My period started and my lower abdomen hurts. Stomach pain during menstruation. About pain syndrome of varying severity

Text: Olga Kim

Pain in the lower abdomen appears, which means your period is coming soon. Which woman does not know this “sign”... Yes, unfortunately, almost every woman experiences painful sensations during the "red days". Moreover, pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation can occur differently for everyone, which means the help may be different.

Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation: what is the cause?

Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation- how they ruin life! Fortunately, not everyone - women experience this period differently, for some, surprisingly, it passes quite quickly and easily, with practically no reminder of themselves, while others expect menstruation every month with horror. Some people experience such pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation that they can “climb the wall,” painkillers do not help, they cannot sleep normally, and it really interferes with the rhythm of life.

Doctors associate this symptom with a disease such as dysmenorrhea. The disease is quite common, but it is not so easy and quick to treat; there are many contraindications and consequences for this disease. Dysmenorrhea is just one of the possible reasons pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation, but if every period is also painful for you, most likely this is what you have. There are primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary is associated with a violation of the level of the female sex hormone prostaglandin. The fact is that, as you know, menstruation is the body’s response to the non-fertilization of the egg, i.e. absence of pregnancy. And just during the period from the end of ovulation to menstruation, the hormonal background changes in female body, which leads to pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation. If a woman produces a lot of the hormone prostaglandin, then migraines, nausea, and general malaise are added to abdominal pain. If these signs are observed regularly, you should consult a doctor.

With secondary dysmenorrhea, pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation speaks of an inflammatory process in the body, and it may not be associated with the genitals at all. In this case, you need to urgently consult a doctor and find the source of inflammation. Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation can occur as a result of numerous abortions, difficult childbirth, operations, viral diseases and injuries. Also, pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation can be a consequence of using intrauterine device, as a means of contraception.

Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation: how to get rid of it?

Each woman should choose her own method of getting rid of pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation. The simplest helpers in this situation are various painkillers; they certainly help, but you need to look at the root and prevent such pain.

Doctors advise leading healthy image life, quit smoking, alcohol and coffee. The famous motto “to keep everything in order - take care of your appendages” is more relevant than ever - keep your lower abdomen warm and do not sit in the cold. Men should carry the weights, so come home light from the store. Spend more time outdoors and find time to relax. You also need exercise stress. If active species sports are clearly not for you, do yoga, sports are not sports, but physically you can get tired there and whatnot. Don't like yoga? Then take up the now fashionable oriental dances; girls of the East have always been famous for their excellent women's health.

Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation is a problem that women have struggled with since time immemorial. If it doesn't bother you too much, you're lucky. If you can endure such pains, and besides them you do not feel any other ailments, it is better not to take pills, but to wait out this period, let the body cope with this process itself. But if you experience unbearable pain every time, you can and should consult a doctor. Women's diseases Sometimes they take a very long time and are difficult to treat; it is better not to neglect them.

Pain syndrome worries many women during menstruation. The most unpleasant sensations occur in the lower abdomen. The reason is the contraction of the muscular layer of the uterus that occurs during this period. However, some types of pain indicate gynecological diseases. And they need to be able to identify them for timely treatment.

Pain is the body’s signal about ongoing changes and disturbances. It cannot be ignored, since it can be a symptom of diseases of the reproductive and urinary system. However, not in all cases pain is a cause for concern.

THE NOTE! Acute pain- a serious reason to call ambulance. It can occur due to inflammation of a cyst or appendicitis, even during menstruation. In this case, you must refrain from taking any medications and wait for the doctor to arrive. Self-treatment is dangerous.

THE NOTE! Only a specialist can determine the exact cause of pain during menstruation. However, for this you need to know not only the nature of the pain, but also the location.

Video - Painful menstruation

Cystitis

Cystitis often worsens during menstruation. Acute and nagging pain in the lower abdomen, which worsen when urinating. There may also be a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and severe aching pain in the lumbar region. It is worth considering that cystitis has other characteristics, by which it is easy to recognize:

• burning and itching in the vagina;
• severe redness and irritation;
• increased body temperature;
• headaches and dizziness.

