What to do if the stomach hurts during menstruation. If menstrual pain is simply unbearable, then its causes may be. Reducing pain during menstruation without medication

Menstrual pain is familiar, perhaps, to each of us. Sometimes the symptoms pass quickly and almost imperceptibly, but in other cases, "these days" become a real torture. Some women experience severe abdominal pain during menstruation. What to do in this situation? To begin with, it is important to understand when such signs remain within the normal range, and when it is worth sounding the alarm.

Dysmenorrhea - pain during menstruation

Menstruation is the process by which the inner layer of the uterus is shed and comes out in the form of secretions. Painful sensations at the beginning of menstruation are quite natural, because at this time the uterus is actively contracting, getting rid of the contents.

However, sometimes the pain becomes prolonged and sharp, which interferes with the normal life of the fairer sex. This condition, when a woman has severe pain in the lower abdomen and pelvic area during menstruation, is called dysmenorrhea.

There are primary and secondary dysmenorrhea, which differ in the causes of occurrence and the nuances of the course. So, primary dysmenorrhea can be recognized by the following signs:

it affects adolescents and women on average up to 30 years;
usually the pains begin to disturb after 1-3 years from the moment of the first menstruation;
pain intensity decreases with age;
pain usually disappears after the birth of the child;
pain can appear 2-3 days before menstruation and persist for another 3 days;
soreness covers the lower abdomen and back;
dysmenorrhea is not associated with inflammation or disease.

Active contractions of the uterus that cause primary dysmenorrhea are often explained by a high concentration of the hormone prostaglandin. Also, the problem can be triggered by copious or thick discharge. As a result, there is a spasm of the cervical canal that connects the uterus to the vagina.

As for secondary dysmenorrhea, it can be recognized by the following signs:

it manifests itself more often in adult and mature women;
lasts longer than 3 days;
pain can be expressed both weakly and very strongly;
in addition to the abdomen, the girl experiences pain in the legs and back.

This type of dysmenorrhea is often caused by diseases, including ovarian cysts, endometriosis, fibroids and uterine polyps, ectopic pregnancy, and various inflammations.

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To understand why the stomach hurts during menstruation, it is important to determine what type of dysmenorrhea you have encountered.

Weak and short pain syndrome in primary dysmenorrhea, as a rule, does not require special attention. This symptom is not dangerous, but it is still desirable to relieve severe pain. Painful sensations can be removed by simple medical and home methods:

drink an antispasmodic drug, for example, No-shpu, Spazmalgon or Ibuprofen. This will help lower prostaglandin levels and relieve pain. However, doctors do not recommend resorting to this method too often, because this may affect reproductive abilities;
a warm heating pad will help the uterus relax, causing pain to go away;
take a warm bath or shower - this is a great way to relax your muscles and relieve stress;
with severe pain, the correct position of the body will help. The posture of the fetus - that is, the position lying on your side with your knees pressed to your chest - helps to reduce pain;
drink herbal decoctions and infusions with an analgesic effect. Mint, ginger, raspberry, oregano, lemon balm have such properties;
take oral contraceptives: these drugs restore the balance of female hormones. Very often, a course of taking such medications helps women get rid of or reduce the intensity of pain during menstruation. But it must be remembered that only a qualified doctor can prescribe contraceptives;
do yoga, stretching, Pilates. Physical exercise helps to relax muscles during menstruation;
refuse for a while from spicy and fatty foods, strong coffee and tea.

If you decide to use the method of applying heat, then remember that a hot heating pad or shower is contraindicated. It should be moderate heat, otherwise you risk more bleeding. Also refrain from using ice: this method is fraught with inflammation of the uterus and ovaries.

What to do if a teenager has a severe stomach ache during menstruation? Do not be afraid if a young girl has pain during menstruation. It is adolescents whose body goes through a stage of intense changes that are most susceptible to dysmenorrhea. 30-50% of girls face a similar situation. Pain sensations in most of them disappear as the menstrual cycle normalizes. However, if the pain becomes barely tolerable, then, of course, it is worth taking measures to eliminate them.

When to sound the alarm?

