Almost every woman during menstruation feels some kind of malaise, weakness and pain. Also, this time is fraught with mood swings due to the work of hormones. It is good that today not only husbands and relatives have come to terms with this fact, but also the bosses at work, somewhat yielding to women on such difficult days.

Monthly pains in the lower abdomen, nausea, sometimes vomiting - all of which in medicine is called algomenorrhea. By the way, it is quite widespread not only among our women, but all over the world. The disease itself is divided into two parts - primary and secondary. The first to suffer is exclusively young girls who have not previously given birth. And the disease occurs without any damage to the reproductive system. The second is typical for women who have undergone various gynecological diseases, such as, for example, endometriosis or various inflammations.

Why is this happening?

The cause of painful periods for each girl can be different. As for the primary algomenorrhea, then doctors have not come to a common conclusion, what is the main factor for the occurrence of this disease. In medicine, there are three main versions of the occurrence of this syndrome.

Some doctors believe that the cause of painful periods lies in the hormonal surge that occurs in the body of every woman before the onset of menstruation. At the same time, the girl may also experience various changes associated with hormonal changes.

Muscle work

Another group of medical workers believes that the cause of painful periods may be hidden in the increased production of such an active substance by the girl's body as prostaglandin. It also affects the excessive contraction of the muscles of the uterus, which causes a violation of blood circulation in its walls and, accordingly, pain during discharge.

According to doctors, the cause of painful periods can also be hidden in the imperceptibly occurring infections of the girl's reproductive system, which were not detected in time. Chlamydia and mycoplasmosis can be distinguished among the common, latently occurring diseases that affect.

mood

There is also a group of scientists who believe that the pain during menstruation in a girl can only occur because of her mental state and mood. If a woman wants to get sick at this time, lie on the couch, desire alone can provoke painful sensations, thanks to which you can even stay at home and not go to work or school.

Treatment

Having figured out why menstruation is painful, it is worth addressing this issue. First of all, in order to get rid of painful sensations, a girl must definitely see a gynecologist in order to exclude the possibility of various kinds of inflammatory processes of the reproductive system. Antispasmodics, which simply drown out pain, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, with which girls eliminate their ailment, help modern women with pain relief.

Violation of the cycle, pathology of organs, systems due to external or internal factors, can provoke painful periods. If this affects the quality of life, causes a deterioration in general well-being and a temporary decrease in working capacity, then the nature of the menstrual phase is not normal.

About 75% of sexually mature girls and women of reproductive age are experiencing critical days 2 days before the start of the cycle and the entire period of critical days. The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in each individual case will be expressed with varying degrees - someone feels only slight discomfort or slight irritability, and someone will not be able to get out of bed from pain.

It depends on the anatomical features of the structure of the reproductive organs or due to existing pathologies that are not always related to the field of gynecology, but, for example, to the endocrine, vascular, hematopoietic systems, and so on.

If during the period of menstruation a woman experiences a deterioration in well-being to such an extent that she cannot fully relax and work, then it is necessary to look for the reasons that “triggered” such a reaction of the body to the change in the phases of the cycle. Painful menstruation may be a secondary sign of the underlying pathology, which is why examination and further treatment is required.

With a monthly deterioration in well-being, especially in adolescents who have begun puberty (growth of the mammary glands and pubic hair, etc.), it is strongly recommended to visit the gynecologist's office and undergo an extensive examination.

Other symptoms of pathologies

When a sexually mature girl or a woman who has not yet given birth experiences minor deviations from her usual state, in which analgesics, antispasmodics and other drugs are not required, her critical days (CD) are characterized as painless periods. If she is having a hard time with PMS, is forced to do breathing or physical exercises, take medications, then you should look for a pathology.

Symptoms associated with painful menstruation:

• loss of consciousness or dizziness;
• migraine;
• nausea, vomiting;
• arrhythmia, tachycardia;
• increased sweating;
• unstable blood pressure (jumps, decrease, increase);
• aching joints, muscles;
• psycho-emotional instability;
• heat;
• prostration;
• scanty or excessively abundant bleeding.

Each woman may have one or more symptoms characteristic of a particular pathology, but there is always pain in the lower abdomen, which can begin 1-2 days before the cycle and continues until the end of the menstrual phase. It often radiates (gives off) to the perineum, lumbosacral back, organs located in the small pelvis. Pain is characterized by cramping attacks, but it can also be stably aching. And also it is often twitching, stabbing, or accompanied by cuts all over the abdomen.

Causes of painful periods

Until today, there is an opinion that this situation with menstruation will disappear on its own after a young woman bears her first child and gives birth. This is possible only if the cause of painful menstruation is an improperly located body of the uterus. This is its slight bend, which arose during the growth of the organ during puberty or during unsuccessful lifting of weight.

With a congenital defect, a genetic predisposition to an abnormally current menstrual cycle, any pathology - the appearance of the first child does not save from monthly pain. That is why a mandatory gynecological examination with subsequent treatment is required.

