Is drinking hot water useful for dysmenorrhea?

Any abdominal pain and lumbosacral pain that occurs before, during, or after the menstrual period and affects daily life and work is called dysmenorrhea. Menstrual pain is divided into primary and secondary types. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual pain without obvious organic diseases of the sexual organs, also known as functional dysmenorrhea. It often occurs in girls shortly after menarche or the first menstruation. It is common in single non-pregnant women. Dysmenorrhea is often relieved or disappears after pregnancy and childbirth. Secondary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual pain caused by organic diseases of the male reproductive organs, such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and uterine submucosal muscle.

Western medicine believes that the occurrence of menstrual pain is related to factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, fear, temper and poor physical fitness. In addition, any condition that causes spasmodic contraction of the uterus can cause dysmenorrhea, such as stenosis of the cervix or cervical canal, excessive uterine flexion, uterine malformation, etc., which can make menstrual products flow poorly, leading to menstrual retention, stimulating uterine contractions and causing dysmenorrhea. Uterine hypoplasia can also cause menstrual pain.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, dysmenorrhea has different causes such as emotional trauma, careless lifestyle and the influence of the six evils, and is related to the unique physiological environment of the body and before and after the menstrual period.

For female friends who suffer from menstrual pain, when they have abdominal pain at the beginning of menstruation, let the patient take a quiet and comfortable posture, keep a happy mood during the menstrual period, avoid excessive emotions, avoid cold, rain and cold showers, and avoid the intake of cold foods. The diet should be light and nutritious, avoiding heavy physical work and excessive exercise.

Drinking hot water during menstruation can help promote blood circulation, increase body temperature, improve blood circulation, and effectively relieve dysmenorrhea. Especially after catching a cold during menstruation, drinking more hot water or hot brown sugar ginger water can more effectively relieve dysmenorrhea.