THE NOTE! Exacerbation during menstruation is due to the fact that, due to the outflow of blood, the spread of infection occurs many times faster. Also menstrual blood becomes a good environment for the development of bacteria if hygiene rules are neglected.

Relieving the symptoms of cystitis is easy, but treatment may take long time. If the disease is left to chance, it can develop into chronic form. Most often prescribed general analysis urine and ultrasound genitourinary organs to put accurate diagnosis. Cystitis is treated with antibacterial drugs. Additionally, a diet is prescribed for the duration of treatment, excluding acute and fatty foods from the diet.

THE NOTE! During treatment, you must avoid taking a bath and wash only in the shower, otherwise cystitis may worsen. The water temperature should be no more than 38-39 degrees.

Video - How to treat cystitis at home

Inflammation of the appendages

The pain is intense in nature. When the appendages become inflamed, a sharp, nagging or aching pain occurs. It begins to bother you 1-2 days before the start of menstruation and stops on the second day of menstruation. In some cases, it goes away after the end of menstruation. Other symptoms are also observed:

• itching and burning in the vagina;
• increased body temperature (up to 39 degrees);
• heavy or, conversely, scanty periods;
• nausea;
• pain and discomfort when urinating.

THE NOTE! Inflammation of the appendages is an infectious-inflammatory disease. Occurs due to hypothermia, colds and stress. It can also develop against the background of sexually transmitted infections.

The pain is localized in the lower abdomen on the left and right side. Appears when acute form inflammation of the appendages. If you ignore the symptoms, the disease will become chronic over time.

However, the hidden form is considered the most dangerous. In this case there are no signs of disease. Then inflammation of the appendages is diagnosed using ultrasound and laboratory research.

Treatment is based on antibiotics aimed at destroying the causative agents of the disease. To enhance the effect, suppositories are prescribed. You also need to follow the diet prescribed by your doctor and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Endometriosis

Unbearable pain and heavy discharge are the main signs of endometriosis. Scanty periods during this disease are extremely rare. A few days before menstruation, pain appears in the lower abdomen, which radiates to the lower back. In addition, there may be brown discharge. There are other signs of the disease:

• irregular cycle;
• long delays;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• problems with urination;
• constipation

During menstruation, the pain becomes severe and constant. Mostly they have a cramping or aching character, but what distinguishes them is their intensity. This reaction is caused by excessive endometrial shedding and damage to blood vessels.

THE NOTE! Endometriosis rarely occurs in women taking hormonal medications.

An accurate diagnosis is made based on research. Endometriosis is diagnosed using ultrasound, computed tomography and laparoscopy. After the examination, you can determine the method of treating the disease. There are only two methods:

• hormonal treatment;
• surgical intervention.

THE NOTE! Endometriosis resolves after pregnancy and childbirth. However, it is very difficult to get pregnant during this disease. If this happens, doctors recommend not to abandon the child. However, you should immediately rule out an ectopic pregnancy.

Video - How to treat endometriosis at home

Ovarian cyst

The occurrence of acute and unbearable pain in the ovaries during menstruation - main feature presence of a cyst. Pain can be constant or intermittent. They can occur at any period of the cycle, but worsen during menstruation and ovulation.

The localization of pain depends on the location of the cyst. Both the right and left ovary may hurt, or both at once. Tingling and throbbing may also be felt. But there are other symptoms:

• large delays in menstruation;
• pain during intercourse;
• disorders in the urinary system (painful urination);
• abdominal enlargement and asymmetry;
• hirsutism (growth of facial hair).

THE NOTE! It is not the cyst itself that is dangerous, but the torsion of its legs or rupture. Therefore, it is important to identify the cyst in time and begin its treatment.

Ovarian cysts are easily detected on ultrasound. Small lesions can be treated with hormonal drugs. Large and numerous cysts are removed surgically. To avoid surgery, it is necessary to identify the cyst early stage until complications began. Not treated with medication:

• numerous formations;
• large cysts (5-10 cm);
• cysts discovered shortly before menopause;
• cysts that appear during menopause.