Secondary dysmenorrhea, which is caused by diseases of the genital organs, is the most dangerous. If the pain of menstruation is repeated from time to time, this may be one of the symptoms of uterine fibroids, endometriosis and many other female diseases.

Do not hesitate to visit a gynecologist in such cases:

if pain during menstruation is accompanied by fever;
there is a suspicion of pregnancy;
earlier menses were painless;
pain syndrome lasts longer than a week;
pain begins long before menstruation;
discharge becomes too abundant;
a woman experiences nausea during menstruation.

Feeling unwell during menstruation is a big problem for many women. Dizziness, severe abdominal pain, nausea and heavy bleeding cause significant discomfort and significantly impair the quality of life of adolescent girls and adult women.

Gynecologists say that at least once in their lives, all patients suffered from pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation. Why there is such discomfort and how to deal with it, you will learn further.

Why can the stomach hurt during the days of menstruation

Menstrual bleeding is a natural process in which an unnecessary layer of the endometrium is rejected. Its purpose is to provide conditions for the fixation of a fertilized egg.

If conception does not occur, the uterus begins to clear itself of the outer surface of the endometrium. The pain that occurs during this process may be physiological or pathological.

Physiological causes of severe pain in the lower abdomen:

Contraction of the uterus. The function is necessary for the expulsion of an egg that is not fertilized by male cells. The intensity of pain depends on the strength of contractions and the sensitivity of the receptors of the abdominal wall. The contractile function of the uterus is affected by physical and emotional overload, hypothermia. With a weak sensitivity of nerve endings, menstruation in women is painless.
Nervous strain. Stress and anxiety can increase discomfort on critical days.
Incorrect position of the uterus. Deviation of the body back puts pressure on the nerve endings and provokes soreness.
Hormonal disorders. The onset of menstruation is provided by female sex hormones. During puberty and with the use of hormonal contraceptives, pain during menstruation may appear. The number of days and intensity of secretions increase.

If the stomach hurts very much, spasms and fainting occur, there is heavy bleeding with clots during menstruation, all this can be a sign of diseases of the endocrine and gynecological system. If poor health is complemented by an elevated body temperature, it is necessary to undergo a diagnosis and identify a provoking disease.

In the abdomen, it accompanies various pathologies:

Myoma.
Polyps in the uterus.
Colpitis.
Cervical erosion.
Endometriosis.
Oophoritis.
Polycystic uterus or appendages.
Oncological neoplasms.
Intervention in the uterus - abortion, installation of a spiral.
Complications in childbirth, caesarean section, surgical treatment of the ovaries.

Physiological pain during menstruation is characterized by ease of discomfort. The stomach can hurt and pull the lower back, the mood deteriorates, dizziness and general malaise occur. But these symptoms should be moderate. If menstruation prevents a woman from leading a normal life, then the cause of dysmenorrhea lies in the disease.

How to eliminate pain during menstruation

If the stomach hurts unbearably during menstruation, the question is “what to do?” becomes a priority, because the rhythm of modern life does not allow women to relax. The pharmaceutical industry offers to eliminate discomfort with the help of suppositories, tablets and thermal patches.

Candles

For women who do not like to drink for any reason, suppositories with an analgesic effect are suitable.

During menstruation, they are injected into the vagina, where the active substances act locally, eliminating pain and inflammation. The preparations have a creamy texture, which facilitates application.

Paracetamol has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. To get rid of pain during menstruation, it is used several times a day. One candle is placed in the vagina with the obligatory observance of a 4-hour interval.

Cefecon D is an analogue of Paracetamol. The medicine quickly stops menstrual pain and relieves inflammation. If there is a headache, it also removes it.

Tablets

If you decide to take pills for abdominal pain during menstruation, we recommend that you consider three groups of drugs for pain:

Antispasmodics - relieve spasms in the uterus, accelerate the release of mucous secretions, reduce the tone of the uterus. In some cases, the duration of critical days is reduced, but the bleeding will be profuse. Antispasmodics include No-shpa, Papaverine, Buscopan and Spazmalgon.
Analgesics - relieve pain, nausea, weakness and fever. What to drink with painful periods: Baralgin, Analgin, Menalgin, Novalgin.
Anti-inflammatory drugs - relieve pain during menstruation, but they must be taken even in the premenstrual period. Tablets prevent ill health, but are not suitable for patients with stomach ulcers. In the absence of contraindications on the eve of menstruation, you can take Diclofenac, Aspirin, Ketonal, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol.

plasters

The analgesic effect of thermal patches is due to exposure to heat. The adhesive tape is comfortable to wear on the body, and the heating of the abdomen does not harm the body.

