All about menstrual cramps

Menstrual periods can be light and easy for some women, but for others, they can be heavy or come accompanied by cramping pain. Cramps tend to affect many women during their reproductive years, most of the time, these cramps can become so intense that they have to be a remedy. In this article you will find everything about menstrual cramps, how originate, how to remedy them, etc.

What are menstrual cramps?

The cramping menstrual are pains in the areas of the abdomen and pelvis that are experienced by a woman as a result of your menstrual period. Menstrual cramps are not the same as the discomfort felt during premenstrual syndrome (PMS), although the symptoms of both disorders can sometimes be experienced as a continuous process. Many women suffer from both PMS and cramps menstrual.
Menstrual cramps may vary from mild to very severe. Mild menstrual cramps may be barely detectable and short-lived that sometimes feels like a heavy feeling in the belly. Severe menstrual cramps can be so painful that they interfere with the normal activities of a woman several days.

What so common are menstrual cramps?

Of some menstrual cramps affect more than one estimated 50% of women and, among them, up to 15% would describe their menstrual pain as severe. Surveys among adolescents shows that more than 90% of the girls have menstrual cramps.

What is dysmenorrhea?

The term medical for menstrual cramps is dysmenorrhea. There are two types of dysmenorrhoea, primary and secondary.
En primary dysmenorrhoea, no there is no underlying gynecological problem that causes pain. This type of colic can begin within six months to a year following menarche (onset of menstruation), the moment when a girl starts having menstrual periods.
Menstrual cramps usually does not start until ovulatory menstrual cycles occur (when an egg is released from the ovaries), and real menstrual bleeding usually starts before the onset of ovulation. Therefore, a teenager may not experience dysmenorrhea until months or years after the onset of menstruation.
In dysmenorrhoea secondary, any abnormal conditions underlying (typically in the reproductive female system) contributes to menstrual pain. Secondary Dysmenorrhea can be evident in the menarche, but, more often, the condition manifests itself later.

What causes menstrual cramps?

Each month, the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) prepares for a possible pregnancy. After ovulation, when the egg is not fertilized by a sperm, it will not lead to pregnancy and the actual lining of the uterus is no longer necessary. The women estrogen and progesterone hormone levels fall into decline and the lining of the uterus is swollen and eventual menstrual flow is poured and is replaced by a new coating in the next monthly cycle.
When the old lining of the uterus begins to decompose, molecular compounds called prostaglandins are released. These compounds make the muscles of the uterus to contract. When you contract the muscles of the uterus that constrict (vasoconstriction) blood flow to the endometrium, this contraction blocks the delivery of oxygen to the tissues of the endometrium which, in turn, breaks down and dies. After the death of this tissue, uterine contractions, literally, tighten the old endometrial tissue through the cervix and out of the body through the vagina.
Known as leukotrienes, substances that are chemicals that play a role in the inflammatory response, are also high at this time and may be associated with the development of menstrual cramps.

Why are some cramps so painful?

Menstrual cramps are caused by uterine contractions that occur in response to prostaglandins and other chemical products. Cramp feeling intensifies when clots or pieces of tissue with blood of the lining of the uterus through the cervix, especially if the cervical canal of the female is narrow.
The difference between which are more painful and those that are less painful menstrual cramps may be related to levels of prostaglandin of the woman. Women with high menstrual cramps have high levels of prostaglandins in the endometrium (lining of the uterus) compared to women who do not experience cramps. Menstrual cramps are very similar to them that a woman experiences when given prostaglandin as a drug to induce labor.

Do menstrual cramps can be measured?

Yes. Menstrual cramps can be shown scientifically by measuring pressure in utero and the number and frequency of uterine contractions. During a normal menstrual period, the average woman has low pressure (50-80 mm Hg) contractions, which last between 15 to 30 seconds with a frequency of 1-4 contractions every 10 minutes. When a woman has a menstrual cramps, your contractions are of a higher pressure (which can exceed 400 mm Hg), last more than 90 seconds, and often occur in less than 15 seconds.

Do other factors influence the menstrual cramps?

As mentioned above, a cervical canal unusually narrow tends to increase menstrual cramps. Another anatomical factor believed that it helps menstrual cramps is an inclination towards the back of the uterus (retroversion of the uterus). Lack of exercise is also recognized that contributes to the painful menstrual cramps. For a long time been thought that psychological factors also play a role. For example, it is widely accepted that emotional stress can increase the discomfort of menstrual cramps.

What are the symptoms of menstrual cramps?

