During menstruation, the lower part hurts. Why does my stomach hurt during menstruation? Video: Causes of abdominal pain. Inflammation of the fallopian tubes

Update: December 2018

Moderate pain during menstruation occurs in approximately 70% of girls and women of childbearing age. The pain syndrome that accompanies menstruation can be of varying intensity. Mildly expressed pain, only minor discomfort, especially in nulliparous women, is considered a normal physiological phenomenon.

However, if a woman experiences unbearable, severe pain every month during menstruation, accompanied by diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, vomiting and other symptoms that deprive the woman of her ability to work, obvious “critical days” actually occur - this is usually referred to in medicine as the disease algomenorrhea. Such symptoms indicate that the young woman has various disorders in the hormonal, vascular, reproductive, nervous or other systems of the body.

If the causes of painful periods are established, then treatment of these disorders can significantly alleviate the condition and improve the tolerance of such a natural process in a woman’s body as menstruation. In this article we will tell you why girls and women experience painful periods, the causes and treatment of such a disorder.

What other symptoms can accompany painful menstruation and why is it considered a disease?

In medicine, very painful periods are considered the most common menstrual dysfunction. Between the ages of 13 and 45, almost all women experience minor discomfort and soreness on the first day of menstrual bleeding. And only 10% of them complain of very strong cramping spastic pain from uterine contractions, which are also supplemented by the following symptoms:

• 79% of women experience diarrhea
• 84% vomit
• 13% headache
• 23% dizziness
• 16% fainting

The main symptom of algomenorrhea is pain in the lower abdomen, which appears on the 1st day of menstruation or 12 hours before its onset, it gradually subsides by 2-3 days, it can be aching, tugging, stabbing, radiating to the rectum, bladder, etc. Maybe . Against the background of unbearable pain during menstruation, a woman’s psycho-emotional state is disrupted, irritability, drowsiness, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and weakness appear. Painful periods poison a woman’s life; waiting for the next bleeding has an adverse effect on the psyche, the emotional sphere of life, and leads to conflicts in the family and at work.

With a mild degree of algomenorrhea - short-term, moderate pain during menstruation does not lead to loss of performance and activity, such pain can be tolerated without additional painkillers, however, the causes of painful periods should be clarified, since even a mild degree of algomenorrhea can later become more severe, with more significant discomfort. Sometimes after childbirth, women stop having a mild degree of algomenorrhea and uterine contractions become less painful; its increase during pregnancy and reduction after pregnancy subsequently weakens cramping pain during menstruation.

In moderate cases, nagging pain in the lower abdomen is accompanied by general weakness, nausea, chills, and frequent urination. Psycho-emotional disorders are also associated - depression, irritability, intolerance to strong smells and sounds, and performance is noticeably reduced. This degree of algomenorrhea already requires drug correction and the causes of pain should also be clarified.

In severe cases, very intense pain in the lower back and abdomen is accompanied by headache, general weakness, fever, heart pain, diarrhea, fainting, and vomiting. In a severe case of painful menstruation, a woman completely loses her ability to work; usually, their occurrence is associated either with infectious and inflammatory diseases or with congenital pathologies of the genital organs.

The main causes of primary painful menstruation in adolescent girls

Primary algomenorrhea appears with the first menstruation or develops within 3 years after the onset of menstruation. It mainly occurs in easily excitable, emotionally unstable girls, with an asthenic physique, in combination with. Depending on the accompanying “set” of symptoms, primary painful periods are divided into:

• Adrenergic type

In this case, the level of the hormones dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine increases, causing a malfunction of the entire hormonal system of the body. Girls experience constipation, severe headaches, body temperature rises, heart rate increases, insomnia appears, legs and arms become bluish due to spasms of small vessels, the body and face turn pale.

• Parasympathetic type

It is characterized by an increase in the level of the hormone serotonin in the cerebrospinal fluid. In girls, on the contrary, the heart rate decreases, nausea with vomiting appears, body temperature decreases, gastrointestinal disorders are expressed by diarrhea, swelling of the limbs and face often appears, allergic reactions on the skin, girls gain weight.

Modern research establishes the fact that primary painful periods are not an independent disease, but a manifestation of deeper internal disorders, that is, symptoms of the following diseases or abnormalities:

• Congenital abnormalities of connective tissue development

In gynecological practice, it has long been established that approximately 60% of girls with primary algomenorrhea are diagnosed with genetically determined connective tissue dysplasia. In addition to painful periods, this disease is expressed by flat feet, scoliosis, myopia, and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

This is a very serious disease, which occurs more often in girls with elongated limbs, flexible joints, cartilaginous tissues; most often during the child’s growth, magnesium deficiency is detected, which can be determined by taking a biochemical blood test.

• Diseases of the nervous system, neurological disorders

In girls with signs of a reduced pain threshold, with emotional instability, with various psychoses, neuroses and other neurological disorders, the perception of pain is exacerbated, so pain during menstruation in such patients is pronounced.

• Bends of the uterus anteriorly and posteriorly, underdevelopment of the uterus, malformations of its development - bicornuate, two-cavity uterus

The occurrence of very painful periods due to abnormalities in the development of the uterus is caused by problematic, difficult outflow of blood during menstruation from the uterine cavity. This provokes additional uterine contractions, causing pain during menstruation.