Painful menstruation occurs with pathologies:

• dysmenorrhea;
• dysfunction of the glands of the reproductive system or ovaries;
• inflammation of the tissues of the reproductive organs (vaginitis, andexitis, endometriosis);
• infectious or sexually transmitted diseases that are sexually transmitted;
• myoma;
• polyps in the cavity or on the cervix;
• polycystic ovaries;
• adhesions in the appendages;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• injury.

The causes of painful periods should also be sought among functional disorders of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, neuropsychic and vegetovascular systems. But the deviation in the work of the endocrine and sex glands is considered by doctors first of all. After all, hormonal imbalance is one of the main factors due to which painful menstruation occurs.

If you go into details, the predominance of prostaglandin in the blood, which is responsible for the contraction of the uterine muscles, occurs due to glandular dysfunction, and this entails a high level of the hormone. The uterus begins to contract intensively, due to which the rhythm of contractions is disturbed, and pain appears.

What do they do to find out the reasons

First of all, you need to undergo a medical examination. Girls under 16 need to contact a pediatric gynecologist. During the diagnosis of painful periods, it will be necessary to donate blood 1-5 times for a general biochemical analysis and hormonal status. This will help track the synthesis of prostaglandin and other sex substances.

During the gynecological examination, smears and scrapings are taken for cytology. With painful periods, videocolposcopy or hysteroscopy, ultrasound, and laparoscopy are often done. This helps to see the intrauterine space and ovaries, to analyze the condition of the organs.

If diagnosed with dysmenorrhea

At the end of the examination, doctors in the results indicate the name of the pathology or another factor that provoked painful periods. The causes are eliminated with medication, with the help of surgery or physiotherapy, and other optimal methods of treatment are also selected. When a diagnosis of dysmenorrhea is made in a medical report - what does this mean?

Pathology refers to cycle disorders in females from the period after menarche (first menstruation) to the onset of menopause (premenopause), characterized by regular, but always painful, menstruation.

Dysmenorrhea is accompanied by psycho-emotional and vegetative disorders. This is a depressive state, loss of strength, unwillingness to get out of bed, headache, arthralgia, lack of appetite, temperature above 37 C, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, sore throat, insomnia, etc.

During the menstrual phase, the leading symptom of pathology may not be pain, but another symptom that causes discomfort, exhausting the nervous system. This affects memory, performance, contributes to mental or physical overwork.

Primary dysmenorrhea

Most often, a functional disorder of the cycle affects adolescent girls, sexually mature girls and nulliparous women. For the first time, very painful periods may occur for 3 years after menarche, or the intensity and duration of attacks will increase in subsequent years.

Primary dysmenorrhea is not associated with pathological processes that entail changes in the tissues of the reproductive organs. The cause of painful periods is considered to be prostaglandin, estradiol E2, psychological factors associated with growing up, and physical changes in the uterus, in which, during the growth process, its body may bend.

During the formation of the cycle, a lack or excess of hormones causes dysfunction of the contractility of the uterus. High muscle tone does not allow the cervical canal to expand in a timely manner, to keep the smooth muscles in a relaxed state for a sufficient period so that the organ can rest. As a result, the endometrium is separated by large clots, the tissues of the uterus are in constant tension, pieces of the mucosa cannot pass through the cervical canal - this is why severe pain most often appears in the primary form.

Secondary dysmenorrhea

Functional disorder of subtype 2 is inherent in women who have congenital or acquired pathologies that directly or indirectly affect the menstrual cycle. They cause painful periods, because they cause compaction, adhesions, growth in the tissues of the reproductive organs. This entails a violation of blood circulation, muscle spasms, increased seizures.

The most common causes of secondary dysmenorrhea are inflammation of the mucous membranes and muscular membranes of the uterus itself (endometriosis and the like), ovarian dysfunction (cystosis, salpingo-oophoritis, etc.), the presence of polyps, tumors or an intrauterine device.

How to eliminate painful periods

Treatment includes the use of exercise therapy, physiotherapy - UHF, laser therapy, medications aimed at removing the main cause of dysmenorrhea. With painful periods, non-steroidal drugs are prescribed that relieve inflammation. Antispasmodic drugs are prescribed.

With painful menstruation, hormonal drugs are used (Marvelon, Silesta, Mercilon, oral contraceptives). Antiprostaglandin agents are also used (Indomethacin, Naprosin, Brufen, Butation and other species that tend to suppress the synthesis of this hormone).

What to do with painful periods is prohibited:

• self-medicate;
• change the dosage or regimen of medication;
• interrupt the therapeutic course;
• supercool;
• do hard physical work.

With painful periods after a medical consultation, it is allowed to resort to the methods of informal medicine. This is acupuncture (acupuncture), herbal treatment, apitherapy.

