Do you dread those two to five days of the month because you have to suffer the pain? The pain can be in the form of lower abdomen pain, back pain, crampy pains, a sharp pain which comes and goes.
Most doctors will tell you that some amount of pain may be normal and there should be nothing to worry. But in case you have severe pain you need to rule out few causes. The medical term for menstrual pain is dysmenorrhea.
Painful menstruation can be the reason for losing out on school, office or daily fun. In rural India, menstruation is one of the reasons why girls drop out of school, as they do not have separate toilets in schools.
Dysmenorrhea can be of two types:
1. Primary Dysmenorrhea- Pain in young healthy females when they start menstruating.
2. Secondary Dysmenorrhea- is one which develops later in women who had normal periods.
Causes of Secondary Dysmenorrhea:
- Endometriosis
- Fibroids
- Intrauterine device (IUD) made of copper
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Sexually transmitted infection
- Stress and anxiety
What you can do at home to help yourself:
- Do light circular massage with your fingertips around your lower belly area.
- Drink warm beverages.
- Eat light but frequent meals.
- Eat diet low in salt, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.
- Keep your legs raised while lying down, or lie on your side with your knees bent.
- Apply a heating pad to your lower belly area, below your belly button.
- Do meditation or yoga.
- Try over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen. Start taking it the day before your period is expected to start, and continue taking it regularly for the first few days of your period. Please ensure that your kidneys and liver are functioning normally. People with diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease need to discuss with their doctor before taking any medicines.
- Vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium supplements may help if your pain is from PMS.
- Take warm showers or baths.
- Walk or exercise regularly, including pelvic rocking exercises.
- Lose weight if you are overweight. Get regular, aerobic exercise.
You need to consult a doctor , if you have
- Increased or foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Fever and pelvic pain
- Sudden or severe pain, especially if your period is more than one week late and you have been sexually active.
Contact us if you need more help or have any health related queries.
Prana Healthcare is a new age, compassionate, caring, primary healthcare provider. We send general physicians for home visits and run primary care clinics in Bangalore.
