Is menstrual pain troubling you? Here is what can be causing it!

Menstruation in females is essential for their reproductive health, but in many women, the process may not be as easy and can be rather painful and cause discomfort. Every month during their periods, women experience abdominal pain, cramps, nausea and various other problems. But what causes such problems? Let us have a look.

According to a research, about 50 percent of women experience pain and have a tough time during menstruation and in more than 10 percent of these women, the pain is unbearable. Pain occurs usually in the thighs and the lower abdomen. But what causes pain and all such problems? To know about it, the ETV Bharat Sukhibhava team spoke to a Gynecologist based in Banglore, Dr. Riddhilekha Nayak and here is what she informs.

What causes pain and other problems during menstruation?

Dr. Riddhilekha explains that the problem of pain during menstruation is called Dysmenorrhea and a hormone known as prostaglandin is believed to be responsible for this. During the menstrual cycle, there are rapid contractions in the uterine wall and when the muscles of the uterus contract, they cause obstruction in the blood supply to the internal tissues of the uterus. While this happens, sometimes the oxygen supply in the uterus is not sufficient for a while. At this time, the uterine tissues release Prostaglandin, causing pain.

The common symptoms of dysmenorrhea include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, pain, cramps, headache, fatigue, fainting, etc. Dysmenorrhea is of two types:

1. Primary Dysmenorrhea
   In this case, the pain is caused by the contraction in the uterus during menstruation. In this process, some hormones are released in the uterus which causes pain. Also, these hormones are also responsible for the pain during childbirth.
2. Secondary Dysmenorrhea
   Here, the reason for pain is due to certain medical problems like a fibroid. Fibroids are tumors that begin to form on the wall of the uterus. In addition, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, adenomyosis and cervical stenosis can also cause pain during menstruation.

Other problems faced during menstruation

Apart from period pain and cramps, many women also face certain other problems, which are as follows:

• Breast pain
  During or ahead of menstruation, a lot of girls and women feel heaviness or pain in their breasts, for which hormones estrogen and progesterone are considered to be responsible. These hormones can also cause an increases in the size of the ducts and lactating glands in the breasts. Also, according to a research, the amount of prolactin or the breastfeeding hormone increases in the body, which causes pain.
  Apart from the fluctuating levels of the hormones, there can be other reasons too that can be responsible for causing pain in the breasts. These include an imbalance in the number of fatty acids in the tissues of the body, leading to affecting the sensitivity of the supportive tissue present in the breast hormones, lack of nutrition in the body, wrongful eating habits and stress.
• Increased clotting in the blood
  Blood clotting during menstruation is considered normal, but if the amount of blood clots is relatively high and their size starts to increase, then it can be a sign of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), thyroid enlargement, or any other serious problem. In this case, contact a gynecologist immediately.
• Feeling diarrhetic or nauseous during periods
  According to research, about 73% of women experience diarrhea, vomiting and nausea during menstruation. Many females also complain about bloating during this time. Usually, hormonal activities and changes are considered responsible for all these conditions and particularly for problems like bloating, progesterone hormone is believed to be responsible.
• Increased clotting in the blood
  Blood clotting during menstruation is considered normal, but if the amount of blood clots is relatively high and their size starts to increase, then it can be a sign of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), thyroid enlargement, or any other serious problem. In this case, contact a gynecologist immediately.
• Feeling diarrhetic or nauseous during periods
  According to research, about 73% of women experience diarrhea, vomiting and nausea during menstruation. Many females also complain about bloating during this time. Usually, hormonal activities and changes are considered responsible for all these conditions and particularly for problems like bloating, progesterone hormone is believed to be responsible.

Dr. Riddhilekhi says that in case of prolonged, excessive bleeding during menstruation and unbearable pain, the problem must not be ignored and a doctor must be contacted without further ado. Do not try to self-medicate as it can worsen the condition.