Uterine fibroids

During this disease, pain lasts up to last day menstruation. As a rule, the intensity only increases each time. On initial stage pulling and aching pain, which, when complicated, acquire an acute cramp-like character.

The pain is felt not only in the lower abdomen, but also radiates to the lower back. It can also spread over the entire back before menstruation and in the first days. In addition, breast sensitivity increases significantly. Also with uterine fibroids the following are observed:

• dark brown discharge before, during and after menstruation;
• cycle reduction;
• a significant increase in the duration of menstruation up to several weeks;
• heavy bleeding (less often scanty);
• the presence of clots in the discharge.

THE NOTE! A common cause of fibroids is hormonal disbalance. Increased output estrogen, female sex hormones, leads to tumor formation.

In some cases, it is possible to notice fibroids during gynecological examination. It is also detected using ultrasound, hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, endometrial biopsy and laboratory tests. Under treatment by medication. A course of hormonal medications is prescribed. However, larger tumors may require surgery.

Video - Uterine fibroids: signs, symptoms, treatment

Conclusion

Moderate pain at the beginning of menstruation – normal phenomenon. As a rule, they disappear during the first two days of the cycle. But acute pain syndrome is a cause for concern. Especially if there are additional symptoms. In this case, you need to consult a doctor to rule out the presence of infectious, inflammatory and chronic diseases.

Why do girls have stomach pain during menstruation?

Pain is always a signal that you need to pay attention to.** Pain during menstruation is not normal!** In any case, this is the dominance of estrogen relative to progesterone. This issue can be easily resolved with the help of organic progesterone cream. Of course, it’s worth checking with a doctor to know exactly the cause of the pain.

The fact that a woman has a stomach ache during her period is not good. Sometimes the situation is aggravated by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is not normal, and we must look for the cause of this condition. For example, if pain accompanied a girl right from her very first menstruation, then most likely her production of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which in turn is involved in the metabolism of prostaglandins, has been impaired since birth. It is the excess of these substances that causes contraction of the muscular wall of the uterus and blood vessels,

causing abdominal pain. In this case, gynecologists usually prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with ibuprofen, ketoprofen, indomethacin (these are drugs such as MIG, Faspik). Even with painful menstruation, magnesium preparations are used, which reduce the tone of the uterus. Antispasmodics (no-spa, baralgin, papaverine) also help. They can help herbal remedies with a relaxing effect (for example, buscopan).

This is quite normal and you should not be afraid of pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation. The fact is that during menstruation the egg is destroyed and comes out. Naturally, this process is slightly painful. if you feel very strong and sharp pains, then you need to see a gynecologist.

In fact, your stomach should hurt. A little. Because, to put it simply, at such moments the remaining unclaimed placenta for the intended child exfoliates in the uterus. Naturally, in some places this is painful, bleeding, etc. Another thing is that it shouldn’t hurt very much. It has already been written many times that the causes of severe pain during menstruation can be various diseases, but for some reason the girls persistently explain them, some by heredity, some by pain threshold, some by something else. And they are waiting for the first intimacy, childbirth, the apocalypse - God knows what... If it hurts a lot, go to the doctor.

Severe pain during menstruation is not normal. And it shouldn't be taken for granted by girls. You should definitely consult a doctor with this problem in order to rule out possible pathologies. One of them may be a disease such as polycystic ovary syndrome, which without treatment can cause infertility.

Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation is normal, unless it is severe. The stomach hurts because the uterus is contracting. But you still need to be examined by a gynecologist every 6 months to exclude the occurrence of various diseases.

It became interesting and I read the information in search engines, it turns out that during menstruation there should not be any pain, especially severe, there may be a feeling of anxiety and slight discomfort, but there should be no pain, Wikipedia even describes the syndrome of dysmenorrhea, as an indicator of the syndrome of which - is pain during menstruation.

Pain may occur due to various reasons. One of these reasons is inflammatory processes of the cervix and uterus.

Unfortunately, most girls and women believe that abdominal pain during menstruation is normal and the way it should be. But many do not think that this can pose a health threat.