Conclusion

If painful periods occur in each cycle, what should I do? The first step to solving the problem should be a deep medical examination, which begins with an examination on the gynecological chair. Then you just need to follow all the medical recommendations aimed at eliminating the causes of their appearance - therapy, regular gymnastics and a healthy lifestyle for preventive purposes.

httpss://youtu.be/TYdHoHLipEI?t=10s

In the body of a woman, there are monthly processes associated with the functioning of the reproductive organs. If everything is in order with health, then menstruation is a common physiological phenomenon, which, although inevitable, does not cause much trouble. But some women are shudderingly waiting for the onset of another torture in the form of painful periods, when all their strength and attention are focused on overcoming this condition, it is impossible to think about work, about family affairs. Such menstruation is a pathology that requires treatment.

Content:

Algomenorrhea and its types

Algomenorrhea (painful menstruation) is a disorder that is associated with the occurrence of unusually severe abdominal pain during menstruation. Painful periods can become from the very beginning of their appearance in a girl. This condition sometimes worries a woman until the onset of menopause.

Pain in the lower abdomen and lower back during menstruation occurs in every woman. The pain is associated with contractions of the uterus, which rejects the dead mucous membrane. However, the strength of sensations depends on the individual characteristics of the body, such as the location and shape of the uterus, health status, sensitivity to pain.

It is considered normal if painful sensations do not make a woman suffer, menstruation causes only a slight indisposition, which disappears after 2-3 days. A pathology requiring treatment is considered unbearable pain during menstruation, which makes a woman unable to work, while she cannot do without painkillers. In addition to painful periods, she has signs of other cycle disorders and symptoms of concomitant ailments.

Symptoms associated with painful menstruation

In addition to abdominal pain, pathological menstruation also causes:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• Strong headache;
• vegetative disorders (increased sweating, fever, dizziness, fainting);
• jumps in blood pressure, rapid pulse or cardiac arrhythmia;
• weakness, muscle and joint pain.

Possible violations of the regularity of the onset of menstruation, an increase in their duration. Blood discharge may become too intense or, conversely, scarce. There may be spotting bloody leucorrhoea between periods.

Painful sensations often occur even before the onset of menstruation (1-2 days) and disappear only with their end. The pains are constant or similar to contractions, pulling, cutting, aching.

Degrees of soreness

There are 3 degrees of severity of the course of painful periods.

Light degree characterized by short and tolerable painful sensations.

Average degree manifested not only by painful sensations in the abdomen and back, but also by increased urination, chills, neuropsychiatric disorders (increased irritability, depression, intolerance to bright light, strong odors and loud sounds).

Severe degree associated with very severe pain, disruption of the heart, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, general weakness, loss of consciousness.

Depending on the cause of painful menstruation, two types of algomenorrhea are distinguished: primary and secondary.

Video: Symptoms of painful periods, what to do if they occur

Primary algomenorrhea

So called painful periods, not associated with diseases or damage to the genital organs. Most often it occurs in adolescents within 3 years after the onset of puberty. At this time, the body undergoes drastic changes in the composition of hormones.

Depending on the type of hormone, the increase in the level of which leads to pain, there are two types of primary algomenorrhea:

1. Adrenergic (in the blood, the content of adrenaline is increased). This type is characterized by symptoms such as fever, increased heart rate, severe headache, pallor, hiccups, bloating, indigestion in the form of constipation.
2. Parasympathetic (increased levels of serotonin in the spinal cord). In this case, such painful symptoms as a decrease in heart rate, a decrease in body temperature, diarrhea, swelling of the face and extremities, and weight gain occur.

Types of pathology

Given the cause of painful periods, there are several types of primary pathology: spasmodic, psychogenic and essential.

Spasmodic algomenorrhea. The main cause of pain is spasmodic contractions of the muscles of the uterus.

Psychogenic. Pain arises from fear of symptoms experienced once and left an indelible mark on the memory.

Essential. This is a disease caused by a decrease in the threshold of sensitivity to pain due to disruption of the centers of the brain. At the same time, even a slight effect on the nerve endings causes severe pain.

Causes of painful menstruation

The causes of the primary disease are:

1. A congenital disorder in the development of connective tissue in the body due to a lack of magnesium. This disease is dangerous because it leads to a violation of the composition of the cartilage tissue. Incorrect formation of joints occurs, limbs lengthen, flat feet, scoliosis occur. Myopia, indigestion, varicose veins are also characteristic.
2. Tuberculosis of the genital organs.
3. Neuropsychiatric disorders.
4. Congenital malformations of the uterus (bicornuate uterus, abnormal location of the uterus, its underdevelopment).

Note: If the cause of pain during menstruation is the bending of the uterus, which occurred already in the process of puberty (due to developmental abnormalities or weight lifting), then after the woman gives birth to a child, her painful periods can turn into normal ones. But if there is a congenital pathology, then after childbirth it does not disappear. It is required to conduct a gynecological examination and treatment.

