Get to Learn More About Painful Periods and How They Are Treated | Generally, approximately half of the menstruating women experience period pain, which is known as dysmenorrhea, for at least a day or two. The pain ranges from mild to severe and may affect how you carry out your daily chores. That is why a team treats painful periods in Orlando, of gynecologists who have experience in managing period pain. These specialists usually diagnose and treat conditions that might be causing severe abdominal cramping, thus improving your overall health and well-being.
What Is Dysmenorrhea?
Dysmenorrhea is a medical term used to refer to painful periods and cramps. Most women experience cramping, but the severity of period pain varies significantly from one woman to another. When receiving your menses, you might have pain in your hips, lower abdomen, thighs, or lower back. Generally, doctors usually classify dysmenorrhea into two, either primary or secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea starts soon after receiving menses and is usually caused by your periods, whereby they can become less painful over time.
But secondary dysmenorrhea begins later in life and can be linked to a reproductive health problem. This type of pain that might be due to an underlying condition may worsen over time. It is a period of pain that typically begins a few days before the first day of your period and may last a bit longer than your periods.
What Are Some of the Causes of Period Pain?
In most cases, when you are having period pain, the body releases hormones like prostaglandins, making the uterus contract. Therefore if these uterine contractions are intense, they may compress blood vessels and cut off the oxygen supply to uterine muscles. The oxygen deprivation of the uterine muscles ends up causing period pain. But secondary dysmenorrhea can be due to various reproductive health problems, including cervical stenosis, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
The risk of having menstrual cramps is higher when you are under the age of thirty, having irregular or heavy periods, or starting puberty at an early age. Additionally, some lifestyle factors, including being overweight or smoking, also increases your chances of having severe menstrual pain.
How Is Period Pain Treated?
Most doctors may recommend some remedies like heating pads, over-the-counter painkillers, or exercise to help alleviate pain. Even though stomach crunches might be the last thing you may want to do when you get cramps, stretching and contracting muscles around the uterus can reduce period pain. The specialist may also prescribe some birth control pills to regulate your hormones, reducing pain. Other options that might be used to relieve menstrual pain are an intrauterine hormonal device, injections, and birth control implants.
However, if your menstrual pains are due to an underlying condition, the doctor treats the condition and also prescribes some medication to alleviate pain. For instance, if uterine fibroids are the cause of your pain, the doctor may recommend a fibroid removal procedure.
In summary, you do not have to put up or bear with painful periods that can end up disrupting your regular activities and life because there are various treatment options available to manage periodic pain effectively. Therefore, if you are seeking treatment for period pain, visit or call Contemporary Women’s Care today.