Causes of secondary algomenorrhea in women

If pain during menstruation occurs in a woman who already has children, or she is over 30 years old, then this is considered as secondary algomenorrhea. Today, it occurs in every third woman, most often in a moderate to severe form, since it reduces performance and is aggravated by accompanying symptoms, and is also accompanied by heavy menstruation. In addition to pain in the lower abdomen, painful periods occur with other symptoms, which are usually divided into several characteristic groups:

• Autonomic symptoms - bloating, vomiting, nausea, hiccups
• Vegetative-vascular symptoms - dizziness, leglessness, fainting, rapid heartbeat, headaches during menstruation
• Psycho-emotional manifestations - disturbance of taste, perception of smells, increased irritability, anorexia, depression
• Endocrine-metabolic symptoms - increased unmotivated weakness, joint pain, itching of the skin, vomiting

The intensity of pain during menstruation depends on the general health of the woman, age and concomitant diseases. If the patient has a metabolic disorder (and other disorders of the endocrine system), then endocrine-metabolic manifestations are added to additional symptoms during menstruation; in case of disorders of the cardiovascular system, vegetative-vascular symptoms may be more pronounced; when premenopause approaches in women (see. ), the likelihood of psycho-emotional instability and depressive symptoms increases.

Often women with secondary algomenorrhea experience problems that definitely cannot be ignored and this is an urgent reason to contact a gynecologist for examination and treatment. If primary painful periods, the causes of which are associated with congenital anomalies and pathologies, are very difficult to treat, then the occurrence of secondary algomenorrhea is mainly associated with acquired diseases of the female genital organs, the treatment of which must be carried out without fail, these are:

• infectious and inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs and the accompanying adhesive process in the pelvis
• malignant and benign (polyps) tumors of the uterus and appendages
• varicose veins in the abdominal cavity, in the pelvic organs
• pelvic neuritis

Also, in women over 30 years of age, the appearance of very severe pain during menstruation can be caused by the following reasons, provoking factors:

• intrauterine contraception
• , other intrauterine interventions, due to cicatricial narrowing of the cervix
• surgical operations on the uterine appendages, birth complications or complications after cesarean section
• mental and physical fatigue, constant stress, violation of rest and work schedules

Why should painful periods be treated?

Considering the above, it should be understood that the natural physiological function of menstruation should not cause significant general malaise in a woman, depriving her of her ability to work. In order to reduce the pain of menstruation, treatment should not consist of pain relief, but of eliminating the cause of this phenomenon. Of course, you can hope that this will change, for example, with the birth of a child, but if this does not happen, especially if a woman experiences painful periods after giving birth to children, she should consult a gynecologist to find out the cause of pain during menstruation.

• Enduring pain is not only physically difficult, but also very harmful to the nervous system, and regular use of NSAIDs and analgesics does not eliminate the cause of painful periods; moreover, the body gets used to them and painkillers have a number of side effects.
• The appearance of very painful periods is an indicator that some kind of malfunction or disease is occurring in the body, this is a signal that you should definitely find the reason for the body’s inadequate response to a natural process.

Painful periods can and should be treated. Read more about this in our next article. To determine the cause of primary algomenorrhea, a gynecologist is examined, tests are taken for hormonal status, an ultrasound of the pelvic organs, and the girl should also be additionally examined by a neurologist, osteopath, or psychotherapist. For secondary algomenorrhea, hormonal examination, ultrasound, diagnostic laparoscopy, and diagnostic curettage are also performed.

A woman or girl with painful periods should keep an observation diary, a menstruation calendar, in which they describe in detail the sensations, the amount of discharge, the duration of the cycle and the duration of bleeding, all the symptoms that appear during menstruation, in order to then help the doctor in determining the cause and choosing a method of therapy.

Abdominal pain during menstruation is a very common symptom that every second woman of reproductive age experiences. Painful sensations are most intense in the first days of menstruation and begin to subside starting from the third day. The nature of the pain is usually nagging, but sometimes the pain syndrome can look like a sharp or stabbing pain localized in the lower abdomen. This phenomenon in medicine is called dysmenorrhea and is most often observed in nulliparous women, as well as in those who have weight problems or suffer from bad habits.

Dysmenorrhea can be accompanied by a whole range of symptoms: headache, nausea, lack of appetite, weakness, and fatigue. The most pronounced sign of dysmenorrhea is pain in the lower abdomen. Some women experience stomach pain so severe that they are unable to carry out household and professional activities. In such a situation, it is important to know what to do and what ways you can reduce the intensity of unpleasant sensations.

A nagging pain in the lower abdomen is caused by uterine contractions. The inside of the uterus is covered with mucous membranes containing a large number of blood vessels and capillaries. This lining is called the mucosal layer or endometrium. During the period of ovulation, the endometrium produces hormones necessary for the attachment of a fertilized egg to the walls of the organ and the further development of the embryo. If fertilization does not occur, endometrial rejection occurs, accompanied by uterine bleeding. This period of the menstrual cycle is called menstruation (the medical name is regula).

On the first day of menstruation, the uterus begins to contract intensively in order to cleanse itself of blood clots and blood accumulated in its cavity. Spasms of the uterine walls are the cause of pulling, painful sensations in the lower abdomen. They can have varying intensity and resemble weak labor contractions. About 35% of women experience very intense pain during their periods and lose their usual ability to work, so it is important for them to know how to deal with the pain quickly and effectively.

Note! The intensity of pain at the beginning of menstruation depends on the woman’s age, lifestyle, and hereditary factors. Women whose mothers or grandmothers suffered from dysmenorrhea are more likely to experience a similar syndrome. The same clinical picture is observed in women with limited mobility or a sedentary lifestyle.