Secondary algomenorrhea

Secondary pathology occurs as a result of acquired health disorders: the formation of scars and adhesions in the uterus after operations and abortions, as well as hormonal disorders, infectious and inflammatory diseases. Such problems can occur at any age, but they are more common in women aged 25-30.

One of the causes of pain in secondary algomenorrhea is the presence of varicose veins in the organs of the small pelvis and abdominal cavity. Inflammation of the nerves located in the pelvic region can also cause severe pain.

Secondary algomenorrhea often occurs in women seeking to lose weight through fasting, which leads to anorexia or bulimia. One of the main reasons for the appearance of painful periods is a violation of the structure of the tissues of the uterus, their scarring, soldering after illnesses.

Genital infections. They can be sexually transmitted, causing the appearance of purulent inflammatory processes, leading to a violation of the cycle, exacerbating the symptoms of algomenorrhea. To get rid of such diseases (trichomoniasis, syphilis, genital herpes, gonorrhea) is possible only with the simultaneous treatment of both sexual partners.

There are infectious diseases that can be contracted both sexually and through everyday contact (for example, thrush).

Inflammatory diseases. They can occur when microorganisms enter from the outside due to a violation of the rules of hygiene, as well as as a result of the activation of opportunistic microflora. In small quantities, streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli are present in a healthy body, without causing a pathogenic effect. Their activation and pathological reproduction occurs with hypothermia, a lack of vitamins, a violation of the composition of the microflora of organs, and their damage.

Diseases that can lead to painful periods include inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis), the mucous membrane of its cavity (endometritis), fallopian tubes (salpingitis).

A warning: The peculiarity is that inflammatory processes quickly spread from the external genital organs to the uterus and ovaries. The consequence of chronic diseases is the bending of the neck, coarsening of tissues, violation of the state of blood vessels, the appearance of cysts, polyps, and malignant neoplasms. At the same time, a woman has various menstrual irregularities and pains in the lower abdomen, which are aggravated during menstruation.

Tumors of the uterus(myoma, cancer). Soreness and the unusual nature of menstruation is often the only sign of their formation. A growing tumor compresses the vessels, as well as the nerve endings located in the uterus and neighboring organs. The shape of the uterus may be disturbed, and stagnation of menstrual blood occurs in it. Swelling occurs, muscle elasticity is lost. Uterine contractions become painful. With the growth of the tumor, the manifestations intensify.

Endometriosis. This disease is associated with endometrial hyperplasia and its germination in other organs. At the same time, the processes of the cycle are shifted in time of onset, menstruation becomes painful, prolonged, hormonal disorders occur due to the appearance of dangerous ovarian diseases (such as, for example, an endometrioid cyst).

Dysplasia, leukoplakia, cervical erosion. These diseases are associated with damage to the epithelial cells in the cervix, a violation of the ability to stretch the cervix, a possible change in its shape, and a decrease in uterine contractility.

Hormone disruption. It can be caused by taking hormonal drugs, using hormonal contraceptives, malfunctioning of the ovaries, thyroid gland, pituitary gland. Metabolic disorders and its consequences (diabetes, obesity, sudden weight loss) can also cause painful periods.

Cause of painful menstruation after childbirth

During childbirth, the ligaments that hold the uterus are damaged, while it deviates from its usual position, which leads to pain during menstruation due to uterine contractions. It is also possible to change its shape, the formation of folds in which menstrual blood stagnates. This causes a painful inflammatory process.

Video: Causes and treatment of algomenorrhea

Treatment for algomenorrhea

A gynecological examination, a smear test for infections, as well as a blood test for hormones and atypical cells, allow us to draw conclusions about the presence of diseases. After examining the organs using ultrasound, tomography methods, it becomes obvious whether there are developmental pathologies or neoplasms in the uterus. If necessary, their nature is specified by biopsy. The choice of treatment methods depends on the type of disease, the age of the woman, the severity of the pathology.

Treatment of primary algomenorrhea

Doctors advise in the presence of primary pathology to try to avoid unrest and stress, devote more time to physical education, stop smoking and drinking alcohol. In the second half of the cycle, it is recommended to limit sex, not to lift weights.

Well helps physiotherapy (electrophoresis for the introduction of novocaine in the area of ​​the solar plexus), as well as acupuncture. Drug therapy is prescribed: taking sedatives (valerian, relanium), painkillers (spasmalgon, no-shpa), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, butadione), vitamin E.

Plant-based preparations are used to normalize hormonal levels (remens, klimadinon). For the same purpose, hormonal contraceptives (anteovin, ovidon) are prescribed.

With painful periods, it is necessary to keep a menstrual calendar, which records the intensity, location and nature of the pain. Every 3 months it is important to visit a gynecologist. If nothing is done, then the condition will only worsen over time, a mild degree of violation will turn into a severe one.

