Health

  Understanding dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is a Greek word that means “significant menstrual pain”. From a practical point of view, dysmenorrhea means painful menstruation with menstrual cramps, which usually start few hours before or immediately after the beginning of menstruation.

Usually it starts in the lower abdomen (below navel and above pubis) and the region becomes very painful to the touch. It may last a few days.

Besides intense or mild menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhea has other symptoms associated or not with nausea, diarrhea, pain and lower limb and breast swellings, headaches (migraines), nervousness, insomnia, etc.

  Do all women experience dysmenorrhea?

Not necessarily; however, it is one of the most common gynecological problems, and it affects 40 to 70 percent of all women of reproductive age, including teenagers (52%). 10 to 12 percent of all women that experience dysmenorrhea are incapable of exercising their professional or student activities from 1 to 3 days each month, representing an actual loss of 140 million work hours in the United States.

  Primary and secondary dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea doesn’t have any specific organic cause. Primary dysmenorrhea usually appears within one to two years after the first menstrual period and it may persist even after the age of 40.

During the menstrual period, when the ovulation period is near the beginning, the prostaglandin production, a substance that acts in the uterus, starts. Many times, for unknown reasons, there is too much prostaglandin production, which causes menstrual cramps. This is the primary dysmenorrhea.

Secondary dysmenorrhea usually is caused by some disease or disorder that affects the pelvic organs (ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, etc.) and usually occurs many years after the first menstrual period. Therefore, several gynecological conditions may cause dysmenorrhea, such as cysts, ovarian and uterus changes, including myomas (non-malignant tumor), endometriosis (growth beyond or outside the uterus of tissue resembling endometrium) and due to IUD usage.

  Is dysmenorrhea considered a psychological symptom?

At first glance, no. There is an organic sublayer in the symptomatic manifestation, whether it is an excessive prostaglandin production in primary dysmenorrhea or a gynecological disease in secondary dysmenorrhea.

However, dysmenorrhea and menstruation have a huge symbolic content related to sex and all the relative aspects related to man/woman, pleasure and obviously love.

Consequently, any impressive fact in the woman psychological formation that happens after mistakes or unlucky situations or even disgusts that may favor devaluation of self-esteem can reflect in the woman’s sexual and affective life. Even, who knows, in the exaggeration of dysmenorrhea symptoms. That is a possibility.

  Is there a medicine to treat dysmenorrhea?

The discovery that menstrual cramps and all systemology related to dysmenorrhea were closely associated to the prostaglandin production stopped the ancient cycle of warm compressions, teas, and later on analgesics that were taken during the day.

The prostaglandin production is blocked by non-hormonal anti-inflammatory agents (NHAI) that treat menstrual cramps, lumbar pain and all primary dysmenorrheal symptoms. Your doctor will know what to prescribe in your case.