Frequency of dysmenorrhea in women aged 18 to 45 years

Do I need to take pills?

To get rid of pain caused by uterine contractions, it is allowed to take antispasmodics. This is a group of painkillers whose action is based on weakening spasms of smooth muscle fibers and blood vessels (when used systemically, the spasm stops completely). The most popular medicine in this group is “ No-shpa"(analogue - " Drotaverine"). To eliminate pain during menstruation, it can be taken in tablets (1 tablet 2-3 times a day) or given intramuscular injections. For severe pain, it is best to use the injection form of the drug, and after stopping the acute attack, switch to oral administration.

Another well-known and affordable antispasmodic is “ Papaverine" It is best used in rectal suppositories. The daily dosage is 1-2 suppositories, the course of use should not exceed 3-5 days. If the pain does not stop after the end of your period, you should consult a doctor. “Papaverine” helps to quickly alleviate a woman’s condition and restore her ability to work, but it will not be possible to get rid of unpleasant sensations completely in one day.

If your stomach hurts very much during menstruation, you can use combination drugs with anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and analgesic effects. These include complex drugs " Spasmalgon" And " Pentalgin" To relieve moderate pain, a one-time dose of non-steroidal drugs with anti-inflammatory action is allowed. It can be:

• "Ibufen";
• "Moment";
• "Ibuprofen";
• "Nurofen Express";
• "Next".

Important! The exact dosage of any drug is indicated in the instructions. It is not advisable to use medications with antispasmodic and analgesic effects for more than 3 days in a row without consulting a doctor. Some, such as ibuprofen-based products, can cause severe side effects if taken long-term, so they should only be used to relieve acute pain.

Herbal medicine for painful periods

Some medicinal herbs and herbs can help with painful menstruation, so before taking pills, you can try to get rid of the pain with folk remedies. Experts recognize ginger tea as the most effective for dysmenorrhea. Ginger root contains many glycosides, esters and phytoncides - natural substances with antibacterial and analgesic effects. To prepare the drink, it is best to use fresh ginger, but if it is not available, dried spice will also work (1 spoon of fresh ginger = 0.5 spoon of dried root).

To prepare tea, you need:

• grate or chop a small piece of ginger root (2-3 cm) with a knife;
• pour a glass of boiling water;
• add a little cinnamon;
• leave for 7 minutes.

You can add a few mint leaves, a slice of lemon and a little sugar to the finished tea. The therapeutic effect occurs 15-30 minutes after use.

Important! Ginger drink is contraindicated for women with diseases of the digestive system (especially in the acute stage) and blood pathologies. If your periods are usually long and heavy, it is also better to avoid this method.

Peppermint tea with lemon balm

A mixture of mint and lemon balm has a pronounced analgesic effect. To make tea that will help get rid of pain during menstruation, you need:

• mix 2 g each of peppermint and lemon balm (you can use fresh or dried herbs);
• add 4-5 drops of lemongrass oil and 250 ml of boiling water;
• leave for 5-7 minutes.

If you don’t have lemongrass oil at home, you can use citrus zest: oranges, lemons, grapefruits (5 g per cup of drink). It is advisable to drink this tea every day until your menstruation ends. For prevention, you can drink one cup after waking up and 1-2 hours before bedtime.

Chamomile tea with raspberries

It is very important for this method to use raspberries, and not leaves. The fact is that raspberry leaves stimulate the contraction of muscle fibers and can lead to the opposite effect. Some pregnant women, wanting to speed up the approach of labor, drink a drink made from raspberry leaves to induce the onset of contractions.

To achieve relaxation of the muscles of the uterus, you need to prepare tea strictly according to the recipe below:

• Pour 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers into 300 ml of boiling water;
• add 15 g of dried raspberries (berries);
• leave for 10 minutes;
• add a pinch of cinnamon and a little natural honey.

Chamomile tea with raspberries also has a general strengthening and calming effect, therefore it is recommended for women with severe clinical manifestations of PMS and disturbances in emotional stability during menstruation.

Video: How to relieve pain during menstruation: natural remedies

Thermal treatments

Warming procedures are an excellent way to relieve muscle spasms, but they can only be done if there is complete confidence in the absence of an inflammatory or purulent process. You should not heat your stomach if you have an inflamed appendix, so it is best to consult your doctor before using any of the methods below.

Hot water bottle on the stomach

A heating pad on the stomach is the easiest way to warm up the muscles of the uterus

The easiest way to warm up the muscles of the uterus is to place a heating pad with hot water on the lower abdomen. Doctors advise replacing the heating pad with a warm diaper, which must be ironed on all sides several times. This method is considered more gentle and does not cause exacerbations if there are low-grade inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs.

Keep warm for no more than 15 minutes and no more than 2 times a day. If the pain does not go away after this, you should consult a doctor to rule out gynecological diseases.

Warm shower

Taking hot baths during menstruation is not recommended, but a warm short shower will perfectly relieve fatigue, ensure body hygiene and help eliminate painful sensations. While showering, you can gently massage your stomach with a massage mitten or washcloth - this will relax the muscles and ease the spasm.

Warm massage

Abdominal massage can also reduce the severity of pain, especially if you add warm oil to the procedure. You can use industrially produced cosmetic oils with the addition of pepper and other warming additives, or any essential oil heated in a water bath to a temperature of 36°. Grapefruit, bergamot, and saffron oil can be used as antispasmodics. If they are unavailable, even baby massage oil or good quality vegetable oil will do.