Treatment of secondary algomenorrhea

If it is established that diseases of the genital organs are the cause of painful menstruation, then treatment is carried out with drugs of the appropriate action (antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral agents).

Progesterone-based drugs are used that suppress ovulation, reduce intrauterine pressure, as well as the intensity of uterine contractions. In this case, the use of oral contraceptives gives a good effect. Successfully treated with duphaston.

If painful periods occur due to the presence of adhesions, scars or tumors in the uterus, then a surgical operation is performed. This takes into account the age of the patient, her intention to have children.

Physiotherapy methods (electrophoresis, therapeutic baths) allow you to deal with inflammatory processes. A popular method of eliminating menstrual pain is hirudotherapy (the application of leeches that suck blood, reducing tension in the uterus). The saliva of leeches contains painkillers and anti-inflammatory substances.

If the doctor does not find contraindications, then with such a pathology it is permissible to use traditional medicine: soothing herbal teas with oregano, mint, muscle-relaxing beet and pumpkin juices. Decoctions and infusions with anti-inflammatory properties are used (from burdock leaves, acorns and herbal preparations).

Video: How to relieve painful periods

Many representatives of the beautiful half of humanity face painful periods (dysmenorrhea, algomenorrhea). In most cases, severe pain during menstruation indicates the presence of any pathologies in the female genital area. Next, we will consider why painful periods occur, what pathologies and disorders may indicate, and whether treatment for painful periods is required.

With the onset of puberty, monthly rejection of some part of the uterine endometrium occurs, which, together with the egg and a small amount of blood, is released out through the genital tract. Such a cyclical process is menstruation. During this period, women experience a significant hormonal shift, which causes some unpleasant symptoms before or during menstruation.

If there is no onset of pregnancy, then the uterus rejects unnecessary tissues. This situation is accompanied by the opening of the cervix and spasms, so moderate pain during menstruation is an indicator of the norm.

Normal symptoms before or during your mid-cycle period (PMS pain) include:

• pulling pains before menstruation in the lower abdomen of low or moderate intensity. Sometimes only one side hurts before menstruation, this indicates that it was in this ovary that ovulation occurred;
• discomfort in the lumbar region;
• increased appetite;
• tenderness of the mammary glands and pain before menstruation in the chest;
• minor mood changes;
• increased libido in the middle of the cycle and before the onset of menstruation.

The above symptoms are related to and directly controlled by the production of the hormone progesterone. Sometimes painful periods occur after a delay. This is not a deviation from the norm if there is a single case.

Types of dysmenorrhea. Causes of pain

Very painful periods are primary and secondary. Primary is not associated with any serious diseases or pathologies. This type of dysmenorrhea occurs in girls with an unstable nervous system (since there is a slight hormonal failure), asthenic type of addition (very thin), in girls in the first year of menstruation or with an anatomically incorrect position of the uterus.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is usually associated with inflammatory or other diseases of the female genital area and their consequences. So, to provoke severe menstrual pain can:

1. Inflammation of the appendages (,), which contributes to the occurrence of adhesive processes. In the presence of adhesions, even after menstruation, the lower abdomen hurts and pulls the lower back.
2. uterus and ovaries. The cells of the uterine endometrium are intensively divided and spread to nearby organs.
3. Various neoplasms (, polyps).
4. Inflammatory processes of nearby organs (for example, the bladder).
5. Hormonal disorders. For example, menstruation after Duphaston (a hormonal medicine) sometimes comes with a slight delay and can cause pain in the lower abdomen of a aching nature.
6. Varicose veins of the small pelvis.
7. Hormonal disorders.
8. Surgical interventions (including abortions). For example, periods after hysteroscopy often come with a delay of one month. Menstruation does not proceed as usual - the intensity of the discharge may change and severe pain can be observed.
9. Intrauterine device. If it is installed or removed incorrectly, it causes sharp pains both during menstruation and in the middle of the cycle.

Remember! If you have always had meager periods, and have recently become plentiful, this may indicate some kind of pathology. A doctor's consultation is required!

Painful symptoms during menstruation

On the first day of menstruation, there may be some discomfort. So, a woman has the following symptoms:

• strong aching, pulling pains in the lower abdomen, which are localized on one side (it hurts the right side or left side) and radiates to the coccyx, leg or uterus. In especially severe cases, there may be a sharp spasm or "backache" in the abdominal cavity associated with uterine contraction and rejection of an unfertilized egg;
• lower back pain;
• dizziness, migraine;
• severe nausea, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea;
• feeling of pressure and fullness of the mammary glands, soreness of the nipples;
• disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which is manifested by chills, sweating, changes in heart rate;
• stool disorder, diarrhea or, conversely, constipation;
• fainting for a few seconds is a terrible symptom that requires an urgent call to the doctor.

The above symptoms can make a woman completely incapacitated, so bed rest is required, at least until the severe pain during menstruation subsides.

