Acute pain in the abdomen during menstruation. Why does my stomach hurt so much during menstruation? Diagnosis of painful menstruation

Menstrual pain, also known as menstrual disorder - algomenorrhea, manifested by pain in the lower abdomen, occurring both before and during a woman’s menstrual cycle. The nature of the pain can vary from dull and debilitating to severe and sharp. Menstrual cramps usually begin after an egg is released from the ovaries and travels down the fallopian tube (ovulation).

Why does my stomach hurt during my period?

During each menstrual cycle, if sperm do not fertilize the egg, the uterus contracts and expels its contents. This process is caused by the release of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin, which is associated with intense pain and inflammation. Contractions of the uterus lead to painful tension during periods because these contractions prevent blood flow to the lining of the uterus (endometrium). Additionally, substances known as leukotrienes (inflammatory mediators) increase during menstruation and are also responsible for cramping.

There are 2 main types of complicated and painful menstruation: primary (functional) algomenorrhea and secondary (acquired) algomenorrhea.

• Primary algomenorrhea is the most common type, characterized by pain in the lower abdomen and lower back pain that occurs 1-2 days before the onset of menstruation and lasts on average for 4 days. There are no deep problems that cause such pain.
• Secondary algomenorrhea characterized by cramping pain caused by diseases and other health conditions, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory diseases.

Standard options

Menstrual pain, known as dysmenorrhea, is felt as cramping in the lower abdomen during or before your period. About half of women experience discomfort during their menstrual cycle: about 15% say they have severe stomach pain during their period. Women who do not engage in sports or physical activity experience more severe cramps and pain. Certain psychological factors, such as emotional stress, can increase the likelihood of experiencing discomfort during your period.

The risk group includes:

• women under 20 years of age;
• girls at the beginning of puberty, about 11 years old;
• nulliparous women;
• those suffering from menorrhagia, i.e. heavy bleeding during menstruation.
• women with night owl syndrome.

Possible diseases

Some health conditions and diseases can cause sensations that cause pain during your cycle:

• Endometriosis - tissues that fill the lining of the uterus develop outside the uterus;
• Uterine fibroids are benign tumors and formations on the walls of the uterus;
• Adenomyosis - tissues of the uterine mucosa grow into the walls of the uterus;
• Pelvic inflammatory disease is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria;
• Cervical stenosis - the dilation of the cervix is ​​too small, limiting menstruation.

What to do if your stomach hurts a lot during menstruation?

Menstrual cramps are not the same as PMS. Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include mood swings, breast tenderness, or bloating. Such symptoms appear before menstruation and subside at the beginning of the cycle. Therefore, first you need to diagnose menstrual cramps; most women are able to do this on their own without the help of a doctor.

The following manifestations will help identify periodic pain:

• severe pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation: dull, throbbing pain;
• pain in the lower back and hips;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• sweating;
• dizziness;
• diarrhea;
• constipation;
• bloating;
• headache;
• feeling of weakness, fainting.

In cases of acute pain, when it is diseases that contribute to the occurrence of painful sensations, the doctor may ask to take pictures of the abdominal cavity, uterus, cervix, vagina, and fallopian tubes.

Image acquisition methods:

• CT scan;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• hysteroscopy;
• laparoscopy.

Such techniques are important in identifying cases of endometriosis, adhesions, fibroids, ovarian cysts and ectopic pregnancies.

Pharmacy remedies for abdominal pain during menstruation

Over-the-counter medications are available to treat most cases of cramping. Such medications are often called antiprostaglandins; they reduce spasms in the uterus, facilitate the menstrual cycle, and relieve discomfort. Many of these medications contain pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen, which are types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

• Naproxen-Acree(Naprosin, Aleve, Nalgesin). Naproxen suppresses inflammatory responses and pain by reducing cyclooxygenase activity, which in turn reduces prostaglandin synthesis. The cost of the drug is about 200 rubles.
• Ibuprofen(Advil, MIG, Motrin, NeoProfen). This remedy is synonymous with the previous one and is suitable for the treatment of mild to moderate pain. The medicine is available from 20 rubles and more.
• Diclofenac(Cataflam, Voltaren). Diclofenac is a member of a series of phenylacetic acids that have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties in pharmacological studies. It suppresses inflammatory reactions and pain by reducing the activity of cyclooxygenase, inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins. You can buy the drug from 20 rubles, its varieties can be more expensive.
• Ketoprofen inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandins, which essentially reduces pain and inflammation reactions. Capsules can be purchased for approximately 60 rubles.

