers and no-shpa do not help, the pain and volume of discharge increase, a doctor's consultation is simply necessary. If severe pain appeared during menstruation suddenly against the background of a cycle disorder, weight loss, this may be a sign of a tumor. You need to see a gynecologist urgently.

Drugs prescribed for dysmenorrhea

Menstrual pain affects 90% of women aged 18 to 35 years. Such pains are often intense, so the timely intake of an effective analgesic helps patients restore the rhythm of life and completely eliminate menstrual pain.

Dialrapid is a fast-acting analgesic that eliminates pain of any intensity. Potassium bicarbonate acts as a pH buffer, providing the drug with complete dissolution in water, and subsequently creating a microenvironment around the active substance - diclofenac potassium. It is this microenvironment that promotes accelerated absorption and helps the drug to be completely absorbed by the body. The pronounced effect of Dialrapid shows in the first 5 minutes after application. The powder is absorbed by the body almost as quickly as an injection, and unlike its tablet counterparts, it has a high peak plasma concentration 1 .

To eliminate pathological pain during menstruation, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs along with antispasmodic drugs. They are able to suppress the production of prostaglandins, thereby reducing uterine contractility.

For the treatment of dysmenorrhea, oral contraceptives are widely used - hormonal low-dose drugs that prevent the formation of excess prostaglandins. Herbal preparations based on phytoestrogens, which improve hormonal levels, as well as homeopathic remedies of non-hormonal action (menalgin), are also used. Gradually accumulating in the body, they help regulate the menstrual cycle, reduce pain and improve the condition of the nervous system.

Complex preparations containing vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, as well as plant extracts (for example, time factor) are prescribed. It is recommended to start taking medications in advance, before the onset of menstruation. Then, by the time they occur, the required dose accumulates in the body, the drug acts more efficiently.

Physiotherapy methods - UHF and electrophoresis help to reduce pain during menstruation. In this case, the procedure is carried out in advance. Before the onset of menstruation, special solutions (novocaine, sodium bromide) are applied to the stomach and exposure to ultrasound or electrical impulses is performed. There is warming and anesthesia.

Prevention of dysmenorrhea

In order for menstruation to be less painful, it is recommended to stop drinking alcohol on critical days, avoid stress, not catch colds, move more, do yoga. It is necessary to limit the use of sugar these days, foods that cause bloating. It is useful to eat chocolate, which stimulates the production of endorphins, as well as foods containing calcium and magnesium.

Video: Yoga classes during menstruation

1. There are contraindications. It is necessary to read the instructions or consult with a specialist.