The nervous system also suffers during this period. Severe malaise makes a woman overly irritable, anxiety, insomnia, and weakness may appear. Chronic stress often increases the duration and frequency of symptoms. That is why women often experience not only pain after menstruation, but also in the middle of the cycle.

Often, doctors recommend that patients with the above symptoms keep a diary and cycle calendar, where they should record the dates of the beginning and end of menstruation, whether they are painful, as well as other ailments observed during this period.

Remember! If you are tormented by terrible pain during menstruation, then you should not endure such a condition. It is necessary to consult a gynecologist and find out the true cause of the pain.

In some sources, you can find information that with pain during menstruation, you need to move more or do physical exercises. However, in reality, this should not be done during menstruation, since unnecessary movements with severe pain will only aggravate the situation.

Menstruation during pregnancy

If the expectant mother is healthy, then menstruation during pregnancy should not be. The greatest danger is bleeding in the first trimester, up to 12 weeks. It is during this period of bearing a child that the risk of miscarriage is high.

If a woman has painful periods during early pregnancy, and she does not even know about her interesting position, this aggravates the situation. The expectant mother can drink alcohol, smoke based on uterine bleeding and pain in the lower abdomen, suggesting that menstruation has begun. That is why there are situations when a woman finds out about pregnancy three months after conception.

If a pregnant woman has pain in the lower abdomen, brown or reddish discharge, you should immediately visit a gynecologist to prevent sad consequences. In order to save the child, eliminate the cause of pain and the painful symptoms themselves, most often a woman is prescribed treatment in a hospital.

Thus, menstruation during pregnancy in most cases speaks of a pathological process that requires urgent diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Very severe pain during menstruation, which lasts more than two to three days and does not go away after taking analgesics, requires medical intervention. To choose the right treatment, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis and find out the cause of the pathological symptoms.

Inspection should be carried out at the beginning of the cycle, preferably on the 5-7th day. In extreme cases - in the middle of the cycle, before the onset of ovulation. During this period, the hormonal background is restored, the pain most often disappears and the results of the studies will be more accurate.

Diagnostic measures are carried out by a gynecologist in several stages.

First, a patient history is taken. The doctor finds out whether the patient is sexually active, what methods of contraception she uses, whether there have been pregnancies, abortions, surgical interventions, and whether there are chronic diseases.

Then he proceeds to the examination in the gynecological chair. An experienced gynecologist by palpation can determine the presence of possible inflammation of the ovaries, appendages or uterus. The site of inflammation is usually painful and enlarged.

The above methods are often not enough for a correct diagnosis, therefore, in order to avoid medical errors, additional laboratory and hardware studies are carried out. A smear is taken to determine possible infections, blood from a finger (vein). In some cases, a blood test for hormones is performed.

Then the woman needs to do an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs to determine the presence of cysts and other formations. Sometimes the doctor prescribes - a study that allows you to determine the presence of an adhesive process and, in more detail than ultrasound, check the pelvic organs.

Painful menstruation can also be with vascular pathologies. In this case, dopplerography of the vessels is performed.

According to the results of the diagnosis, in the absence of gynecological pathologies, it is necessary to be examined by a neurologist and a psychotherapist, since malfunctions in the nervous system can directly affect the changes in the cycle and aggravate the course of its unpleasant symptoms.

If a gynecological disease is detected, the doctor diagnoses "algodysmenorrhea" and prescribes treatment.

What to do with pain during menstruation

Treatment of dysmenorrhea includes not only the relief of pain and symptomatic therapy, but also the mandatory elimination of the disease that caused it. So, in inflammatory processes of an infectious and non-infectious nature, antibacterial and antiviral therapy is prescribed, as well as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory suppositories and tablets.

With neoplasms of the internal genital organs, which can cause pain in the lower abdomen after menstruation, a decision is made to remove them surgically.

Hormonal drug

Painful and heavy periods caused by hormonal disorders are treated with drugs that correct the hormonal background. More often than others, Yarina, Diane-35 tablets are prescribed.

If dysmenorrhea is caused by disorders in the functioning of the nervous system against the background of chronic stress, then the treatment is prescribed by a neurologist or psychotherapist. Here, both ordinary sedative sedative pills and more serious therapy - tranquilizers, neuroleptics, antidepressants can be used. Vaginal suppositories in this case are not used.

Painkillers such as Nise, Nurofen, Analgin, Tempalgin, Ketorol, No-Shpa are used to directly eliminate painful and heavy periods. Candles during menstruation are not recommended.

In parallel with the above measures, with severe pain during menstruation, the intake of vitamins E, A, C is indicated. The gynecologist determines the duration and regimen in each case.

You can not ignore traditional medicine. Herbs are widely used for heavy periods - chamomile, upland uterus. By taking this herbal decoction, you can reduce the intensity of pain.

What not to do during menstruation:

• live sexually;
• warm or cool the places of localization of pain;
• perform intense physical exercise;
• visit baths, saunas, swimming pools, lie in the bath.

