What should I do if I have persistent dysmenorrhea?

Many women have experienced dysmenorrhea, which is unbearable and even "unbearable". When it comes to dysmenorrhea, many people have heard of it, but they know very little about the causes, extent, and relief of dysmenorrhea, and may have wrong cognition and understanding. Some women have been suffering from dysmenorrhea, which has affected their normal life and work, and has caused adverse effects on their physical and mental health, causing great harm. Correctly understanding dysmenorrhea and mastering methods to relieve dysmenorrhea are the key to coping with dysmenorrhea, and female friends need to pay more attention to it.

1 Causes of dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea refers to lower abdominal pain before, after, and during menstruation, which may be accompanied by backache or other discomfort. Dysmenorrhea is mainly characterized by spasmodic pain, which is usually located above the pubic bone in the lower abdomen and can radiate to the lumbosacral region and inner thigh. Dysmenorrhea can be divided into primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea according to the different causes. Primary dysmenorrhea accounts for more than 90%, and there are no organic lesions in the female genitals, such as narrow uterine ostium, uterine hypoplasia, blood clots in menstrual blood, membranous dysmenorrhea, etc. Secondary dysmenorrhea accounts for less than 10%, and is usually caused by organic lesions in the pelvic cavity of women, such as adenomyosis, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic congestion, etc.

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2. Degree of dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea can be divided into three levels according to the degree of pain: ① Mild dysmenorrhea: Women experience pain after menstruation, the pain is mild, and has no obvious impact on daily activities and work. There are no accompanying symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, etc., and no painkillers are needed. ② Moderate dysmenorrhea: There is pain, which is tolerable, but affects daily activities and work. Generally, there are no accompanying symptoms, and painkillers are needed. The pain can be significantly relieved after taking the medicine. ③ Severe dysmenorrhea: The pain is severe and unbearable, and normal activities and work cannot be carried out. It is accompanied by obvious systemic symptoms, and the effect of taking painkillers is not obvious.

3 Symptoms of Dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is more common in adolescent girls. It usually occurs within 1-2 years after menarche. The pain starts after menstruation and can occur as early as 12 hours before menstruation. The pain is greatest and most obvious on the first day of menstruation. The pain can be relieved after 2-3 days. The pain is mainly spasmodic, in the lower abdomen, and spreads to the waist and inner thighs. Secondary dysmenorrhea occurs several years after menarche and is more common in women of childbearing age. The pain starts before menstruation, is severe in the first half of the period, and is relieved in the second half. In addition to the pain symptoms, there may also be lower abdominal distension and traction pain.

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4 How to relieve menstrual cramps

Dysmenorrhea can be relieved through medication, psychology, lifestyle changes, etc. Different types of dysmenorrhea require different relief measures. When the pain of primary dysmenorrhea is mild and tolerable, it can be relieved through psychological intervention and good living habits. When the pain is severe, painkillers can be taken. In addition to taking painkillers and changing lifestyles, the relief of secondary dysmenorrhea also requires active treatment of the primary disease.

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Drugs that can be used to relieve dysmenorrhea include contraceptives, prostaglandin synthase inhibitors, antispasmodics, estrogen, progesterone, etc. Oral contraceptives can inhibit ovulation in patients with dysmenorrhea, which helps relieve dysmenorrhea. However, some patients may experience side effects such as headache, fatigue, breast pain, and abnormal mood after taking the medicine, and some patients have no obvious relief effect after taking the medicine. For patients with primary dysmenorrhea who are ineffective after taking contraceptives or do not require contraception, prostaglandin synthase inhibitors can be used. The ideal time to take the medicine is after menstruation and pain occurs, and the medicine should be taken continuously for 2-3 days. Available drugs include ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, etc. During the onset of dysmenorrhea, antispasmodics such as atropine and belladonna mixture can be used for symptomatic treatment. It is necessary to use the medicine reasonably under the advice of a doctor and not to take the medicine privately. Patients with dysmenorrhea due to uterine dysplasia can take oral gestational estrone and 17β-estradiol. Intramuscular injection of progesterone and oral medroxyprogesterone can inhibit uterine contraction and relieve pain in patients with dysmenorrhea.

Psychological intervention plays an important role in relieving dysmenorrhea. The degree of dysmenorrhea depends largely on the body's ability to withstand pain. Some women develop a fear mentality because of dysmenorrhea, and experience anxiety and depression, which has a great impact on their lives and work. Dysmenorrhea patients need to self-regulate their mentality, maintain a good mentality before, during, and after menstruation, actively treat pain, and take medicine when the pain is unbearable. Dysmenorrhea patients themselves need to remind themselves not to have mental burdens and pressure, keep a happy mood, and avoid tension, fear, and anxiety.

People who have been suffering from dysmenorrhea need to protect their abdomen during menstruation, keep it warm and avoid getting cold. Add more clothes and use hot patches and warm baby to warm the abdomen. You can drink ginger and brown sugar water to warm the uterus. At the same time, you can use your palms to properly massage the lower abdomen to promote circulation in the lower abdomen and increase blood flow in the abdominal viscera, which can relieve dysmenorrhea. The massage position is between the navel and the external genitalia. Before the massage, rub your hands together and warm them up. Put your hands on the lower abdomen and press the abdomen tightly. First, press and rub the abdomen slowly from top to bottom, then from left to right, about 10 times per minute. You can also massage the uterus point, which is 4 inches directly below the navel and 3 inches parallel to the left and right. Use the index and middle fingers of both hands to press the uterus point, and rub it slowly with a little force. It is appropriate to feel sore and swollen. Massage for 5 minutes each time, 2-3 times a day.

People who have been suffering from dysmenorrhea need to maintain good personal hygiene to avoid infection. At the same time, they need to eat a scientific and healthy diet to increase resistance and immunity, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, pay attention to nutritional matching and balanced diet. The daily living environment should be clean and comfortable to improve comfort. Exercise regularly and participate in outdoor sports activities, such as jogging, playing badminton, cycling, etc. You can also do yoga.

In short, dysmenorrhea is not scary. As long as female friends can correctly understand dysmenorrhea, understand the causes and symptoms of dysmenorrhea, and actively receive treatment, they can achieve ideal relief effects.