Important! Under no circumstances should the oil be heated too hot, as this may cause skin burns.

Video - Painful menstruation

Video - Severe pain during menstruation: what to do?

The role of drinking regime in the prevention of dysmenorrhea

Sometimes painful sensations at the beginning of your period can be caused by severe dehydration. With blood, a woman loses a lot of fluid, and if during this period she does not receive enough fluid, the body will experience a lack of moisture, which is expressed in pain in the lower abdomen. It can be distinguished from uterine cramps by the nature of the sensations: with dehydration, the pain syndrome is usually dull or moderately acute. The intensity is rarely very high, but some women with a low pain threshold find it difficult to cope even with such sensations.

To drink during menstruation, it is better to choose clean water, still mineral water, herbal teas and infusions, berry decoctions, and dried fruit compotes. Vegetable and fruit juices are beneficial. But it is better to avoid alcohol, strong tea, cocoa and coffee during this period.

To ensure the least painful period possible, women are advised to follow the tips below. They will help improve your general condition and reduce the severity of discomfort.

1. Physical activity should be daily, even during menstruation. It is necessary to exclude jerking, heavy lifting and bending from the daily routine.
2. A week before the start of menstruation, you should include more vegetable salads, leafy greens, fruit juices and fresh berries in your diet.
3. It is advisable to completely stop smoking and drinking alcohol, as they contribute to fluid loss.
4. If you are forced to take anticoagulants (drugs that reduce blood viscosity), it is recommended to consult a doctor and possibly adjust the dosage for the period of menstruation.

By following these simple tips, you can ease painful periods and improve your quality of life during this period. If, despite all efforts, the pain does not go away, the use of medications or traditional medicine recipes is allowed. If pain persists after the end of menstruation, you should contact your local gynecologist to find out the possible causes.

Some women experience the period of menstruation with great difficulties - due to pain and decreased performance. Debilitating discomfort indicates a health condition and requires the attention of specialists. Only on the basis of answers from laboratory and hardware diagnostic methods do they find out why the lower abdomen hurts during menstruation, and how to eliminate the symptom. It is possible that the detected underlying pathology will not be related to the field of gynecology. But even in this case, the therapeutic course should be completed completely without interruption.

With varying degrees of intensity, pain in the lower abdomen accompanies the period immediately before menstruation and all days of physiological bleeding. Only 5 out of 100 women do not experience discomfort before and during menstruation. The range of potential causes of discomfort varies. This includes inflammation, tumor process, tissue destruction. Measures that can potentially make you feel better these days can only be recommended by a gynecologist. A doctor of this profile focuses on the main cause of deterioration in health. If for some women it is enough to take an analgesic tablet and relieve spasms, then for others it is necessary to undergo the full course of treatment.

Causes of menstrual pain

It should immediately be noted that the localization of the underlying disease that causes painful periods is not always associated with the pelvic organs. The main causes of discomfort during menstruation:

• Diseases of the digestive system (inflammatory, destructive) – colitis, enteritis, peptic ulcer
• Problems in the musculoskeletal system (osteochondrosis)
• Infectious and inflammatory lesions of the urogenital tract (urethritis, cystitis, endometritis, chlamydia)
• Anatomical features of the uterus (bicornuate, saddle-shaped, with a bend)
• Endocrine disorders (increased estrogen concentration in the blood)
• Formation of neoplasms of benign or malignant origin (fibroids, cysts, carcinoma)

Predisposing factors are irregular sex life, previous abortions, and a history of problematic childbirth. Even a disorder in the blood clotting ability leads to additional pain during menstruation. If blood clots form from the secreted masses, it is more difficult for the uterus to move them into the vagina. Increased contractility of the reproductive organ is characterized by spasms. This is what a woman feels during her period and experiences severe pain, which is accompanied by dizziness, weakness, and irritability.

Should I take pills?

If you have dysmenorrhea (painful periods), you can and should take pills to relieve discomfort in the lower abdomen and back. If the pain is severe, you should not endure it, since the level of pressure and performance decrease; general health worsens, dizziness. Antispasmodics are allowed to be taken before visiting a doctor. A woman needs to administer 1 ampoule (2 ml) of No-shpa intramuscularly. When the discomfort is relieved, you can take the same medication, but in the form of tablets (no more than 3 tons per day). Papaverine has antispasmodic activity (it should be administered intramuscularly).

The analgesic effect will be provided by Spazmalgon, Ketanov, Dexalgin. The listed medications belong to the group of analgesics. They relieve pain faster after intramuscular injection. In all cases, the prescription of a medicine should come from a doctor; an intradermal test should first be carried out to determine the body’s sensitivity to the drug.

How to reduce pain

Through observation and research, gynecologists have identified methods that help alleviate a woman’s well-being, regardless of the root cause of its deterioration:

1. Drinking herbal tea. Chamomile, mint, lemon balm, thyme - these medicinal herbs have calming and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be taken outside of menstruation - to strengthen immune properties and stop pathogenic processes that have a hidden course. Drinking warms you up and provides a distracting effect.
2. Relieves the intestines naturally, through a laxative or using a microenema. An overloaded intestine puts pressure on the uterus. As a result, pain, spasms, and bleeding increase. To reduce menstrual pain, you need to empty your bowels in a timely manner. If this presents difficulties, you can use a laxative rectal suppository or microenema (its volume is 30-150 ml).
3. Applying a heating pad to your stomach. This is not acceptable in all cases, so the technique can be implemented only after approval by a doctor. Relieves pain, stiffness, allows you to relax and get ready for sleep.