Prevention

After medical elimination of the cause of dysmenorrhea, simple preventive measures should be followed to prevent the return of painful symptoms.

1. The correct daily routine, the alternation of work and rest. It is necessary to prevent mental and physical overload, sleep at least 8-9 hours. Failure to comply with these rules leads to chronic fatigue syndrome and stress. And stress, as you know, is the cause of 90% of diseases, including dysmenorrhea.
2. With painful periods, moderate physical activity helps tone muscles, improve metabolism and metabolic processes of the body, and can even normalize hormonal levels.
3. Take timely action to eliminate stress.
4. Proper nutrition and drinking enough fluids also have a beneficial effect on the body.
5. Giving up bad habits (drinking alcohol, smoking) is simply necessary for heavy periods.

Dysmenorrhea is not a death sentence. With a competent approach to treatment, as well as with the observance of preventive measures, this disease is completely eliminated.

Moderate pain during menstruation occurs in 70% of women and girls of childbearing age. In this case, the pain syndrome during menstruation can have a different intensity. Minor discomfort, not pronounced pain, especially in nulliparous girls, is normal.

However, if a woman monthly during the cycle suffers from unbearable pains, which are supplemented by vomiting, fainting, dizziness, diarrhea and make her unable to work, a similar phenomenon in gynecology is called algomenorrhea. The presence of such signs indicates that a woman suffers from various disorders of the nervous, sexual, vascular and hormonal systems of the body.

If you identify the cause of pain during menstruation, then the treatment of such disorders can greatly alleviate the condition of the girl and improve the tolerance of the natural process in the body, which is called menstruation.

Symptoms that may accompany painful periods

Painful periods in medicine are considered as the most common disorders of the menstrual cycle. Almost all women aged 13 to 45 experience some soreness and discomfort on the first day of menstruation. At the same time, only 10% of women complain about the presence of very strong spastic cramping pains due to uterine contraction, which can be supplemented by such symptoms:

fainting - 17% of women;

dizziness - 23%;

headache - 13%;

vomiting - 84%;

diarrhea - 79%.

The main symptom in the presence of algomenorrhea is pain in the lower abdomen, which occurs on the first day of menstruation or 12 hours before it begins. The pain gradually subsides by 2-3 days, it can be stabbing, twitching, aching, give to the lower back, bladder, rectum. Constant unbearable pain in a woman during menstruation leads to a violation of her psycho-emotional state, weakness, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, depression, drowsiness occur. Painful periods begin to poison a woman's life, in anticipation of another bleeding, she begins to adversely affect her psyche, the emotional sphere of life, leads to conflicts at work and in the family.

With mild algomenorrhea - pain is short-term, moderate, does not cause loss of activity and performance, such pain can be successfully tolerated without resorting to additional painkillers. But the cause of painful menstruation still needs to be established, since a mild degree of algomenorrhea can progress and move into a more pronounced stage, with much greater malaise. In some women, mild algomenorrhea stops after childbirth, uterine contractions become less painful, and its increase during gestation is reduced after childbirth, which leads to a decrease in spastic pain during menstruation in the future.

In the presence of an average degree of pathology, chills, nausea, weakness, and frequent urination join the pulling pains in the lower abdomen. Psycho-emotional changes in character also occur - a drop in efficiency, intolerance to sharp sounds and smells, irritability, depression. This degree of algomenorrhea requires medical correction, as well as finding out the causes that cause pain.

With a severe degree of algomenorrhea, very severe pains in the abdomen and lower back occur, which are complemented by vomiting, fainting, tachycardia, diarrhea, pain in the heart, fever, general weakness, headache. In severe cases of painful menstruation, a woman loses her ability to work completely, usually the occurrence of such a course of menstruation is caused by the presence of a severe congenital pathology of the reproductive system or infectious and inflammatory diseases.

The main causes of painful primary menstruation in girls (teenagers)

Primary algomenorrhea occurs with the first menstruation or develops over 3 years from the onset of menstruation. Basically, it happens in emotionally unstable, easily excitable girls with an asthenic body type and the presence of premenstrual syndrome. Depending on the nature of the accompanying symptoms, painful primary menstruation is divided into:

adrenergic type.

With this development, the level of the hormones of norepinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine increases, which provokes a failure of the hormonal system of the body. Girls begin to suffer from insomnia, palpitations, fever, severe headache, constipation, with spasm of small vessels, the arms and legs become cyanotic, the face and body become pale.

parasympathetic type.

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

Modern research has revealed the fact that painful primary menstruation is not an independent disease, but the result of the presence of deeper internal disorders, symptoms of such abnormalities and diseases:

Congenital anomalies in the development of connective tissue.

It has long been established that 60% of girls with primary algomenorrhea in gynecological practice are diagnosed with genetically determined connective tissue dysplasia. In addition to the presence of painful periods, this pathology is expressed by a violation of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract, varicose veins, myopia, scoliosis, flat feet.