At one time I thought so too, but I didn’t go to the doctor. And when I wanted a child, I went to see a doctor for a check-up. The doctor told me that pain is not normal. And its consequences can at least slightly affect women’s health. reproductive system. But this is not the main cause of infertility. In complex.

So persuade your girlfriend to go to the doctor and get tested. And cure this disease. Health is more valuable.

• Stomach hurts during menstruation

  for different reasons. Of course, there should be no standard for pain. If the girl is healthy, then CD should be simple and painless.

  However, severe pain may occur, e.g. for endometriosis when the cells lining the uterus begin to break off and come out. Endometriosis can spread to other internal organs. And this insidious disease can only be calculated after you do a gynecological ultrasound. Endometriosis is dangerous due to infertility and the appearance and rupture of cysts, and this is very dangerous and can even lead not only to the loss of the ovaries, but also to death.

  Best of all, girl find a competent doctor and go to him. I would also recommend be sure to do an ultrasound at least once a year to be absolutely sure that everything is in order.

My daughter always has painful periods. At this time, the poor thing always drinks no-shpa. She went for an examination to a gynecologist, but no abnormalities were found in her. She is now married and has already given birth to a child, but these days remain painful for her.

During menstruation, the muscles of the uterus begin to contract to get rid of unnecessary fluid. These spasms are felt as pain. And it intensifies if the girl has very sensitive pain receptors, if the uterus is slightly incorrectly located or puts pressure on the nerve centers. Also very strong influence The presence of pain is influenced by the balance of the hormone estrogen, which causes the contractions themselves. If there is an excess of it, the muscles will contract more often and stronger.

The stomach can also hurt due to inflammatory processes in the genitals, so just in case you need to see a doctor.

Anna Mironova

Reading time: 12 minutes

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With symptoms of impending or onset menstruation, such as tenderness in the breast area, Bad mood, loss of strength, irritability and pain in the lower abdomen are familiar to many women. Usually these days, work is not going well, and the mood is such that even members of the household try to be seen less often.

What experts say about painful menstruation, and how to relieve such pain ?

Why does your stomach hurt during menstruation - the main causes of pain during menstruation

Any woman (with rare exceptions) experiences before or during menstruation at least discomfort. The main complaint is abdominal pain.


Why is this happening?

First of all, don't panic : if there are no accompanying “signals”, and menstruation does not fall outside the framework outlined by doctors, then there is nothing to worry about. Natural physiological process(monthly rejection and release of the inner layer of the uterus, which, when contracting, causes pain) does not require an urgent visit to the doctors.

Painful periods have a name - algomenorrhea:

• Primary algodismenorrhea. Increased contractile activity of the myometrium by tissue hormones and, as a result, cramping pain and vascular spasms. Typical for women 16-25 years old. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, upset bowel movements and pain in the lower abdomen a day or two before menstruation and in the first two days of menstruation. Pathological changes not observed in the pelvic organs. Typically, the level of pain decreases after childbirth and with age.
• Secondary algomenorrhea. IN in this case, there are any pathologies of the pelvic organs, and pain becomes a symptom of anatomical changes in the uterus.

TO causes of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), not associated with diseases of the female reproductive system, include:

• Sex hormone imbalance (progesterone, which promotes uterine contraction, and prostaglandin, the excess of which increases the force of contraction of the uterine muscles), excessive activity thyroid glands
• Intrauterine device and other contraceptives.
• High sensitivity to changes in the body.
• Incorrectly positioned uterus.
• Excitability nervous system.
• Pain as a consequence of childbirth or.
• Lack of proper physical activity.
• Heredity.
• Calcium or magnesium deficiency.
• Poor nutrition. Read also:

If pain during menstruation is short-term, the level of pain is tolerable, and there is no need to postpone everyday activities, then everything is normal, and there is no reason to panic .

10 best recipes - how to get rid of pain during menstruation

Reduce the level of pain during menstruation (provided there is no serious problems with women's health) traditional folk methods can help:

1. Dry heat, massage and rest
   Heat will help relax the uterus and reduce the force of its contractions, light massage abdomen (strictly clockwise) will relax the muscles.
   