Sometimes doctors prescribe hormonal birth control medications to prevent ovulation and reduce pain. Many women don't know this, but continuous oral contraceptive therapy is actually safe and medically acceptable.

• Medroxyprogesterone(Provera, Depo-Provera). Medroxyprogesterone inhibits the secretion of gonadotropins, thereby inhibiting ovulation and reducing endometrial thickness. Tablets are available from 2600 rubles.
• Mirena intrauterine system. By releasing levonorgestrel, this intraatomic device suppresses the secretion of gonadotropins, thereby preventing ovulation and reducing the thickness of the endometrium. Cost: more than 12,000 rubles.
• Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol(Yarina, Jess). Reduces the secretion of LH and FSH from the pituitary gland by reducing the amount of gonadotropin hormones released. Tablets can be bought from 1040 rubles (Jess) and from 2600 rubles (Yarina).

If the cause of the cramps is gynecological diseases, surgery may be required to remove the pathological tissue, which in turn will lead to the elimination of pain.

Traditional methods

Helps cope with the symptoms of algomenorrhea phytotherapy. Already dried mint, valerian root, yarrow, blackberry leaves, white birch leaves and buckthorn bark are mixed in equal parts. Herbs are infused at the rate of 1 tbsp. per glass of boiling water, and then drink the collection in sips throughout the day.

Another no less effective collection that can significantly relieve pain in case of heavy discharge is a mixture of linden blossom, chamomile and St. John's wort. The herbs are mixed in a ratio of 2:1:4 (in teaspoons), poured into 1 liter of hot water and taken as tea.

Calendula in the form of a decoction helps relieve spasms perfectly: pour 1 tsp into a glass of boiling water, after an hour the product is ready for use. Take half a glass of this decoction before meals 3 times a day.

In the summer season, you can find a sprig of oregano or 2-3 raspberry leaves: a glass of infused herbs is drunk in 3 approaches during the day.

Horsetail infusion is brewed in the amount of 1 tsp. for 2 cups of boiling water and take 1 tbsp. 3 times a day or more often, depending on how you feel. In the same way, elecampane root, lemon balm, dried sorrel and strawberries are brewed and consumed.

Researchers at King's College London recommend drinking chamomile tea to relieve cramps, and the Chinese insist on the use of Chinese herbal medicines, usually plants with a calming effect: peony, corydalis, salvia red rhizomatous root, girchovum vaginalis, angelica chinensis.

Treatments that can relieve menstrual cramps:

• taking a bath;
• warmer;
• sex;
• yoga;
• massages;
• meditation;
• acupuncture;
• transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation;
• warming and lubricating the lower abdomen with sesame oil;
• bioactive food additives, for example, vitamin E, vitamin B1, omega-3.

Women who suffer from periodic pain should get enough sleep, rest, and regular exercise. You can prevent pain by eating fruits and vegetables and limiting your intake of fat, alcohol, caffeine, salt and sweets.

“Why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation?” is a question that every woman should know the answer to.

It can only be given by a specialist who has scientific information.

Why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation and what to do?

With the advent of menstruation, girls begin to experience pain in the lower abdomen and use it to determine the time of their onset. Here it is important to know why the lower abdomen hurts during menstruation and whether you should worry about it.

This may have physiological roots, but may be associated with some disease. Let's start by figuring out why menstruation can be painful and difficult.

Causes of menstrual pain

A huge number of women during these few days, when menstruation passes, suffer from pain and feel unwell. Where does pain come from?

This is an inflammatory reaction, the release of special substances of an inflammatory nature that provoke painful sensations in the lower abdomen above the pubis.

As a rule, it is typical for menstruation that women have a stomach ache and swelling occurs at this moment, because the hormonal levels change and a lot of the hormone progesterone is produced.

Increased appetite and bad mood occur. Menstruation makes you feel worse. This is painful premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Doctors call menstruation a “scheduling nightmare.”

During menstrual bleeding, a woman’s natural protective mechanism is triggered, which helps to spasm the blood vessels so that blood does not flow all the time.

This mechanism has a name - the release of prostaglandins, special substances that spasm blood vessels.

Essentially, pain is related to prostaglandins. It's simple: prostaglandins were released - the blood vessels spasmed. Pain causes this spasm.

It turns out that with this pain nature protects a woman from large blood loss. And she feels heaviness and discomfort.