This is a rather serious disease that occurs more often in girls with elongated limbs, flexible joints, cartilaginous tissues, quite often, during the growth of a child, magnesium deficiency is diagnosed, which can be detected using a biochemical blood test.

Neurological disorders, diseases of the nervous system.

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

Bends of the uterus backwards and forwards, malformations of the uterus - two-cavity, two-horned uterus, underdevelopment of the uterus

Painful periods can occur due to the fact that the anomaly makes it difficult and problematic for the outflow of blood from the uterine cavity during menstruation. This leads to additional uterine contractions, which in turn provoke pain.

Causes of secondary algomenorrhea

If painful periods develop in a woman who has already become a mother, or after 30 years, then this situation is usually considered as secondary algomenorrhea. Today, this situation is inherent in every third woman. Most often, pathology occurs in a moderate form, which in turn leads to a decrease in efficiency, aggravation of the symptoms associated with menstruation and an increase in the volume of discharge. In addition to pain in the lower abdomen, with painful periods, other symptoms develop, which are divided into several groups:

endocrine-metabolic symptoms - vomiting, itching of the skin, joint pain, increased unmotivated weakness;

psycho-emotional appearances - depression, anorexia, increased irritability, impaired perception of smells, taste;

vegetative-vascular symptoms - headaches during menstruation, palpitations, fainting, numbness of the legs, arms, dizziness;

vegetative symptoms - hiccups, nausea, vomiting, bloating.

The intensity of pain during menstruation depends on the presence of concomitant diseases in a woman, her age and the general condition of the body. If the patient suffers from a metabolic disorder (endocrine system disorders, diabetes mellitus), then in addition to the symptoms during menstruation, endocrine-metabolic manifestations are added. In the presence of problems from the cardiovascular system, vegetative-vascular symptoms become more pronounced. In women, on the eve of menopause, the likelihood of depressive symptoms and psycho-emotional instability increases.

Quite often, women suffering from secondary algomenorrhea experience pain during intercourse, and this should in no way be left without due attention. Such manifestations are a serious reason for an urgent visit to the doctor for examination and consultation, and then, if necessary, to receive proper treatment. If, in the presence of primary algomenorrhea, the causes of its occurrence are of a congenital abnormal pathological nature, which is very difficult to treat, then the occurrence of secondary painful periods is most often associated with acquired pathologies of the female genital organs. Treatment of such diseases should be mandatory, especially if it is:

pelvic neuritis;

endometriosis;

varicose veins in the pelvic organs and abdominal organs;

benign and malignant polyps (tumors) of the uterine appendages and the uterus itself;

infectious and inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive organs and adhesions in the pelvis, which are usually present in such pathologies.

Also, the occurrence of pain during menstruation in women after 30 years of age may be associated with such provoking factors and causes:

physical and mental overwork, violation of the regime of work and rest, constant stress;

surgical operations on the uterine appendages, complications after performing a caesarean section or birth complications;

the consequences of frequent resorting to performing medical abortions, other interventions in the uterus, due to the presence of cicatricial narrowing of its neck;

means of intrauterine contraception.

Treating painful periods is a must

Considering the above facts, it can be logically concluded that such a natural physiological function as menstruation cannot be considered normal if it passes with significant general malaise, which deprives a woman of normal life and ability to work. In order to reduce pain during menstruation, treatment should not be aimed only at relieving pain, the main thing is to eliminate the cause of the pathology. Do not hope that the problem can be solved after the birth of a child, for example. If such a phenomenon is present, especially in a woman giving birth, you should immediately contact a gynecologist in order to find out the true cause of the pain.

To endure pain is hard not only physically, but also extremely harmful to the nervous system. It must be understood that the regular use of analgesics and NSAIDs cannot eliminate the cause of painful periods, but on the contrary, the body begins to get used to painkillers that have significant side effects.

The occurrence of severe pain during menstruation is a signal that a failure has occurred in the woman's body, which has caused a certain disease. Therefore, it is extremely important to establish the cause of such an unnatural reaction of the body to a natural physiological process.

To treat pain during menstruation is not only possible, but also necessary. In order to determine the cause of primary algomenorrhea, you need to contact a gynecologist, undergo an examination, perform an ultrasound of the pelvic organs, take tests to determine the hormonal status, and also undergo additional consultations with a psychotherapist, osteopath, and neurologist.

With secondary algomenorrhea, ultrasound and hormonal examination are also required, which are also joined by diagnostic curettage or diagnostic laparoscopy. A girl or woman who suffers from painful periods should keep a diary of observations of her own condition, a calendar of the menstrual cycle. In the diary, you need to record all the sensations, the duration of bleeding and the amount of discharge, the duration of the entire cycle, in other words, all the symptoms that occur during the menstrual cycle. This is done in order to simplify the diagnosis and determine the method of therapy as accurately as possible.