Causes of menstrual pain from normal to dangerous

It is common to have abdominal pain and cramps during menstruation. However, you should immediately see a doctor if the pain makes you unable to get out of bed. Although menstrual pain is common, not all causes of the condition are normal.

Causes of menstrual pain during normal menstruation

Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) is a normal condition that women almost certainly experience each month. This condition occurs when the uterus contracts to shed its thickened lining. This thickened layer was prepared as a place to attach a fertilized egg.

However, because fertilization does not occur, the body also lowers the level of the hormone progesterone. This makes the uterine lining slowly shed and comes out in the form of blood which is called menstruation.

The uterine contractions that are too strong during the shedding process can put pressure on nearby blood vessels. As a result, the supply of oxygen to the uterus becomes less. The low oxygen intake that enters the uterus is what makes cramps and pain appear.

As the uterus contracts and sheds, the body also releases prostaglandins. The prostaglandin hormone is what triggers pain and inflammation. Levels tend to increase right before menstruation comes out. When prostaglandin levels are high, cramps and abdominal pain will become more intense.

Menstrual pain like this is called primary dysmenorrhea. This means that the cause of your menstrual pain is due to normal body processes, not disease.

Signs and symptoms of normal menstrual pain

Generally, primary menstrual pain is more likely to occur in women who:

Are under 20 years of age
Have a family history of dysmenorrhea
Active smoker
Having irregular menstruation
Not or don't have children
Experiencing precocious puberty, which is the first menstruation at the age of less than 11 years
Menstruating heavy enough (heavy and long blood flow)

Normal menstrual pain is often characterized by various symptoms such as:

Cramps
Lower abdominal pain
Pain in the lower back
The inner thighs are felt to be pulled
Diarrhea
Nausea
Gag
Headache
Dizzy

For normal menstrual pain, you don't need to rush to take medication. Usually the pain will go away on its own. But if it doesn't go away, you can take pain relievers such as ibuprofen to relieve it.

Causes of abnormal menstrual pain

Not all causes of abdominal pain and cramps are due to the normal process of shedding of menstrual blood. There are times when this condition arises due to other illnesses that trigger pain that feels very strong.

Menstrual pain caused by certain diseases or medical conditions is called secondary dysmenorrhea.

For more details, here are some of the diseases that most often trigger menstrual pain:

1. Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a disorder that causes the lining of the uterus to grow on the outside. In fact, uterine wall tissue can also grow in the ovaries, intestines, and pelvic tissue.

Endometriosis is generally caused by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. Excess hormone levels make tissue grow unnaturally, thicken, and become damaged. This damaged tissue is then trapped in the pelvic area, and is the cause of excessive menstrual pain.

Apart from menstrual pain, endometriosis is also characterized by various other symptoms such as:

Pelvic and lumbago pain during menstruation
Pain in the lower abdomen before and during menstruation
Experiencing cramps a week or two before and during menstruation
Heavy bleeding or spotting between menstrual cycles
Pain after sex
Pain during bowel movements

When your menstrual pain every month is accompanied by these symptoms, immediately consult a doctor. The reason is, endometriosis can make women infertile and it is difficult to have children.

The sooner this condition is treated, the sooner you will get treatment.

2. Uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that often appear in the uterus during a woman's fertile period.

Tumor sizes usually vary. The lump can be very small and difficult to see with the naked eye to a large size. Large tumors often damage the uterus.

The appearance of a tumor in the uterus is often the cause of unbearable menstrual pain.

Quite a number of women don't realize they have fibroids in their uterus because they don't appear accompanied by any symptoms.

However, when the symptoms begin to feel, the signs that usually appear are:

Heavy menstruation and more than a week
Pain or pressure in the pelvis during menstruation and after
Urinating frequently
Constipation
Back or leg pain

The cause of uterine fibroids is not known for sure. However, this condition is thought to be triggered by three things, namely genetic changes, the hormones estrogen and progesterone, and other growth factors.

Women who have a family history of uterine fibroids are at high risk for the same. In addition, women who have puberty early, use birth control, are overweight, lack vitamin D, and often eat red meat are also at risk.

Genetic factors cannot be avoided. But beyond that, you need to really take care of the food intake that is consumed. Reduce intake of red meat and multiply green vegetables. You also need to be diligent in exercising so that your body weight remains ideal.

3. Pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the female reproductive organs. Infection can occur when bacteria transmitted through unprotected sex enter the vagina into the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries.

Pelvic inflammatory disease is most often caused by gonorrhea (gonorrhea) and chlamydia.

