What does secondary dysmenorrhea mean?

Many people do not have a clear definition of secondary dysmenorrhea. If they experience dysmenorrhea in daily life, they think it is a simple menstrual pain condition and do not think that secondary dysmenorrhea will occur. So what does secondary dysmenorrhea mean? Secondary dysmenorrhea is a common type of menstrual pain. This article will give you a detailed introduction to what secondary dysmenorrhea means. I hope it will be helpful to you!

What does secondary dysmenorrhea mean?

"Secondary dysmenorrhea" is another definition relative to "primary dysmenorrhea". "Primary dysmenorrhea" refers to dysmenorrhea that occurs during the first menstrual period, while secondary dysmenorrhea refers to dysmenorrhea that occurs gradually many years after the onset of menarche. Its causes and treatment plans are different from those of primary dysmenorrhea. It often manifests itself in various forms of pain: lower abdominal pain, lower abdominal pain, anal pain, pain during sexual intercourse, etc.

1. Congenital malformation of the uterus

For example, in a bicornuate uterus or a septate uterus, the distribution of uterine muscles is often abnormal, resulting in uneven pressure when the muscles contract, causing menstrual pain. If one of the corners of the bicornuate uterus is not fully developed, the inner wall will lose contact with the main body of the uterus, and menstruation may not be discharged from the uterus, resulting in secondary dysmenorrhea.

2. Uterine fibroids

Menstrual pain is not a clinical symptom of uterine fibroids, but submucosal uterine fibroids can cause menstrual cramps and pain during menstruation due to stimulating uterine contractions. Patients are often accompanied by menorrhagia, prolonged menstruation or irregular vaginal bleeding. Pelvic examination can reveal varying degrees of enlargement of the uterus, with a smooth surface or lumpy protrusions.

3. Adenomyosis

Dysmenorrhea is a kind of benign disease caused by the invasion of the uterine wall into the myometrium. It is one of the typical symptoms of this disease. There may also be increased menstrual flow or prolonged menstruation. Gynecological examination shows that the uterus is symmetrically enlarged and spherical, with a hard texture. It is generally about the size of a 2-month pregnancy and will cause slight pain.

4. Endometriosis

It often occurs in middle-aged women aged 30 to 45, because the uterine wall runs to the area outside the uterus to "set up camp". Under the influence of uterine ovarian hormone, it becomes thicker and bleeds. Because it is not excreted from the body, it stimulates the surrounding tissues, causing uterine muscle contraction or tissue fibrosis and causing menstrual pain.

5. Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease

Lower abdominal pain and infertility are clinical symptoms of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. During the menstrual period, pelvic congestion or subacute inflammation caused by menstruation can cause abdominal pain to worsen. Most patients have a history of infertility and acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic examination often shows a posterior uterus with poor mobility or even complete fixation.

6. IUD insertion

Menstrual cramps can also be common in women with an intrauterine contraceptive ring. This type of menstrual cramps may be caused by an increase in prostacyclin produced by the uterine wall, or it may be that the contraceptive ring stimulates the contraction of the uterine muscles, causing lower abdominal cramps and pain. Patients often experience discomfort in the lower abdomen or lumbar region, and their menstrual symptoms are aggravated, manifested as menstrual cramps. Improper placement of the contraceptive ring or excessive size can also easily cause uterine contractions, resulting in lower abdominal distension and menstrual cramps.

1. General medical treatment

Improve your confidence in treatment, improve nutrition, exercise, pay attention to proper time management, and enhance the body's resistance. Prevent reinfection or spread beyond the scope of infection.

2. Physical therapy

Moist heat can promote blood circulation in the pelvic area, improve the nutritional status of tissues, and enhance metabolism, which is conducive to the absorption and dissipation of inflammation. At the same time, cooperating with relevant medication treatments can promote the body's absorption and utilization of drugs. Common ones include medium and short wave, low frequency therapeutic devices, microwave heating, lasers, positive ion penetration (various drugs such as penicillin, streptomycin, etc. can be added), etc.

3. Antimicrobial treatment

Long-term or repeated combined treatment with multiple antibiotics sometimes has no obvious effect, but it can be used for young people who need to maintain fertility or in acute cases. It is best to use anti-mycoplasma or anti-chlamydia drugs at the same time.

4. Other medications

In addition to using antibiotics, chymotrypsin or hyaluronidase (hyaluronidase) can also be used for intramuscular injection, once every two days, 7 to 10 times as a course of treatment, to facilitate adhesion dissolution and absorption of inflammation. Some patients should stop taking the drug if they experience partial or systemic hypersensitivity reactions. In some cases, antibiotics are used together with dexamethasone, and dexamethasone is taken orally 3 times a day. Before stopping the medication, be sure to reduce the dexamethasone dose gradually.

5. Surgery

It is suitable for some patients with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. Due to long-term inflammatory stimulation, adhesions around the organs are caused, and analgesics are no longer easy to enter, resulting in recurrence of the disease.