   
2. Painkiller
   1-2 tablets of no-shpa will help relieve spasms. Ibuprofen, spasmalgon or ketonal will help cope with severe pain. For pain caused by overexcitation of the nervous system (stress, etc.), a simple sedative can help - even ordinary valerian.
3. Oral contraceptives
   IN birth control pills contains hormones that help normalize hormonal levels. Such pills are very effective in relieving abdominal pain and other “effects” of menstruation. Of course, you should not start taking it without consulting a gynecologist.
   
   
4. Physical exercise
   Of course, we are not talking about shock loads and, especially, not about abdominal exercises, but bending, rotating the body, and light stretching are quite suitable. Pilates and yoga, which involve working on muscle tone, also excellent remedy from pain.
5. Compresses and baths
   For example, a bath with sea ​​salt(take before and after menstruation for 15-20 minutes, daily). Also suitable are sitz baths (contrast) before the onset of menstruation and compresses during menstruation. After a bath or contrast shower You should dress warmly and lie down for at least an hour.
6. Herbal teas, infusions, decoctions
   Such remedies include chamomile and Mint tea(you can add honey), parsley or sorrel, mineral water, tansy, acorns, strawberries, angelica, etc.
   
   
7. Massage
   Lower back massage will help relieve spasms. Preferably with someone's help, although you can do it yourself. Place a tennis ball in two socks and lie on them with your back so that the balls are at the level of the lower ribs on either side of the spine. Gently press on them with your back and lightly roll the balls with your muscles.
8. Essential oils
   Before your period and in the first days, you can rub the mixture from essential oils V sacral region, as well as in the lower abdomen. Ingredients: St. John's wort oil (50 ml), marjoram (5 drops), clary sage(4 drops), yarrow (5 drops). Rub in a couple of times a day. Before the procedure, conduct an allergy test by spreading a little mixture, for example, on the elbows. Itching or redness is a sign of an allergy.
9. Swimming
   The most useful and least traumatic way to relieve pain. The main benefits are the release of endorphins (a natural pain reliever) and muscle relaxation.
10. Cold on the stomach
    “Freezing” pain is one of the effective methods. You should put an ice pack on your stomach (only in a towel and over your clothes!) for 15 minutes, no more.
    
    

Regarding the prevention of pain before and during menstruation, remember consumption of products with high content calcium (low-fat fermented milk), save activity (this also applies to sex - orgasm reduces the level of discomfort), keep spicy foods and coffee to a minimum in your diet, give up smoking and alcohol, don’t get too cold and avoid stress.

In what cases should you consult a doctor for pain during menstruation?

You should be wary and visit your gynecologist if...

• The pain changes your usual way of life (you have to take a day off and lie in bed).
• Severe pain lasts more than 2 days.
• The pain is accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, and headache.
• Heavy bleeding is accompanied by the release of blood clots and lasts more than 1-2 days.
• Severe pain is present even with the use of oral contraceptives.
• Severe pain (for middle-aged women) appeared quite recently.
• Ibuprofen, no-spa, analgesics do not help.
• The discharge is more abundant than before (the pad lasts for 1-2 hours).
• The cycle was disrupted and body weight decreased.

Such symptoms may indicate the presence serious reasons for treatment. These usually include:

1. Endometriosis(aching or cramping pain radiating to the rectum throughout the entire cycle).
2. Fibroids, fibroids, polyps or uterine cancer.
3. Phlebeurysm.
4. Anomalies in the structure of the uterus.
5. Von Willebrand's disease.
6. Deficiency of platelets in the blood.
7. Inflammatory process in the genitourinary system.

Natural products are often used to relieve pain during menstruation. non-hormonal drugs, for example, such as Menalgin. It reduces pain, intensity, duration of menstruation and relieves psycho-emotional stress. Taking Menalgin during “critical days” reduces the need to use NSAIDs that adversely affect the gastrointestinal tract. If you are prone to painful menstruation, it is recommended to start taking the drug on the eve of the 1st day of your period. Menalgin has complex action: analgesic, antispasmodic, sedative and decongestant.

Under no circumstances should you suffer or endure severe pain! If you are concerned about your condition, immediately contact your doctor . A standard examination will reassure you or help you start treatment in a timely manner, which in any case will be beneficial.