During dysmenorrhea, it is not recommended to wear clothes with a tight elastic band at the waist (tight trousers, skirts, belts, corsets). Compression of the uterus increases discomfort and bleeding, hinders movement, and prevents convenient changing of pads.

Ways to feel better

Non-drug methods during dysmenorrhea can partially normalize well-being. They are based on the use of heat sources, performing massage and changing the attitude towards the condition. In addition to the psychological aspect, the remaining 2 factors require prior approval by a gynecologist.

Warming treatments

A warm shower is not only allowed during dysmenorrhea, but also useful. It provides a full level of hygiene, relieves pain, relaxes and warms. The use of hot water is contraindicated. During the procedure, it is advisable to massage the abdominal area.

Physical activity

With dysmenorrhea, many exercises are contraindicated. Especially if they involve impact on the abdominal muscles. Fiber tension contributes to increased discomfort and increased blood loss. It is recommended to limit physical activity aimed at the uterus and genitals to massage. It can be done with or without special oil. Stroking circular movements in the lower abdomen (in the umbilical area) relieve pain, tension, and help reduce spasms. The duration of the procedure is up to half an hour.

Diet during menstruation

To reduce pain, you should avoid foods that irritate the walls of the urogenital tract. It is recommended to refrain from eating sour, spicy, salty foods. Drinking alcohol is strictly contraindicated (alcohol increases bleeding and spasms). Although caffeine is a substance that irritates organ tissue, its use during menstruation is acceptable. The reason is that due to blood loss, the woman’s blood pressure level decreases. Coffee supports its indicators, preventing weakening of the body, dizziness and other symptoms.

Psychological attitude

Concentrating on a problematic health condition, it is difficult for a woman to relax and thereby reduce uterine spasms. In order not to regard dysmenorrhea as a stress factor, it is recommended:

• do outdoor training
• listen to soothing music
• use aromatherapy

Due to pain in the lower abdomen and back, the woman becomes irritable. At the peak of discomfort, it is advisable to limit communication with others so as not to cause conflict situations. Rethinking the situation comes down to understanding that pain during menstruation is not a condition that simply needs to be experienced, but a signal from the body about the disturbances that exist in it.

Diseases that cause pain

Gynecologists have established a relationship between dysmenorrhea and diseases that a woman has. The main pathologies that contribute to the development of painful menstruation are shown in the table.

Cystitis

Classified into acute and chronic forms. It is an inflammation of the bladder, accompanied by a wide range of symptoms:

• dysuria (sharpness and irritation inside the urethra when urinating)
• pain in the lumbosacral back (of a girdling nature)
• increase in body temperature to subfebrile levels
• general weakness caused by intoxication of the body

During menstruation, the uterine os is opened enough to facilitate the complete evacuation of blood masses. But this physiological phenomenon injures the reproductive organ before the penetration of pathogenic microflora. The movement of cystitis pathogens from the bladder to the uterus leads to inflammation of the uterus. The reverse process may also occur - cystitis due to menstruation. Inflammation occurs due to the entry of pathological microorganisms present in menstrual blood into the bladder. In both cases, this aggravates the woman’s condition, since the pain comes simultaneously from two sources: the uterus and the bladder.

A severe gynecological disease always manifests itself with violent symptoms. It is characterized by the discharge of large fragments of the uterine mucosa during menstruation. Outwardly they resemble a liver. Discomfort increases as tissue detaches from the reproductive organ. When these clots are rejected, bleeding increases and pain in the lower abdomen increases. Hyperthermia is not typical for endometriosis. Additional symptoms of the pathology are pain during sexual intercourse, aches in the lumbosacral back, weakness.

Inflammation of the appendages

Adnexitis is a lesion of the fallopian tubes and ovaries (it is these organs that are combined into the term “appendages”). Characteristic symptoms are pain in the lower abdomen, but at a certain point (at the site of inflammation) at rest and during menstruation. Other signs:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Discharge of viscous purulent masses from the vagina during the period between menstruation
• Pain during sexual intercourse (with chronic adnexitis)
• Refusal from intimacy due to discomfort and decreased libido (with acute inflammation of the appendages)

Since pathogenic microflora is present in the blood, body temperature rises to high levels. This contributes to the development of weakness, dizziness, and hypotension. Chronic adnexitis is the leading cause of ectopic pregnancy. The fallopian tubes are glued together by pathological secretion, which prevents the full movement of the fertilized egg into the uterus. As a result, it remains inside the tube and pregnancy develops there. However, menstruation may continue. The phenomenon reduces a woman’s vigilance - she does not suspect that she has an ectopic pregnancy.

In this case, the sources of pain during menstruation are inflamed appendages and the fallopian tube, which stretches under the influence of the growing fetus and creates debilitating discomfort.

Cyst

Benign neoplasm of the ovaries. In rare clinical cases, it has a tendency to degenerate into a malignant tumor. Clinical manifestations are pain during menstruation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, pale face, darkening before the eyes. During menstruation, a woman is almost completely destabilized - on the first day of bleeding, she is forced to adhere to bed rest. The cyst may rupture under the influence of physical activity. In this case, an urgent call for an ambulance is indicated.

