Dysmenorrhea, most girls have experienced, and feel very normal, but it seems that the degree of each menstrual pain is not exactly the same.
For example, once or twice, the pain is particularly severe.
Or maybe, having never been in pain before, suddenly one day it silently begins to hurt.
What's going on? Is it that the physique has deteriorated, or is it sick?
Sisters who are deeply suffering from dysmenorrhea can see if they have these characteristics when they have painful menstruation:
• Never had, or rarely had, dysmenorrhea before, and only began to have dysmenorrhea after the age of 25;
● Progressive exacerbation of dysmenorrhea, that is, more pain than one time;
● Dysmenorrhea is severe, even if you take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) is useless;
● The pain begins before the menstrual period, peaks in the first few days of menstruation, and the pain is so serious that it seriously affects life, accompanied by bloating, lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms.
These features suggest secondary dysmenorrhea [1].
Seeing this, some people may ask: What is secondary dysmenorrhea? What if I have secondary dysmenorrhea?
Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea.
Primary dysmenorrhea is disease-free dysmenorrhea, which usually occurs within 6 to 24 months of menarche or menarche.
Secondary dysmenorrhea, on the other hand, is caused by organic lesions that generally occur years after menarche and is more dangerous than primary dysmenorrhea [2].
Symptoms associated with secondary dysmenorrhea suggest a possible disorder such as:
● Endometriosis;
● Adenomyosis;
So if your dysmenorrhea occurs many years after menarche, and you are deeply affected every time you come to menstruation, be sure to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department in time to ask a doctor to do relevant examinations to find out the cause.
In addition to disease factors, secondary dysmenorrhea may also be associated with IUDs, which are mainly adverse effects of menorrhagia and secondary pain [2].
There are also secondary dysmenorrhea, which are associated with some congenital malformations such as hymenopharsis and cervical stenosis, but dysmenorrhea caused by congenital malformations is generally found within the 1st to 2nd cycle after menarche.
Don't be nervous first.
Occasionally, a painful period is aggravated, or sudden dysmenorrhea, as long as it is not painful to the point of seriously affecting the quality of life, even cold sweat, fainting, you can first relax your heart.
Because it may be caused by cold environments, or the stimulation of mental stress [3].
At this point we can do these things:
Tips for relieving menstrual cramps
Oral administration of NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen), which generally relieves most of the pain;
Across clothes, warm the baby or hot water bottle to warm the small belly;
Relieve emotional stress and don't make yourself too anxious;
Moderate exercise, such as stretching, yoga, walking;
Don't get tired and get enough sleep.
Secondly, after menstruation, we must also pay attention to adjusting diet, work and rest, regular exercise, and then pay attention to observing the next menstrual situation.
If these conditions occur, the emergency department or gynecology department should be immediately treated:
● Severe pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation, accompanied by pallor, cold sweat, and even fainting.
● Severe menstrual pain with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.
In addition, if there are these symptoms, it is also recommended to see a gynecologist as early as possible:
● Dysmenorrhea gradually worsens, often beginning to hurt before menstruation, symptoms worsen during menstruation for 1 to 2 days, pain persists throughout menstruation, and sometimes even menstruation is over, and dysmenorrhea is not over;
● Dysmenorrhea is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, swelling, low back acid, dyspareunia, and even irregular abdominal pain during non-menstruation;
● Dysmenorrhea seriously affects normal work and life, and painkillers cannot be completely relieved;
● Dysmenorrhea is accompanied by excessive menstrual volume, the total amount of menstruation is more than 80ml, intuitively speaking, the menstrual blood volume is very large every day of the menstrual period, and a whole sanitary napkin can be soaked in about 1 to 2 hours.
But having said so much, everyone must not scare themselves, and do not rush to give themselves the next "secondary dysmenorrhea" conclusion, there is abnormal dysmenorrhea must go to the hospital in time to check, let the doctor diagnose.
Because secondary dysmenorrhea is usually associated with organic lesions, its diagnosis is mainly through pelvic examination and related auxiliary tests, such as ultrasound, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy and biochemical index tests, etc., to find the corresponding cause.
If secondary dysmenorrhea is diagnosed, then follow the doctor's advice to treat the primary disease well, and you can get rid of the problem of dysmenorrhea as soon as possible.
Menstruation is a "barometer" of women's physical health, I hope that everyone will not ignore the pain of menstruation, and take more care of their bodies.
Reviewer
Liu Haiphong | Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University
bibliography
Yu Qi,Deng Shan. Concord Gynaecological Endocrinology Manual. Beijing:People's Medical Publishing House,2018.]
[2] Xu Congjian,Hua Keqin. Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology (4th Edition)[M].People's Medical Publishing House, 2018.
Cao Zeyi. Chinese Obstetrics and Gynecology[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2014.
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