Facts about Dysmenorrhea
Saturday, 04 April 2009 01:48
Author: Borgon Trocepticlon
Part of a woman's life is to experience pain, physically or emotionally. The pain that is frequently associated with a woman is the pain of child birth. Aside from giving birth, women can also experience some discomforts associated with the female reproductive system and that is called dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea happens when a woman is about to menstruate.
Part of a woman's life is to experience pain, physically or emotionally. The pain that is frequently associated with a woman is the pain of child birth. Aside from giving birth, women can also experience some discomforts associated with the female reproductive system and that is called dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea happens when a woman is about to menstruate.
Cramping is the common symptom that occurs in a woman with dysmenorrhea. However, some women also experience other symptoms aside from cramping. These symptoms are weakness, nausea and vomiting, and sometimes anorexia due to feeling of fullness. Most women who experience dysmenorrhea feel very tired to do their daily activities and often resort to resting.
Actually, dysmenorrhea has two types. That would be primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. When you say primary dysmenorrhea, this is most commonly experienced by teenagers or young adults. This occurs usually for about two to three years after menarche, or the very first onset of menstruation. The painful cramps start to show up days before the onset of menstruation. This pain often serves as an indicator that menstruation is already approaching.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is another classification of dysmenorrhea. It usually occurs during menstruation unlike primary dysmenorrhea that happens before menstruation. The length of secondary dysmenorrhea is also longer because it could last until the end of a menstrual period. Secondary dysmenorrhea requires immediate medical attention because the exact reason of its occurrence is of pathological causes. Illnesses such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are the usual causes of secondary dysmenorrhea.
The main cause of the cramping and contractions that occur in a woman's reproductive system is the chemical called prostaglandin. It is a hormone-like chemical that is found in the body and usually increased before menstruation. When these prostaglandins accumulate in the area of the womans uterus, it causes painful continuous contractions. Because of these excessive prostaglandins, the normal contraction response becomes stronger leading to spasms.
Physicians recommend women with dysmenorrhea to take over-the-counter drugs such as NSAIDS. These NSAIDS often provide relief of pain experienced during dysmenorrhea. The two most common NSAIDS are acetaminophen and ibuprofen. However, for those people who do not like to take drugs to relieve dysmenorrhea, heat compress can be applied to the lower abdominal area. Heat compress can be achieved by using commercial heating pads. But for women with secondary dysmenorrhea, immediate medical attention should be provided. This is to prevent further complications brought about by the underlying pathological cause of the secondary dysmenorrhea.
A hot bath can be a good relief for the discomforts brought about by dysmenorrhea. Exercise can also be beneficial because it enhances circulation. These exercises don't need to be strenuous because a simple walking or jogging would be enough.
Rest is the best way to feel better during dysmenorrhea, although physical activity can also provide relief. Women who have a stronger ability to endure pain can perform multiple tasks without feeling weak even with dysmenorrhea.
Part of a woman's life is to experience pain, physically or emotionally. The pain that is frequently associated with a woman is the pain of child birth. Aside from giving birth, women can also experience some discomforts associated with the female reproductive system and that is called dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea happens when a woman is about to menstruate.
Cramping is the common symptom that occurs in a woman with dysmenorrhea. However, some women also experience other symptoms aside from cramping. These symptoms are weakness, nausea and vomiting, and sometimes anorexia due to feeling of fullness. Most women who experience dysmenorrhea feel very tired to do their daily activities and often resort to resting.
Actually, dysmenorrhea has two types. That would be primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. When you say primary dysmenorrhea, this is most commonly experienced by teenagers or young adults. This occurs usually for about two to three years after menarche, or the very first onset of menstruation. The painful cramps start to show up days before the onset of menstruation. This pain often serves as an indicator that menstruation is already approaching.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is another classification of dysmenorrhea. It usually occurs during menstruation unlike primary dysmenorrhea that happens before menstruation. The length of secondary dysmenorrhea is also longer because it could last until the end of a menstrual period. Secondary dysmenorrhea requires immediate medical attention because the exact reason of its occurrence is of pathological causes. Illnesses such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are the usual causes of secondary dysmenorrhea.
The main cause of the cramping and contractions that occur in a woman's reproductive system is the chemical called prostaglandin. It is a hormone-like chemical that is found in the body and usually increased before menstruation. When these prostaglandins accumulate in the area of the womans uterus, it causes painful continuous contractions. Because of these excessive prostaglandins, the normal contraction response becomes stronger leading to spasms.
Physicians recommend women with dysmenorrhea to take over-the-counter drugs such as NSAIDS. These NSAIDS often provide relief of pain experienced during dysmenorrhea. The two most common NSAIDS are acetaminophen and ibuprofen. However, for those people who do not like to take drugs to relieve dysmenorrhea, heat compress can be applied to the lower abdominal area. Heat compress can be achieved by using commercial heating pads. But for women with secondary dysmenorrhea, immediate medical attention should be provided. This is to prevent further complications brought about by the underlying pathological cause of the secondary dysmenorrhea.
A hot bath can be a good relief for the discomforts brought about by dysmenorrhea. Exercise can also be beneficial because it enhances circulation. These exercises don't need to be strenuous because a simple walking or jogging would be enough.
Rest is the best way to feel better during dysmenorrhea, although physical activity can also provide relief. Women who have a stronger ability to endure pain can perform multiple tasks without feeling weak even with dysmenorrhea.