The website warns: self-medication can harm your health! All tips presented are for reference only, they do not replace drug treatment and don’t cancel your trip to the doctor!

Abdominal pain during menstruation, when the lower abdomen hurts and pulls, large quantity women are normal condition. Often, pain in the chest, pain in the lower abdomen or lower back tells a woman that her period will begin soon. The causes of abdominal pain during menstruation are numerous. Starting from the appearance of discomfort, mild pain in the stomach, lower back or chest, like natural symptoms the beginning of menstruation, and gynecological diseases, which can worsen against the background of the onset of menstruation in a woman.

Today, unfortunately, for many women painful menstruation is completely natural. But if the pain is tolerable and does not cause much discomfort, then special treatment This process does not involve the menstrual cycle. But if a woman constantly takes painkillers during her period, then this is already a problem. With such symptoms, severe abdominal pain during menstruation, it is recommended to make an appointment with a gynecologist.

Menstruation is an absolutely natural process that occurs in a woman’s body every month and signals that she can already become a mother. Also, another function is assigned to menstruation - during menstruation, the body is cleansed and everything that is no longer needed, that has already served its term, is rejected from the woman’s body. During critical days active contraction of the uterus occurs, which leads to the formation of pain. In the case when the pain receptors located in the peritoneum are characterized by increased susceptibility, menstruation will be especially painful.

Another important factor is that the functioning of the uterus and the body’s response largely depend on hormonal levels. For example, in women over 30, estrogen levels increase, which affects the pain of menstruation. In addition, menstruation is characterized not only by unbearable pain in the abdomen and lower abdomen, but also quite heavy discharge which may last longer than usual.

Abdominal pain during menstruation - is it normal or dangerous?

It may be considered normal for a woman to experience painful sensations, abdominal pain both before the onset of menstruation, a couple of days before, and during menstruation, but only if this pain in the lower abdomen is not strong, is not acute or unbearable. In some cases, a woman may not have obvious reason the appearance of pain in the abdomen, lower back or chest during menstruation, that is, there may not be any gynecological diseases or other health problems, but abdominal pain during menstruation is still present. This painful premenstrual syndrome or abdominal pain during menstruation is called dysmenorrhea by doctors. But often dysmenorrhea can be a consequence of the development of certain gynecological diseases, which can worsen during menstruation.

Abdominal pain in the lower abdomen before menstruation - causes

Most women suffer from feeling slightly unwell a couple of days before their period starts. In this case we're talking about about barely noticeable pain in the lower abdomen, which can occur 1-2 days before the critical days. Such pain should not be a cause for concern. However, if the pain in the abdomen or lower back is severe and interferes with a woman’s normal life, and in order to reduce it at least a little, the woman must take analgesics, then she should immediately consult a doctor. The most important rule of anatomy is that if there is pain, then everything is not okay with the body. Painkillers only dull the pain for a short time, but the problem still remains.

If pain in the lower abdomen begins a couple of days before the onset of menstruation, if the stomach begins to ache a couple of days before the onset of menstruation and such pain quickly passes, if it does not last more than 3 days, then this pain in the lower abdomen should be considered premenstrual syndrome . Such symptoms do not require special treatment.

If pain in the lower abdomen does not go away throughout the entire period of menstruation, if there is severe pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, or temperature, you should make an appointment with a gynecologist.

What diseases can cause abdominal pain during menstruation?

The danger of pain in the lower abdomen before the onset of menstruation or during menstruation in a woman may be that the causes of such pain may indicate the development of endometriosis, the formation of a polyp or polyps in the uterus, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts. Very dangerous cause unbearable pain in the stomach is ectopic pregnancy which requires mandatory medical care.

The reason for the appearance of painful periods may be hidden in a strong emotional experience, the development of stress or severe chronic fatigue body.

PMS and lower abdominal pain

However, do not confuse pain during PMS and pain during menstruation. During premenstrual syndrome When bleeding begins, headaches and swelling go away. And the mood improves. Later, this condition is replaced by chills and abdominal pain, which last for 1-3 days.