When is it necessary to consult a doctor?

Indications for contacting a specialist:

1. During menstruation, the degree of pain predisposes to loss of consciousness.
2. In addition to pain in the lower abdomen and back, large fragments of mucous membranes are released.
3. The discomfort is so severe that analgesics are ineffective.

If a woman’s well-being is aggravated by a decrease in blood pressure and associated symptoms, this is a good reason to make an appointment with a gynecologist. This phenomenon can lead to the development of anemia, which is unfavorable for well-being. You should also visit a gynecologist if the aggravated condition occurs every month, if there is a history of problematic childbirth and previous curettage. An important reason for visiting a specialist is maternity planning.

Diagnostics

To identify the root cause of dysmenorrhea, the patient will have to undergo the following types of diagnostics:

• Questioning and inspection. The doctor reproduces the clinical picture of the patient’s condition, plans further interventions, and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
• Laboratory testing of blood and urine. Depending on the factor that contributed to dysmenorrhea, inflammation, anemia, and an infectious process are identified. Laboratory methods determine the state of hormonal balance.
• Ultrasound of the uterus, appendages, bladder, gastrointestinal tract. Allows you to detect almost all pathogenic processes of the urogenital and digestive tract.

Other diagnostic techniques are prescribed taking into account the suspected diagnosis that led to the development of dysmenorrhea. Complex methods of radiation imaging (CT, MRI) are necessary to clarify the characteristics of the tumor, the degree of blood supply to the tissues, and the spectrum of inflammation. When dysmenorrhea is associated with osteoarticular pathologies, the patient is referred for an X-ray examination. Even if such a diagnosis is only assumed.

Treatment

During painful periods, it is recommended to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Voltaren). Rectal administration of any of the listed drugs in the form of a suppository relieves pain and relieves tension inside the genital canals.

The following prescriptions help eliminate the main pathologies that cause dysmenorrhea:

• Antibiotic therapy. Stops inflammatory and infectious processes.
• Hormonal drugs. Corticosteroids are administered; substances produced by the pituitary gland.
• Vitamin therapy. Whole complexes or individual vitamins are prescribed.
• Analgesics. They relieve pain and normalize general well-being.
• Drugs are administered aimed at normalizing blood pressure levels (if their levels decrease).
• Dyspeptic disorders are treated with antiemetic medications.

Additionally, the patient is prescribed a course of physiotherapeutic treatment (enterofuresis, magnetic therapy, UHF). To eliminate pathological discharge from the surface of the genitals, it is necessary to treat the tissues with antiseptic solutions. If a woman is diagnosed with anemia (caused by massive blood loss), injection of iron supplements is indicated. When sexually transmitted diseases are detected, not only the woman, but also her sexual partner undergoes treatment.

Prevention

In order not to subsequently encounter the problem of severe pain during menstruation, it is recommended:

1. Refuse to perform abortions
2. If you don’t want to get pregnant, choose the optimal method of contraception and stick to it
3. Don't get too cold
4. Timely relief of inflammation of the urogenital and digestive tract. Prevent the pathology from becoming protracted
5. Don't abuse alcohol

Other preventive measures are the use of an intrauterine device strictly within the established time limits (do not exceed the period of operation). It is important for a woman to lead an orderly sex life - to avoid casual intimacy. Attention should be paid to the issue of strengthening the immune system, since 90% of diseases are a consequence of weakening the body’s protective properties. It is preferable to refrain from lifting heavy objects at home and not to associate professional activities with exhausting physical labor.

Video: Painful menstruation - causes

“Why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation?” is a question that every woman should know the answer to.

It can only be given by a specialist who has scientific information.

Why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation and what to do?

With the advent of menstruation, girls begin to experience pain in the lower abdomen and use it to determine the time of their onset. Here it is important to know why the lower abdomen hurts during menstruation and whether you should worry about it.

This may have physiological roots, but may be associated with some disease. Let's start by figuring out why menstruation can be painful and heavy.

Causes of menstrual pain

A huge number of women during these few days, when menstruation passes, suffer from pain and feel unwell. Where does pain come from?

This is an inflammatory reaction, the release of special substances of an inflammatory nature that provoke painful sensations in the lower abdomen above the pubis.

As a rule, it is typical for menstruation that women have a stomach ache and swelling occurs at this moment, because the hormonal levels change and a lot of the hormone progesterone is produced.

Increased appetite and bad mood occur. Menstruation makes you feel worse. This is painful premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Doctors call menstruation a “scheduling nightmare.”

During menstrual bleeding, a woman’s natural protective mechanism is triggered, which helps to spasm the blood vessels so that blood does not flow all the time.

This mechanism has a name - the release of prostaglandins, special substances that spasm blood vessels.

Essentially, pain is related to prostaglandins. It's simple: prostaglandins were released - the blood vessels spasmed. Pain causes this spasm.

It turns out that with this pain nature protects a woman from large blood loss. And she feels heaviness and discomfort.

Menstrual pain associated with menstruation can be of different types.