Pelvic inflammatory disease is one of the causes of abnormal menstrual pain. Therefore, you need to be more sensitive to various other symptoms that arise besides menstrual pain.

Here are other signs and symptoms when a woman has pelvic inflammatory disease, namely:

Pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis
Experiencing abnormal vaginal discharge with a very strong odor
Abnormal uterine bleeding, especially during or after intercourse
Pain during intercourse
Fever is sometimes accompanied by chills
Pain when urinating

You are at higher risk of pelvic inflammatory disease if:

Have been sexually active at the age of less than 25 years
Mutual sex partners
Having sex without a condom
Often clean the vagina using feminine soap
Have a sexually transmitted infection

Pelvic inflammatory disease is a disease that can make it difficult for women to get pregnant. So do not delay consulting a doctor if you experience severe pelvic pain every period.

There is no harm in checking for unusual symptoms that continue to appear every month. With the right treatment, your doctor can help treat the infection and increase your chances of getting pregnant.

4. Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a condition in which cells that normally grow outside the uterus are just the opposite. Instead, cells grow into the uterine muscle.

During the menstrual cycle, these trapped cells stimulate bleeding that is more severe than normal. Not only that. Adenomyosis is also a cause of excessive menstrual pain.

The symptoms of adenomyosis usually vary widely throughout the menstrual cycle due to the rise and fall of estrogen levels.

The following are various symptoms that appear when you have adenomyosis:

Bleeding heavier than usual
Pain during sex
Bleeding between periods
Excruciating uterine cramps
An enlarged uterus that is tender to the touch
Pain in the pelvic area
Feels like there is pressure in the bladder and rectum
Pain during bowel movements

The cause of adenomyosis is not known with certainty. However, experts suspect this condition can appear since the fetus is still in the womb. Inflammation or physical injury to the uterus due to surgery is also said to be able to trigger the appearance of this disease.

In addition, there are several things that can increase the risk of developing adenomyosis, namely:

The pregnant woman who sits while holding her arm smart phone
Having been pregnant with twins
In your 40s to 50s

No matter how vague your symptoms are, don't ignore them. Especially if the symptoms that appear are very clear. You should no longer delay seeing a doctor.

5. Cervical stenosis

The cervix or cervix is the gateway between the vagina and the uterus. The cervix will soften and open itself every time we menstruate or experience no signs of pregnancy. This reflex is useful for giving way to the shed uterine lining to pass through the vagina.

However, there are women whose cervix is narrowed or completely closed all the time. This condition is known as cervical stenosis.

Cervical stenosis is a rare condition in which the diameter of the cervix is so small that it slows down menstrual blood flow. This condition can cause the pressure in the uterus to increase and cause pain.

Some women are born with this condition. But on the other hand, cervical stenosis is caused by other conditions or problems such as:

Menopause, due to cervical tissue that starts to become thin and stiff
Cervical cancer or cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus)
Surgery or surgery involving the cervix
A procedure that removes the lining of the uterus in women with persistent abnormal bleeding
Radiation therapy to treat cervical or endometrial cancer

As previously mentioned, the narrowing of the cervix makes menstrual blood flow obstructed. As a result, this can lead to a buildup of blood in the uterus (hematometra).

Menstrual blood mixed with cells from the uterus can then flow backward into the pelvis. This condition can trigger the appearance of endometriosis.

In addition, pus can also accumulate in the uterus which is called pyometra. Hematometra or pyometra can cause the uterus to enlarge. Sometimes some women also feel pain or a lump in the pelvic area.

Before menopause, cervical stenosis can cause menstrual problems. This condition is the cause of painful menstrual pain. In addition, cervical stenosis can also cause women not to menstruate (amenorrhea) or even abnormal bleeding.

When to go to the doctor

Whatever the cause of your menstrual pain, consult a doctor immediately if the symptoms feel abnormal. Moreover, many diseases that trigger abnormal menstrual pain can cause you to be infertile and find it difficult to get pregnant at a later date.

Here are menstrual problems that should not be ignored and need to be checked immediately:

Nor menstruation for 90 days
Menstruation suddenly becomes irregular
Menstrual cycles that are shorter than 21 days
Menstrual cycles that are longer than 35 days
Menstruation lasts for more than a week
The flow of blood became profuse with a heavy flow
Bleeding between menstrual cycles
Menstruation is very painful.

The doctor will help find out the cause of your menstrual pain and its treatment. The sooner it is checked, the sooner you will get the right treatment and the faster you will recover.