However, you should pay attention to severe premenstrual pain, which indicates dysfunction of the female body. For example, a woman may have gynecological or infectious diseases, hormonal disorders are also possible.

Hormonal imbalances quite often occur in young girls who have just begun the process of puberty, and menstrual cycle is just being formed.

Why does the lower abdomen hurt before menstruation - reasons and what to do?

Sometimes pain can occur even before menstruation. Most likely, this is due to the woman’s weakened immune system. Perhaps this is how the lack of vitamins in the body manifests itself or she is constantly under stress. In addition, inflamed appendages can cause pain. This disease must certainly be cured, since the outcome can be quite serious, including infertility.

The most well-known factor in the formation of pain is algomenorrhea. This pathological process, which consists of regularly renewed pain syndrome which occurs when the endometrium is rejected. This pathology can be found in quite a large number of women. And in 10% of cases, the pain is so unbearable that the woman becomes unable to work.

Algodismenorrhea (dysmenorrhea) - primary and secondary

Translated from Latin, algodismenorrhea means “painful periods.” Reasons for appearance severe pain in the lower abdomen, when the stomach hurts unbearably, there may be algomenorrhea or dysmenorrhea. The diagnosis of this premenstrual syndrome can only be made by a specialist. It can hardly be called a disease, since it is a cyclically occurring pain syndrome that appears only before the onset of menstruation.

There are two types of algodismenorrhea: primary and secondary.

Primary algodismenorrhea - what is it, causes of development

Primary algodismenorrhea is functional syndrome and is not related to any disease. Pain during menstruation occurs due to underdevelopment of the uterus, as well as due to its incorrect position. In addition, painful periods can be caused by disorders in endocrine system, which are not related to diseases of a sexual nature.

Secondary algodismenorrhea - causes, what is it?

Secondary algodismenorrhea differs from primary in a more serious nature and is accompanied by inflammatory process. Pain also increases due to the presence of fibromatous nodes, endometriosis, IUDs, gynecological and abdominal operations. With secondary algodismenorrhea, in addition to pain, vomiting, headache, stomach upset. The woman may even lose consciousness.

Pain during menstruation (menstruation) in the abdomen and lower back

Algodismenorrhea can manifest itself in different ways. Accordingly, the intensity of pain may vary. They can be strong, aching, stabbing and contraction-like. In a situation where the uterus has an unusual location, it puts pressure on the nerves. Because of this, a woman feels heaviness in the lower abdomen, to which is added pain in lumbar region and sacrum.

Women often wonder why they experience pain after their period has passed. It would seem that everything is over. The body was renewed and everything returned to normal. But the pain did not stop. This phenomenon is caused by an imbalance of sex hormones in the female body: progesterone and prostaglandins.

Prostaglandins are special chemical substances, indispensable in the formation of many symptoms. These symptoms can cause pain during menstruation. These substances are involved in the production of uterine tissue, which causes its contraction. The intensity of uterine contractions depends on the amount of these hormones. If there are too many prostaglandins in the body, then a woman may experience vomiting, headaches, chills and an increased heart rate.

A woman, like no one else, knows about the characteristics of her body. Therefore, if suspicious or unusual symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is possible that the woman has low pain threshold or predisposition to algodisminorrhea. But there is no denying that a woman may have a more serious problem. Remember, it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it later.

Pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation can be aching, stabbing, or cramping. It should be remembered that if the pain is unbearable in the lower abdomen during or before menstruation, you should visit a gynecologist, since only mild pain and discomfort during or before menstruation can be considered normal. You should not hesitate to visit a doctor even in the case when abdominal pain occurs when menstruation is delayed, the beginning of the menstruation process.

When should you seek help from a doctor?

It is definitely recommended to immediately seek help from a doctor for painful periods, if a woman has pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation for more than 10 days or two weeks. If a woman has never had pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation before. If the pain in the lower abdomen is so severe and unbearable that it cannot be tolerated, emergency medical help should be sought.

If there is pain in the abdomen during menstruation and fever, if there is heavy spotting bloody issues from the vagina against the background of painful periods, it is also recommended to seek help from a doctor.