In folk medicine, a heating pad is used to eliminate menstrual pain, but it cannot be used in the workplace and in other conditions when it is impossible to lie down and relax.

Assortment of thermal patches for painful critical days:

Extraplast.
Frauplast.
Thermacare.
Cure Tape.

There are no universal methods for dealing with pain during the menstrual period. A warm bath helps some women, a glass of cognac helps others, and still others try not to drink coffee and alcohol on critical days.

Diet

If on critical days you don’t want to saturate the body with “chemistry”, you can follow a diet with a switch to vegetarian food. To reduce pain symptoms during menstruation, a few days before they begin, dairy and animal foods should be abandoned. It is useful to drink juices, especially beet and carrot.

On days when there is no bleeding, the body needs to be fed with calcium and vegetables with green leaves. It is undesirable for women to abuse coffee, because the drink enhances psycho-emotional irritability. On the days of menstruation, it is better to drink aromatic herbal teas. You can cook them from mint, chamomile, raspberry leaves, lemon balm.

Sport exercises

If you do not know what to do if your stomach hurts during menstruation, try to eliminate discomfort with a light sports load. It is noticed that regular classes help women to endure menstruation more easily. In addition to good health, gymnastics will give health and a beautiful figure.

Often, women lie in the days of menstruation and, as far as possible, are removed from household chores.

But the discomfort still persists, because it is the physical activity that eliminates the pain. Therefore, on critical days you need to walk, squat, bend over, do exercises. Complex exhausting exercises are not needed - everything is good in moderation. Sometimes just a few squats are enough for severe pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation to disappear.

What exercises will help relieve pain:

Sit on the floor with bent legs. Feet should rest securely on the floor. Gently bend the stomach up and down, keeping the muscles relaxed. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times.
Take a position in which the elbows and knees will rest on the floor. Lower your head between your hands. Stand 3 minutes.
Lie on your back and raise your legs high so that they form a right angle with the wall. Rest your feet against the wall, firmly pressing the limbs to the surface. Although it is difficult, but to get rid of pain in the abdomen, you need to hold out in this position for 5 minutes.
Lie on your stomach and stretch out your arms. It is good to lean your palms on the floor. Pull the head and sternum back as far as possible. Exercise "Cobra" helps to stretch the muscles of the back and abdomen. To relieve pain, it needs to be done 4-5 times.

Women who practice yoga rarely complain of abdominal pain during menstruation. Also, a passion for ancient oriental art helps to suppress depression and anxiety.

Folk remedies for pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation

Traditional medicine recipes will help minimize discomfort during painful periods. The easiest way is to attach a warm heating pad to the lower back and lie down for a while. You can wrap the lower part of the body with a woolen scarf.

If there are viburnum berries in stock, they should be rubbed with sugar and taken 3 times a day before meals. A single serving of the drug - 2 tbsp. l.

Viburnum berries in nature

How to get rid of abdominal pain during menstruation with the help of herbs:

Oregano. 1 tsp dry herbs pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Drain the liquid from the thick and drink during the day in small sips.
raspberry leaves. Dry crushed raw materials (2 - 3 tablespoons) pour boiling water (200 ml). Infuse the ingredients under the lid for 15 minutes. Cool, strain and drink before the end of the day.
Mint + chamomile. Dry herbs are taken equally, for example, 1 tbsp. l. This amount will require 2 cups of boiling water. The mixture is infused for half an hour and filtered. Drink herbal tea ¼ cup 40-60 minutes before meals.
Anise. 1 tsp raw materials insist on a glass of boiling water for 30 minutes. The product is filtered and consumed ¼ cup before meals only 3 times a day.
Blackberry. The leaves of the plant and boiling water are combined in a ratio of 2 tbsp. l. chopped sushnyak for 2 cups of liquid. Phyto raw materials are insisted for 2 - 3 hours. Useful water is drunk three times a day for half a glass.

