A problem that most women encounter every month is menstrual cramps. A number of women have to take leaves from work or school due to menstrual cramps. On average, women of reproductive age take 1-4 sick leave days each month due to menstruation preventing them to come to school or work.
Symptoms of menstrual cramps include intermittent tight pain around the lower abdomen that can extend to the back, buttocks or thighs and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blacking out and fainting. There are 2 main types of menstrual cramps as follows:
- Non-pathological cramps: These cramps occur within the first 1-2 days of menstruation only and are bearable and do not require medications. They do not interrupt daily living or work, and it is possible to still go to school. These cases are caused by contractions of the uterine muscles to prevent excessive menstruation that leads to hemorrhaging.
- Pathological menstrual cramps: Menstrual cramps become so severe that pain medication becomes necessary. Many cases experience cramps for several days before menstruation, and pain becomes more severe during menstruation, and pain may continue even after menstruation. You can observe this from an increased intake of pain medications such as 2 paracetamol tablets without any improvements in symptoms. Some people even take 4 tablets or take stronger drugs, but pain continues to increase over time. From previously experiencing pain for just 2-3 days, now pain continues throughout the entire menstrual cycle. These symptoms can lead to hypotheses about many possible pathological causes such as the following:
- Endometriosis or chocolate cysts, which are common causes.
- Abdominal fibrosis.
- Tumors inside the uterus.
- Endometriosis inside the uterus.
- Congenital vaginal or cervical abnormalities.
- Pelvic infection or inflammation.
There are not too many ways for dealing with menstrual cramps. Possibly, you can start by taking general pain medications. Next, you should exercise regularly to potentially reduce pain symptoms. If you suspect pathological pain, you should consult a doctor in order to identify a cause and seek management guidelines. Importantly, you should not be afraid, nor hesitate to receive check-ups, since diseases that appear alongside menstrual cramps can be dealt with.