1. Often young girls experience nagging pain in the abdomen, which makes itself felt before and during menstruation. They may persist until pregnancy.
2. When the uterus is bent and the nerve plexuses on which it puts pressure are hypersensitive, a woman may experience prolonged aching pain in the abdomen. They radiate in the lower back.
3. As a result of heavy physical activity at the beginning of menstruation, a dull pain in the form of a feeling of heaviness may occur, which lasts no more than a day.
4. A woman may experience paroxysmal severe pain during menstruation. Here you need to consult a gynecologist. Why? This pain is characterized by intense contraction of the uterus, spasms of the bladder and intestines. This indicates violations of these systems.
5. Menstruation can be characterized by acute pain. In general, severe pain in any part of the body is a sign of some kind of disease. In this case, these are disorders of the reproductive system or inflammatory, infectious diseases.

It should be noted that during menstruation, the legs and lower back may hurt, nausea, weakness, and diarrhea may appear.

In addition to physiologically caused menstrual pain, algomenorrhea may occur in 30-year-old women against the background of an increase in the hormone estrogen. There are two reasons for pain in this case.

Some are related to a woman’s anatomical personality and hormonal changes. The second may be caused by inflammation of the cyst, endometriosis, or intrauterine device. There may be heavy bleeding during your period.

How to get rid of painful periods

Your periods may be more comfortable. Prostaglandin blockers – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – will help do this.

These include over-the-counter drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen, voltaren, nurofen, paracetamol.

They relieve inflammation, and most importantly, they block prostaglandins, resulting in reduced spasm and pain.

They also interfere with the function of platelets, which form a clot and stop bleeding.

Women who have a tendency to bleed, for example, hereditary ones, or who take blood thinning medications due to poor blood clotting, are contraindicated with drugs in this group.

For those who have hypertension, drugs in this group will constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Also, the ban on these medications is associated with stomach and duodenal ulcers.

In really serious cases of severe pain, the gynecologist prescribes prescription drugs.

In addition to medications, you can take herbal teas and infusions. They can be purchased at any pharmacy.

When choosing a herbal mixture, you need to ensure that it contains herbs with analgesic, anti-inflammatory and sedative effects.

These are St. John's wort, calendula, chamomile, motherwort, and daisy flowers. They give the greatest effect compared to other herbs. You should start drinking them a few days before the start of your period.

Also, when a woman has severe stomach pain, it is recommended to use a relatively hot heating pad to relax the lower part of the stomach so that it does not hurt.

The warmth should be comfortable. This is a good pain prevention.

In case of algodismenorrhea, contraceptives will help relieve severe abdominal pain and normalize the state of hormones. But you shouldn’t prescribe them to yourself.

Only a gynecologist, after examining and confirming the diagnosis, will prescribe an effective contraceptive drug that is optimal for your case.

Diseases that cause pain

Severe abdominal pain during menstruation can be associated with serious illnesses. In this case, the help from drugs that relieve pain during its normal course will be temporary.

Treatment of these diseases is required. Let's consider what diseases can cause such pain.

Cystitis

Cystitis is a very unpleasant disease. During menstruation, its symptoms intensify. These, in turn, aggravate menstrual pain. It becomes not only strong in the lower abdomen, but also spreads to the lumbar region.

If you never paid attention to any painful sensations before your period, then worsening the pain will help you pay attention to them.

These are manifestations of cystitis that require treatment. These include pain when urinating, pain, itching in the vagina, and headaches. The temperature may rise.

If you have such symptoms, you should contact a urologist. It is important that cystitis does not become chronic. Moreover, it is easy to treat if you start on time.

Usually, to clarify the diagnosis, a urine test is taken and an ultrasound examination of the genitourinary system is performed.

After diagnosis, drug treatment with antibacterial drugs is prescribed.

You will also need to give up fatty and spicy foods during this time.

If you contact a urologist in a timely manner, you will solve the problem with two components - restore the health of the genitourinary system, and reduce pain during menstruation.

Endometriosis

In a woman on her critical days, this disease causes severe pain and heavy periods. My lower back begins to tighten and my stomach hurts a lot. Brown discharge may appear.

To understand that severe pain is caused by this disease, you need to know the symptoms. This disease is characterized by delayed periods, nausea and vomiting, problems with the intestines and bladder, as well as very severe intense pain.

They may be achy or contraction-like. Their strengthening is associated with a large amount of endometrial cell output.

When contacting a gynecologist, a special diagnosis is prescribed, including ultrasound, computed tomography, and laparoscopy.

Depending on the result of the examination, hormonal therapy or surgery may be prescribed. Endometriosis is an insidious disease that makes it very difficult for a woman to become pregnant.

Therefore, if you observe the listed symptoms, you need to undergo examination.

Inflammation of the appendages

Inflammation of the appendages is of an infectious-inflammatory nature. The body becomes hypothermic and picks up a sexually transmitted infection.

As with endometriosis, this disease during exacerbation is manifested by intense pain, concentrated on the right and left.

It can be aching, pulling, sometimes acute, it is a “harbinger” of menstruation, and often goes away the next day. Other symptoms resemble endometriosis and cystitis. This is a burning sensation in the vagina, painful urination, high temperature. It may make you feel sick.

The discharge is either large or scanty. The diagnosis is made after undergoing an examination. Treatment is prescribed in the form of antibacterial therapy. Suppositories are also recommended for local treatment.

Cyst

The presence of an ovarian cyst can be suspected when an exacerbation of intolerable pain occurs during menstruation. It has the character of constancy or periodicity.

The location of the pain is determined by the location of the cyst on one of the ovaries. There are also other signs of this disease.

An ovarian cyst is characterized by pain during intimacy, prolonged delays in menstruation, painful sensations when urinating, an enlarged abdomen - more on a certain side, and hirsutism.