Menstrual pain associated with menstruation can be of different types.

1. Often young girls experience nagging pain in the abdomen, which makes itself felt before and during menstruation. They may persist until pregnancy.
2. When the uterus is bent and the nerve plexuses on which it puts pressure are hypersensitive, a woman may experience prolonged aching pain in the abdomen. They radiate in the lower back.
3. As a result of heavy physical activity at the beginning of menstruation, a dull pain in the form of a feeling of heaviness may occur, which lasts no more than a day.
4. A woman may experience paroxysmal severe pain during menstruation. Here you need to consult a gynecologist. Why? This pain is characterized by intense contraction of the uterus, spasms of the bladder and intestines. This indicates violations of these systems.
5. Menstruation can be characterized by acute pain. In general, severe pain in any part of the body is a sign of some kind of disease. In this case, these are disorders of the reproductive system or inflammatory, infectious diseases.

It should be noted that during menstruation, the legs and lower back may hurt, nausea, weakness, and diarrhea may appear.

In addition to physiologically caused menstrual pain, algomenorrhea may occur in 30-year-old women against the background of an increase in the hormone estrogen. There are two reasons for pain in this case.

Some are related to a woman’s anatomical personality and hormonal changes. The second may be caused by inflammation of the cyst, endometriosis, or intrauterine device. There may be heavy bleeding during your period.

How to get rid of painful periods

Your periods may be more comfortable. Prostaglandin blockers – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – will help do this.

These include over-the-counter drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen, voltaren, nurofen, paracetamol.

They relieve inflammation, and most importantly, they block prostaglandins, resulting in reduced spasm and pain.

They also interfere with the function of platelets, which form a clot and stop bleeding.

Women who have a tendency to bleed, for example, hereditary ones, or who take blood thinning medications due to poor blood clotting, are contraindicated with drugs in this group.

For those who have hypertension, drugs in this group will constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Also, the ban on these medications is associated with stomach and duodenal ulcers.

In really serious cases of severe pain, the gynecologist prescribes prescription medications.

In addition to medications, you can take herbal teas and infusions. They can be purchased at any pharmacy.

When choosing a herbal mixture, you need to ensure that it contains herbs with analgesic, anti-inflammatory and sedative effects.

These are St. John's wort, calendula, chamomile, motherwort, and daisy flowers. They give the greatest effect compared to other herbs. You should start drinking them a few days before the start of your period.

Also, when a woman has severe stomach pain, it is recommended to use a relatively hot heating pad to relax the lower part of the stomach so that it does not hurt.

The warmth should be comfortable. This is a good pain prevention.

In case of algodismenorrhea, contraceptives will help relieve severe abdominal pain and normalize the state of hormones. But you shouldn’t prescribe them to yourself.

Only a gynecologist, after examining and confirming the diagnosis, will prescribe an effective contraceptive drug that is optimal for your case.

Diseases that cause pain

Severe abdominal pain during menstruation can be associated with serious illnesses. In this case, the help from drugs that relieve pain during its normal course will be temporary.

Treatment of these diseases is required. Let's consider what diseases can cause such pain.

Cystitis

Cystitis is a very unpleasant disease. During menstruation, its symptoms intensify. These, in turn, aggravate menstrual pain. It becomes not only strong in the lower abdomen, but also spreads to the lumbar region.

If you never paid attention to any painful sensations before your period, then worsening the pain will help you pay attention to them.

These are manifestations of cystitis that require treatment. These include pain when urinating, pain, itching in the vagina, and headaches. The temperature may rise.

If you have such symptoms, you should contact a urologist. It is important that cystitis does not become chronic. Moreover, it is easy to treat if you start on time.

Usually, to clarify the diagnosis, a urine test is taken and an ultrasound examination of the genitourinary system is performed.

After diagnosis, drug treatment with antibacterial drugs is prescribed.

You will also need to give up fatty and spicy foods during this time.

If you contact a urologist in a timely manner, you will solve the problem with two components - restore the health of the genitourinary system, and reduce pain during menstruation.

Endometriosis

In a woman on her critical days, this disease causes severe pain and heavy periods. My lower back begins to tighten and my stomach hurts a lot. Brown discharge may appear.

To understand that severe pain is caused by this disease, you need to know the symptoms. This disease is characterized by delayed periods, nausea and vomiting, problems with the intestines and bladder, as well as very severe intense pain.

They may be achy or contraction-like. Their strengthening is associated with a large amount of endometrial cell output.

