Symptoms
Treatment to manage dysmenorrhea symptoms may include: Prostaglandin inhibitors, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen (to reduce pain)
Causes
Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for pain with menstruation. There are two types of dysmenorrhea: "primary" and "secondary". Primary dysmenorrhea is common menstrual cramps that are recurrent (come back) and are not due to other diseases. Pain usually begins 1 or 2 days before, or when menstrual bleeding starts,...
Prevention
While any woman can develop dysmenorrhea, the following women may be at an increased risk for the condition: 1 Women who smoke 2 Women who drink alcohol during their period (alcohol tends to prolong menstrual pain) 3 Women who are overweight 4 Women who started their periods before the age of 11 5 Women who have never been pregnant
Complications
Your caregiver may also suggest changes to your diet and exercise plans. As a woman ages, primary dysmenorrhea may go away. Depending on what is causing secondary dysmenorrhea, its signs and symptoms may decrease or go away. Take your medicine as directed.
What are the treatment options for dysmenorrhea?
What is primary dysmenorrhea?
What are the risk factors for dysmenorrhea?
Can dysmenorrhea go away on its own?
What is the best treatment for dysmenorrhoea?
Treatment for primary dysmenorrhoea pain-relieving medication, such as paracetamol. medication that inhibits prostaglandins, such as ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medication. regular exercise and attention to overall physical fitness. applying heat, such as a hot water bottle, to the abdomen.
What is the prevention of dysmenorrhea?
Medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen reduce prostaglandin production and thus reduce menstrual cramps. The combination of hormonal birth control with anti-prostaglandin medication can be very effective in both preventing and treating menstrual cramps.
Which one of the following is the most appropriate first-line therapy for primary dysmenorrhea?
NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS The most appropriate first-line choice of therapy in most women with primary dysmenorrhea is an NSAID. These medications work through the inhibition of the production and release of prostaglandins.
What treatment options for dysmenorrhoea are available from a pharmacy and on prescription?
NSAIDs: Simple analgesics (specifically NSAIDs) reduce primary dysmenorrhea pain via inhibition of PG synthesis and have been the mainstay of therapy for decades. Simple analgesics are most commonly used as self-treatment by adolescents, with acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen being reported most often.
How do you deal with period cramps at work?
How to manage your period at workPlan, plan, plan. First off, make sure you're prepared for your period. ... Move more, sit less. Cue the eye rolls! ... Satisfaction is the way. Where possible, prioritise tasks that will leave you feeling satisfied and organised. ... Feeling hot, hot, hot… Heat is your best friend. ... Mix it up.
What is the main cause of dysmenorrhea?
What is primary dysmenorrhea? Primary dysmenorrhea is the cramping pain that comes before or during a period. This pain is caused by natural chemicals called prostaglandins that are made in the lining of the uterus. Prostaglandins cause the muscles and blood vessels of the uterus to contract.
What is the prognosis for dysmenorrhea?
With the use of NSAIDs, the prognosis for primary dysmenorrhea is excellent. The prognosis for secondary dysmenorrhea varies, depending on the underlying disease process. If a diagnosis of secondary dysmenorrhea is missed, the underlying pathology may lead to increased morbidity, including difficulty conceiving.
What are the effects of dysmenorrhea?
The main symptom of dysmenorrhea is pain. It occurs in your lower abdomen during menstruation and may also be felt in your hips, lower back, or thighs. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lightheadedness, headache, or fatigue.
What Causes Dysmenorrhea (Pain of Menstrual cramps)?
Menstrual cramps are caused by contractions (tightening) in the uterus (which is a muscle) by a chemical called prostaglandin. The uterus, where a...
How Does Secondary Dysmenorrhea Cause Menstrual Cramps?
Menstrual pain from secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by a disease in the woman's reproductive organs. Conditions that can cause secondary dysmenorr...
What Are The Symptoms of dysmenorrhea?
1. Aching pain in the abdomen (pain may be severe at times) 2. Feeling of pressure in the abdomen 3. Pain in the hips, lower back, and inner thighs...
What test is needed for secondary dysmenorrhea?
If your provider thinks you may have secondary dysmenorrhea, you may need additional tests, such as an ultrasound or a laparoscopy. If those tests indicate a medical problem, your healthcare provider will discuss treatments.
How long do menstrual cramps last?
If you have severe or unusual menstrual cramps or cramps that last for more than two or three days, contact your healthcare provider. Both primary and secondary menstrual cramps can be treated, so it's important to get checked. First, you will be asked to describe your symptoms and menstrual cycles.
Why does my period hurt?