When you notice these signs, undergo an examination to clarify the diagnosis using ultrasound. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then depending on the size of the cyst, hormonal treatment or surgery is prescribed.

Surgery can always be avoided if the disease is detected at the very beginning. Large cysts and large numbers of them can only be removed surgically.

In addition to the serious diseases considered, it is necessary to take into account an additional range of causes that cause pain during menstruation.

These are abortions, thyroid disorders, developmental abnormalities, magnesium and calcium deficiency, neoplasms, low sensitivity threshold, low activity. They also require a medical opinion.

There are signs that make it easy to understand when a medical examination and treatment is urgently needed. These include:

• pronounced symptoms associated with inflammatory processes. This is a violation of the temperature regime, increased sweating and heartbeat, discharge with a strong odor during menstruation;
• very severe abdominal pain with heavy discharge and weight loss for several days;
• itching, burning sensation in the vaginal area and during urination.

Thus, minor pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation is physiologically caused and is considered absolutely normal.

You should be concerned when acute, prolonged, unbearable pain occurs in combination with the symptoms of serious illnesses discussed in the article, when you simply cannot do without medical help.

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Causes of pain (painful menstruation) during menstruation

During menstruation, the uterus rhythmically contracts in order to expel everything that has served its purpose and is unnecessary. Some women have very sensitive pain receptors in the abdominal cavity, and they react with pain to any contraction. And for some, the uterus is located in its own way, tilted back, and then it puts pressure on the nerve centers, which causes a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, aching in the sacrum and lower back.

The activity of the uterus and female hyperesthesia largely depend on hormonal levels. With an increased amount of the hormone estrogen, which is more often monitored in women after 30 years, periods are not only painful, but also very heavy and long. If all the hormones are jumping, then you suffer from both PMS and algodysmenorrhea.

The appearance of pain is also associated with a violation of the natural balance in the body between sex hormones (primarily progesterone) and prostaglandins, towards the predominance of the latter. Prostaglandins are specific chemicals that play a key role in most of the symptoms associated with menstrual discomfort. They are produced by the tissue of the uterus and stimulate its contraction. The higher the level of prostaglandins in the body, the greater the force of contraction of the uterine muscle and, therefore, the strength of pain. An excess of prostaglandins can also create other accompanying manifestations: nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating, chills, tachycardia.

Heavy menstruation, insomnia and weight loss are sometimes observed with increased activity of the thyroid gland, which regulates the production of hormones.

Menstruation, along with abdominal pain, also occurs when the uterus is not positioned correctly, its underdevelopment (sexual infantilism), inflammation in the genitals, endometriosis and other diseases, and increased excitability of the central nervous system.

Abdominal pain during menstruation is more common in young nulliparous women, and may be a sign of infertility. In addition, painful periods are observed with intrauterine contraception (IUC).

Gynecologists note that over the past 10 years, the number of girls whose periods are accompanied by abdominal pain has almost doubled. This is due to the deterioration of the environment, poor lifestyle, and poor nutrition of girls.

Other symptoms of menstrual discomfort include:

• Pain in the lumbar back
• Leg pain
• Nausea
• Vomit
• Stool disorder (diarrhea)
• Weakness
• Increased irritability

Algodismenorrhea can be primary and secondary

Painful periods caused by underdevelopment, abnormal position of the uterus and other anatomical features of a woman are called primary algomenorrhea. The same term refers to painful periods caused by endocrine metabolism disorders that are not associated with organic damage to the woman’s genital area.

Pain during menstruation caused by inflammatory processes, cysts, fibromatous nodes, endometriosis, intrauterine device (IUD), gynecological and abdominal operations is called secondary algodismenorrhea.

You should definitely see a gynecologist if:

• Period pain lasts longer than usual
• The pain suddenly gets worse
• There is more bleeding than usual and the woman has to use more than one sanitary pad or tampon every hour
• There are symptoms indicating the presence of an inflammatory process: fever, chills, sweating, muscle or joint pain, etc.
• There are symptoms indicating the possibility of infection: discomfort in the genital tract preceding menstruation, unprotected sex, unusual discharge, itching, odor, problems with urination

You should urgently call an ambulance if:

• Lost consciousness
• Feel dizzy again when you stand up
• Experiencing sudden, intense pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic area that forces you to bend over or sit down
• Notice the presence of pieces of tissue in your menstrual blood, which are often silvery or grayish in color
• There is a possibility that you are currently pregnant (for example, an ectopic pregnancy)

Painful periods - severe pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation - treatment:

Gynecologists do not advise relying on painkillers these days. If the pain is too severe, then still take a painkiller. It is better to select painkillers individually, since many of them have side effects.

There are a number of drugs that can relieve pain and restore the cycle without harm to the body in a fairly short time. For example, the combined drug “Time Factor”, which combines plant extracts with phytohormonal action, vitamins and microelements, not only delicately normalizes the various phases of the menstrual cycle, but also improves mood, alleviates PMS symptoms and maintains good mood and performance.

After taking the medicine, lie down for a while under a warm blanket. Try to relax so that the pain is distributed throughout your body, then your stomach will hurt less.

And most importantly, always keep your feet warm and your head cold (as in the famous saying)

In addition, papaverine hydrochloride (and analogues of No-Shpa, Papazol, etc.) can be used to relieve pain during menstruation.

You can use diclofenac anti-inflammatory suppositories; one suppository is enough for severe pain during menstruation.