Menstrual cramps are headaches that originate in the lower part of the abdomen and pelvis. The discomfort can be extended to the back or legs. Cramps can be a very strong or mild pain and may be periodic or continuous.
Menstrual cramps usually begin shortly before menstruation, the peak is located within 24 hours after the onset of hemorrhage and disappear again after a day or two.
Menstrual cramps may be accompanied by headache or nausea, which can lead, although infrequently, to vomit. Menstrual cramps can be accompanied by constipation or diarrhea due to prostaglandins that cause smooth muscles of contract are found both in the womb and the intestinal tract. Some women feel a need to urinate more frequently.

How are menstrual cramps diagnosed?

The diagnosis of menstrual cramps is usually done by the woman herself and reflects their individual pain perception. Once a woman has experienced menstrual cramps, usually with onset in adolescence of your menstrual flow (menses), becomes aware of the typical symptoms. If there are other medical conditions that contribute to menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhoea secondary), your doctor may suggest diagnostic testing including studies.

What is the treatment for common menstrual cramps (primary dysmenorrhea)?

Each woman has to find a treatment that works for her. There are a number of possible remedies for menstrual cramps. Current recommendations are not only rest and adequate sleep, but also regular exercise (especially walking). Some women find that the abdominal massage, yoga or Orgasmic sexual activity can bring relief. A heating pad applied to the abdominal area can relieve the pain and congestion and reduce symptoms.
A good number of over-the-counter medications can help control the pain, as well as prevent themselves menstrual cramps. For mild cramps, aspirin or paracetamol or acetaminophen more a diuretic may be sufficient. However, aspirin has a limited effect on reducing the production of prostaglandin and only useful for less painful cramps.
The main agents for the treatment of moderate menstrual cramps are anti-inflammatory drugs drugs, which reduce the production of prostaglandins and reduce their effects. Anti-inflammatory drugs nonsteroidal that do not require a prescription are: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen sodium.
Women should start taking one of these medications until your pain becomes difficult to control. This could mean starting the medication 1 or 2 days before menstruation and continue taking the medication 1-2 days in the period. The best results are obtained by adopting one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs nonsteroidal programmatically and not wait for the pain to start. Anti-inflammatory drugs nonsteroidal prescription for the treatment of menstrual cramps are meclofenamate and mefenamic acid.

And if the cramps are very serious?

If women's menstrual cramps are far too serious and to be managed by these strategies, the doctor may prescribe birth control pills low-dose (oral contraceptives) that contain estrogen and progestin in a regular or extended cycle. This type of approach can prevent ovulation (the monthly release of an egg) and reduce the production of prostaglandins, which, in turn, reduces the severity of cramps and causes a mild menstrual flow.
The use of an IUD which releases small amounts of progestin levonorgestrel directly into the uterine cavity, has been associated with a reduction of 50 percent in the prevalence of menstrual cramps. In contrast, IUDS that do not contain hormones, such as those that contain copper, may worsen menstrual cramps.

Are there surgical solutions?

In the past, many women with menstrual cramps had an operation known as dilation and curettage to remove part of the lining of the uterus. This procedure is also sometimes used as a diagnosis for cancer or pre-cancerous conditions of the uterine mucosa. Some women even resorted to the ultimate solution for menstrual problems with undergo a hysterectomy, surgery that removes the entire uterus.
Today, when a woman has an abnormally heavy dysmenorrhea and uterine bleeding, painful, doctors may recommend endometrial ablation, a procedure in which burns the lining of the uterus or is vaporized by a device that generates heat.

What is the treatment of secondary dysmenorrhoea?

The treatment of secondary dysmenorrhoea depends on its cause.
There are a number of underlying conditions that may contribute to pain including:

• Endometriosis (uterine wall cells located in other areas of the body); uterine fibroids (Noncancerous uterine growths that respond to estrogen levels).
• Adenomyosis (a benign condition in which the cells of the lining of the inner uterus invade the muscle wall, the myometrium)
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Fibrous adhesions (abnormal accessories between organs), or the use of an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth.

All of these conditions should be diagnosed for the first time by a doctor who then will recommend the optimal treatment. If a woman begins to experience changes in their menstrual cramps, as well as its severity, time, or place, consult your doctor, especially if the changes are sudden onset.

What is the perspective in the long run (forecast) for menstrual cramps?

In general, women menstrual cramps do not worsen during his lifetime. In fact, primary dysmenorrhea in menstrual cramps usually decrease with age and after pregnancy.
When there are secondary dysmenorrhea with an underlying condition contributing to pain, depends on the success of the treatment of the underlying condition.
As women have learned more about your body and how to keep it in optimal health, menstrual cramps minors have been made.

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