These recipes perfectly relieve abdominal pain during menstruation. However, with diagnosed gynecological diseases, they are allowed to be used only in consultation with the doctor.

When to See a Doctor

If severe pain in the lower abdomen does not subside for more than two days, but is abundant, it is urgent to contact a gynecologist and establish the cause of dysmenorrhea.

Also, a woman should be alerted by the presence of blood clots on the pad, a violation of the cycle and a sharp weight loss. Pain that occurs while taking oral contraceptives deserves close attention of the doctor.

To help the specialist understand the situation, the patient should provide her menstrual calendar and talk about how she has been feeling in recent months. All deviations associated with menstruation have diagnostic value. It is imperative to fix them.

Remember that feeling unwell during menstruation cannot be the norm. After you have been treated for dysmenorrhea, take care to prevent painful periods. Preventive measures in this case are as follows:

Power correction. Enrich your diet with protein foods and foods high in potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium. Eat liver, meat, buckwheat, greens, vegetables and dairy products. Avoid salty and spicy foods, spices, chocolate, and caffeine.
Sport. By making time for small physical activity, you can prevent soreness during the days of menstruation. Do fitness or yoga, run.
Correct perception of menstruation. Psychoneurologists identify the poor health of women during menstruation with disgust for their own body. The body reacts to this with pain.
Hygiene. Strengthening hygiene during menstruation prevents infection of the genital organs and the development of inflammatory processes.

P.S. Do not ignore dysmenorrhea and do not bring it to a neglected state if critical days have been very difficult for several months. The sooner the provoking disease is established, the sooner you can return to normal health.

According to experts, few women have not experienced premenstrual pain in their lives. And some have so much pain in the stomach that they can not go to school or work.

As a rule, the lower abdomen hurts, and pain is most often given to the lower back, pelvic bones, and sacrum. The intestines also sometimes suffer from spasms. Painful sensations begin in different ways: for some - a few hours before menstruation, for others - a day or two, and sometimes last until the end of menstruation. The pain can be so severe that a woman has to take painkillers all these days.

Symptoms during menstruation.

1. Pain in the lower abdomen, resembling contractions and extending to the lumbar region, sometimes to the groin, thighs and external genitalia. The pains are paroxysmal, quite intense, they exhaust the nervous system, reduce efficiency, cause weakness and lethargy.

2. Dizziness, spasmodic headaches.

3. The temperature rises to 37 degrees.

4. Bloating.

5. Dry mouth.

6. Mental disorders: irritability, anxiety, depression, insomnia, distraction, memory impairment.

7. Increased appetite, cravings for sweets.

8. Swelling and soreness of the mammary glands, swelling of the legs and arms, weight gain.

9. Fainting and other disorders.

Sometimes one of the listed symptoms becomes the leading one and begins to bother more than the pain in the abdomen.

Causes of pain during menstruation.

Primary algomenorrhea - these are severe pains in adolescence, most often in emotional and thin girls, a couple of years after the first menstruation, with the onset of ovulation.

Secondary algomenorrhea - this is pain during menstruation, which is a symptom of other diseases. Such pain occurs due to anatomical changes in the uterus (myoma, adenomyosis, etc.).

The main physiological cause may be a violation between the natural balance between sex hormones, namely, between prostaglandin and progesterone. Prostaglandins are chemicals that are produced by uterine tissue and help it contract. The high content of prostaglandins in the body increases the force of uterine muscle contraction and, accordingly, increases pain.

In addition to the physiological causes of pain during menstruation, there may be gynecological diseases and inflammation of the internal genital organs: fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts and infections of the genital organs (fallopian tubes, ovaries, vagina, uterus). The cause of pain can also be an intrauterine device.

Causes of menstrual pain in women over 30.

1. Pain can appear after inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system, as well as after an abortion or childbirth.

2. A common cause of secondary algomenorrhea is endometriosis. With it, cramping or aching pains in the abdomen are given to the rectum and cause anxiety for the entire period of the menstrual cycle.