Because these pieces of tissue bleed during your period, they can cause swelling, scarring and pain. Adenomyosis: A condition where the lining of the uterus grows into the muscle of the uterus. This condition can cause the uterus to get much bigger than it should be, along with abnormal bleeding and pain.
Do you have to suffer during your period?
You don’t have to suffer and you don’t have to put your life on hold. Contact your healthcare provider if you have painful periods. It may be helpful to keep track of your periods and the days on which pain is the worst so you can make a complete report.
Does secondary dysmenorrhea cause nausea?
Pain from secondary dysmenorrhea usually begins earlier in the menstrual cycle and lasts longer than common menstrual cramps. You usually don’t have nausea, vomiting, fatigue or diarrhea. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
What is the best treatment for dysmenorrhea?
Treatment to manage dysmenorrhea symptoms may include: Prostaglandin inhibitors, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen (to reduce pain) Acetaminophen.
How do you know if you have dysmenorrhea?
Symptoms may include: Cramping in the lower abdomen. Pain in the lower abdomen. Low back pain. Pain radiating down the legs. Nausea. Vomiting.
What causes cramps and pain during your period?
Dysmenorrhea causes severe and frequent cramps and pain during your period. It may be either primary or secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea. This occurs when you first start your period and continues throughout your life. It is usually life-long.
Why do women have abnormal contractions?
Women with primary dysmenorrhea have abnormal contractions of the uterus due to a chemical imbalance in the body. For example, the chemical prostaglandin control the contractions of the uterus. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by other medical conditions, most often endometriosis.
Is dysmenorrhea a primary or secondary condition?
Dysmenorrhea may be primary, existing from the beginning of periods, or secondary, due to an underlying condition. Symptoms may include cramping or pain in the lower abdomen, low back pain, pain spreading down the legs, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, fainting, or headaches.
What are the complaints about menses?
Complaints include menses that are: too painful (dysmeno rrhea), absent or occur irregularly (amenorrhea or oligoamenorrhea), or prolonged and heavy (menorrhagia, or excessive uterine bleeding). In providing optimal reproductive care, the medical provider must be able to distinguish between normal developmental patterns or symptoms requiring ...
What are the concerns of young women?
Menstrual disorders and abnormal uterine bleeding are common concerns of young women. Complaints include menses that are: too painful (dysmenorrhea), absent or occur irregularly (amenorrhea or oligoamenorrhea), or prolonged and heavy (menorrhagia, or excessive uterine bleeding). In providing optimal ….
What is the goal of dysmenorrhea treatment?
● The goal of treatment is to provide adequate relief of pain. At a minimum, pain relief should be sufficient to allow women to perform most, if not all, of their usual activities. Treatment of primary dysmenorrhea can be initiated empirically. (See 'Our approach' above.)
What is the best treatment for dysmenorrhea?
We discuss the approaches in the order below. Exercise — The body of evidence supports a role for exercise in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. However, the optimal type, duration, and frequency of exercise to relieve symptoms is not known.
What is the difference between primary and secondary dysmenorrhea?
Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the presence of recurrent, crampy, lower abdominal pain occurring during menses and the absence of demonstrable disease. Secondary dysmenorrhea is the occurrence of the same symptoms in response to underlying pathology , such as endometriosis or adenomyosis. Treatment approaches must address the pain and, ...
Is dysmenorrhea a secondary condition?
The diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea, which is one of exclusion, is made more often in adolescents and young women. ● Secondary dysmenorrhea has the same pain symptoms but occurs in women with a disorder that could account for their symptoms, such as endometriosis , adenomyosis, or uterine fibroids.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Dysmenorrhea is also called menstrual cramps, period pain, or painful menses. It is pain in your uterus (womb) during menstruation (monthly period). It may occur when the body makes too much hormones (body chemicals) that help your uterus contract (squeeze). Depending on the cause, dysmenorrhea may be primary or secondary.
Take your medicine as directed
Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not helping or if you have side effects. Tell him if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when and why you take them. Bring the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits.
Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits
For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.
Diet and nutrition
Eat a variety of healthy foods every day to help you feel better. Eat a lot of foods that are high in fiber, such as vegetables and fruits. Eat a lot of fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring. Decrease the amount of fat in your diet. Eat lean meats, which are meats that have little or no fat in them.
Keeping a pain diary
It may be easier to answer your caregiver's questions by making a pain diary or book. A pain diary will help you remember details about your pain because it is all written down. Write down when your pain starts, and when your periods start and stop. Write down all the words that come to you about your pain and other symptoms.
Self-care
Use heat: Put heat on your lower abdomen using a warm compress or a heating pad. This may decrease your pain. A warm moist compress is a small towel dampened with hot water and placed in a plastic bag. Wrap a towel around the plastic bag to prevent burns. Keep the heating pad turned on low.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.