3. The use of intrauterine contraceptives. Although those women who use contraceptives containing progestogens (for example, mirena), pain was not observed.

4. Sumbucous uterine fibroids (when, when myomatous nodes appear, they are pushed out through the cervical canal).

5. Varicose veins of the pelvis, which may be the result of adhesions and inflammation, vein disease (dilation of the veins of the lower extremities and hemorrhoidal veins).

6. Malformations of the genitals, as a result of which the outflow of menstrual blood is difficult.

What to do with pain during menstruation.

If the pain is associated with primary dysmenorrhea, you should first try non-drug treatment:

1. Learn to calm down and deal with stress.

2. Exercise, stop smoking and drinking alcohol.

3. Learn some relaxation techniques, such as yoga.

4. Do not overcool, and with severe pain, put a heating pad on the lower abdomen, pulling your knees to your chest.

In the absence of the desired effect of non-drug treatment, medications should be taken, which the doctor should prescribe after examination and diagnosis. These may include aspirin, low-estrogen oral contraceptives, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In the case of secondary algodysmenorrhea, it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis with an ultrasound scan.

You can reduce pain during menstruation by cleansing the body.

The menstrual period passes without pain, when a woman adheres to proper nutrition and feels almost healthy. The monthly discharge is not too plentiful and the smell is quite insignificant.

This state can be achieved by eliminating accumulated toxins. A good way to remove toxins is fasting and, if necessary, an enema. Fasting for 1-3 days before the onset of menstruation, you can get rid of abdominal pain. It is very useful during fasting to drink decoctions that purify the blood. Carrot juice with the addition of a little beet juice does an excellent job with this task.

One-day fasting, which is carried out once a week, is quite effective. This method also helps to get rid of chest pain that accompanies menstrual pain. In the case when there is no possibility of starving, you need to exclude meat and milk for 1-2 days a week. You can do coffee enemas a couple of times a week.

Pain is considered to be a sign of a disorder of any of the functions of the body, a signal of malfunctions. But there is a natural process during which any discomfort is perceived almost as the norm. Severe pain during menstruation, especially on the first day, is experienced by most women of reproductive age. For some, the state of health is disturbed so much that it is impossible to do ordinary things and even just stand on your feet. Some perceive pain as doomed, trying to endure it, while others try to find a way to get rid of them. The question of why there is so much suffering in the initial days of menstruation rests on female physiology. This does not mean that you need to turn a blind eye to poor health, even if the gynecologist said that there are no pathologies.

Types of pain

For the first time, physical ailments may appear in girls already at menarche or within 1-3 years after the establishment of the ovulatory cycle. Discomfort covers in the first hours of menstruation or may begin 1-2 days before. The severity and strength of pain symptoms are different for everyone: from barely perceptible to unbearable. It is customary for medical specialists to unite similar symptoms with the concept of algomenorrhea - a disorder of the menstrual cycle. If painful sensations are associated with periodic delays in menstruation due to ovarian dysfunction, they speak of dysmenorrhea.

Menstrual pains can be primary: pursue from the onset of puberty. In such cases, the suffering of the first day is rather difficult to endure: accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever.

The secondary appears after a period of relative well-being due to various kinds of diseases, surgical interventions, neurotic abnormalities, and disorders in the sexual sphere. In such cases, severe heaviness in the lower third of the abdomen, spasms can be observed.

Why pain is painfully tolerated on the first day depends on a number of interrelated factors, including fluctuations in hormonal balance, the work of the nervous, muscular and vascular systems, and the psychological state of the woman.

Causes of pain

In primary algomenorrhea, conditionally natural and pathological causes of painful menstruation are isolated. At the beginning of the next cycle, the uterine cavity, lined with a dense mucous membrane, without receiving a fertilized egg, begins to contract, pushing out unnecessary epithelium. The process is regulated by sex hormones. During this period, the walls and neck of the organ are filled with blood and separated myometrium. Therefore, the first contractions are always transferred especially uncomfortable. Even with complete well-being, women feel squeezing and stiffness in the lower abdomen before menstruation, accompanied by physical fatigue. Severe pain can be caused by the following reasons:

an increased amount of prostaglandins - pain neurotransmitters in the myometrium;
violation of the synthesis of hormones: dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline;
lack of minerals and hypovitaminosis;
abnormal development of the connective tissue of the body;
features of the location and shape of the uterus: deviations, kinks, bends, underdevelopment.

Read also 🗓 Why does the heart hurt before menstruation

The reason why the stomach hurts a lot before menstruation is a hidden neurological disorder, psychological trauma and other mental health conditions of a woman that affect the physical level.

Secondary algomenorrhea always suggests the presence of pathologies. Common causes of pain cycle disorder that occurs in women after a prosperous period:

improperly selected contraception, usually an IUD;
development of systemic diseases: diabetes mellitus, coronary disease, thyroid pathologies;
transferred inflammation of the internal genital organs;
surgical abortions, therapeutic curettage;
growing tumors of the uterus, endometriosis;
nervous or physical exhaustion on the background or sports.

In women over 40 years old, who are perplexed, they have recently become, thus a beginning menopause may appear.

Pain on the first day

Since the body of each woman is individual, pain on the first day of the next menstruation begins and proceeds differently. A characteristic clinical picture: a gradual increase in discomfort 10–12 hours before the onset of discharge. The syndrome develops as a series of successive contractions, pains in the abdominal cavity. The pain can be felt as a stabbing, singing, burning, jerking, radiating to the rectum, bladder, thighs, and mammary glands. The following symptoms are also noted:

The initial degree of algomenorrhea is tolerated as a slight discomfort: the pain is quite tolerable, does not require medical relief, and gradually disappears within 1-2 days. At the same time, women do not pay attention to trouble or simply rest more.
With an average degree, it is already impossible to get along with pain. Contractions or cramps in the abdomen begin even before menstruation, and in the first hours of the discharge become unbearable. Almost always, health disorders occur with vegetative and neurological symptoms: severe irritability, sweating, trembling in the limbs, numbness.
In severe cases, the first pain signs appear a few days before menstruation, at the beginning of the cycle, a woman is forced to lie in bed all day due to excruciating pain and complete inability to perform any actions. Frequent accompanying symptoms: severe tachycardia, heavy sweat,. Recovery may take several days after menstruation.

How to relieve pain

To endure even a “natural” deterioration in well-being is very harmful to the nervous system. This can lead to the development of depression, neuroses, and greatly complicates life. If the first day is not a consequence of a tumor or other organic lesion, you need to resort to medical methods of help. It is useful to start drinking painkillers not at the beginning of the cycle, but a day before the expected discharge. To relieve pain during menstruation, drugs based on paracetamol, ibuprofen, drotaverine help. Painkillers that combine several active ingredients are more effective. For example, Trigan-D containing an analgesic and antispasmodic. Usually the use of a suitable remedy helps to alleviate severe soreness.

If the pills do not help or the effect of them is insignificant and short-lived, you can try physiological methods. The day before the onset of menstruation and on the first day, it is recommended to drink more diuretic liquids: weakly brewed tea, decoctions of parsley, dill seeds, elecampane root, currant compote. This will contribute to better resorption and removal of puffiness. Additionally, you can apply dry heat to the stomach and lower back: a heating pad, a bottle of hot water. For some, it is not warming the abdominal wall that helps relieve severe cramps, but cold. It is undesirable to use ice, it is enough to put a towel moistened with cold water on the lower abdomen.

For more tips on how to reduce period pain, ask your gynecologist.

Pain treatment

If the first painful day of the menstrual cycle is not associated with a health disorder, is not accompanied by delays, the discharge has a normal appearance - without massive blood clots and pus, the therapy does not involve any specific methods. Pain treatment in this case consists in the timely prevention of symptoms and their maximum relief:

It is recommended to choose a suitable painkiller. For each woman he is different: Ketanov, Ibuklin helps one, the other - No-Shpa, Trigan-D or Nise.
If health allows, on the first day of menstruation you need to walk more - movement contributes to a better discharge of edema, myometrium and mucus.
It is useful to perform special relaxing stretching exercises, yoga asanas.
A light massage of the abdominal wall helps, which can be performed independently: with palms for 1-2 minutes. perform stroking and rubbing the abdomen clockwise.

Often, women assume that menstruation will begin soon, without first calculating the duration of the cycle. And the reason for such confidence is a change in mood, irritability, decreased performance, but the most common symptom is menstrual pain. In medicine, such a manifestation is called the term "algomenorrhea".

Development mechanism

To understand why the stomach hurts during menstruation, you need to at least get a little familiar with the physiology of the menstrual cycle, since this process takes a long time and determines the period during which a woman is capable of childbearing.

Menstruation is a physiological process in which detachment of the functional layer of the endometrium occurs. The main role of this structure is to ensure the correct attachment of the fertilized egg and its further development. If pregnancy does not occur, the cells lose their capabilities and exfoliate, which, in fact, is accompanied by bloody discharge from the vagina.

Many complain that during menstruation, the stomach hurts, and the intensity of this symptom varies from woman to woman. This process is due to several factors. These include:

Hormonal influence. During menstruation in a woman's body, the level of prostaglandins reaches its maximum level. It is these substances that contribute to the contraction of the walls of the uterus for its better cleansing, in connection with this, there is a feeling of discomfort.
Anatomical features. The uterus is in the pelvis, her body is slightly tilted to the back. It is in this part that the nerve plexuses are located, on which it presses, causing pain in the lower back and lower abdomen.

Normally, the lower abdomen pulls with moderate force. These sensations are quite tolerable, but every woman should know how to alleviate her condition in order to maintain her usual lifestyle.

The reasons

Sometimes painful periods are caused by certain diseases that cause discomfort. These include:

Also, with abdominal pain, a woman's lifestyle plays an important role. The occurrence of this symptom can be affected by stressful situations, significant physical exertion, hormonal changes in the body. The risk of such a symptom also increases in those who use intrauterine devices. Gynecologists also associate pain during menstruation with a poor environmental situation, an unbalanced diet.

Additional symptoms

In addition to the fact that a woman has a severe stomach ache, she may be disturbed by other symptoms. These days there is irritability, frequent mood swings, headache. Weakness, nausea, and even vomiting may occur. Often during this period, about a week before menstruation, there is swelling of the limbs, a feeling of heaviness in the legs. This feature is explained by fluid retention in the body. As a rule, the symptom disappears on its own after the end of menstruation.

Under the influence of prostaglandins, a disorder of the digestive canal often occurs, which manifests itself in the form of diarrhea and flatulence. The latter does not require treatment. To alleviate the condition, it is recommended to temporarily remove from your diet foods that increase gas formation in the intestines. Diarrhea during menstruation also does not need medication, but only if the diarrhea is of a short duration and there are no other symptoms of an intestinal infection.

Kinds

Depending on its origin, algomenorrhea is divided into two types:

Primary. It develops mainly in young girls. It is due to hormonal changes that occur during this period. The pain is observed on the first day of menstruation and a few days before it begins. In addition to this symptom, nausea, diarrhea, headache, and there are no diseases. Such symptoms usually go away on their own as they grow older or after the birth of a child.
Secondary. It develops against the background of pathological processes of the reproductive system.

When you can not do without the help of a specialist?

There are a number of signs in the presence of which a woman needs to consult a gynecologist:

Signs of the inflammatory process: fever, discharge with an unpleasant odor, increased sweating, chills, palpitations.
Profuse bleeding, in which you have to replace hygiene products every hour.
In cases where pain becomes much more intense than usual, or their duration increases.
Symptoms of a sexual infection: discomfort in intimate places, unprotected sexual contact, itching, burning, painful urination.
If there is abundant discharge for several days, and at the same time weight has decreased.
The pain becomes intense and requires a constant stay in bed.

Abdominal pain and missed period

Sometimes premenstrual symptoms are present, but menstruation does not begin. Often this condition is associated with the possible onset of pregnancy. If, in this condition, the test is negative, this may indicate the presence of pathological processes of the genitourinary system, sexually transmitted diseases or tumors. Also, the absence of menstruation can be due to a strong emotional shock, depressive states. If you have such a problem, you should consult a doctor to find out the true cause.

What to do with algomenorrhea?

When there are no pathological processes that can cause a painful syndrome during menstruation, a woman can independently apply some techniques to alleviate her well-being these days.