When contacting a gynecologist, a special diagnosis is prescribed, including ultrasound, computed tomography, and laparoscopy.

Depending on the result of the examination, hormonal therapy or surgery may be prescribed. Endometriosis is an insidious disease that makes it very difficult for a woman to become pregnant.

Therefore, if you observe the listed symptoms, you need to undergo examination.

Inflammation of the appendages

Inflammation of the appendages is of an infectious-inflammatory nature. The body becomes hypothermic and picks up a sexually transmitted infection.

As with endometriosis, this disease during exacerbation is manifested by intense pain, concentrated on the right and left.

It can be aching, pulling, sometimes acute, it is a “harbinger” of menstruation, and often goes away the next day. Other symptoms resemble endometriosis and cystitis. This is a burning sensation in the vagina, painful urination, high temperature. It may make you feel sick.

The discharge is either large or scanty. The diagnosis is made after undergoing an examination. Treatment is prescribed in the form of antibacterial therapy. Suppositories are also recommended for local treatment.

Cyst

The presence of an ovarian cyst can be suspected when an exacerbation of intolerable pain occurs during menstruation. It has the character of constancy or periodicity.

The location of the pain is determined by the location of the cyst on one of the ovaries. There are also other signs of this disease.

An ovarian cyst is characterized by pain during intimacy, prolonged delays in menstruation, painful sensations when urinating, an enlarged abdomen - more on a certain side, and hirsutism.

When you notice these signs, undergo an examination to clarify the diagnosis using ultrasound. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then depending on the size of the cyst, hormonal treatment or surgery is prescribed.

Surgery can always be avoided if the disease is detected at the very beginning. Large cysts and large numbers of them can only be removed surgically.

In addition to the serious diseases considered, it is necessary to take into account an additional range of causes that cause pain during menstruation.

These are abortions, thyroid disorders, developmental abnormalities, magnesium and calcium deficiency, neoplasms, low sensitivity threshold, low activity. They also require a medical opinion.

There are signs that make it easy to understand when a medical examination and treatment is urgently needed. These include:

• pronounced symptoms associated with inflammatory processes. This is a violation of the temperature regime, increased sweating and heartbeat, discharge with a strong odor during menstruation;
• very severe abdominal pain with heavy discharge and weight loss for several days;
• itching, burning sensation in the vaginal area and during urination.

Thus, minor pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation is physiologically caused and is considered absolutely normal.

You should be concerned when acute, prolonged, unbearable pain occurs in combination with the symptoms of serious illnesses discussed in the article, when you simply cannot do without medical help.

Useful video

Critical days are a natural, but very uncomfortable condition that every mature woman has to experience. In addition to discomfort, irritability and increased appetite, many suffer from severe pain in the lower abdomen in the first days of menstruation. And each of these women at least once wondered: why does the lower abdomen hurt during menstruation? Does everyone really suffer from this? No, not all, of course – but the majority. More than seventy percent of women suffer from pain during menstruation with varying degrees of severity.

1. When is period pain normal?
2. When pain during menstruation is a pathology
3. Abdominal pain after menstruation

Why does my stomach hurt before my period?

Pain before menstruation, like menstrual pain, accompanies many women throughout their lives. However there is nothing scary or dangerous in this: Such pain is the first sign of premenstrual syndrome. If this condition is moderate, there is no need to try to treat yourself: it is completely normal for the female body, although it causes discomfort.

For a long time it was believed that premenstrual syndrome is a myth or a condition associated exclusively with the increased emotionality of women before the onset of their menstrual periods. However, it has now been established that this syndrome includes many other components that are physiologically justified.

In addition to pain in the lower abdomen before the onset of menstruation, which often radiates to the lower back, PMS can be accompanied by the following symptoms:

As already mentioned, this condition should not be a cause for concern unless it causes too much pain. When antispasmodics stop helping and the discomfort turns into terrible persistent pain, you should consult a doctor: this may be a symptom of a serious illness.

When is period pain normal?

Any normal pain during menstrual periods is considered to be the pain that can be endured. It is easily relieved with analgesics and antispasmodics, does not cause additional symptoms and practically does not interfere with everyday activities. Of course, even such pain causes discomfort, and this is especially noticeable at the beginning of the cycle: however, as soon as the first or second day of menstruation passes, the woman can return to her normal life.

TO normal reasons Menstrual pain includes the following:

• Hormonal surge

Hormones play an active role in a woman's menstrual cycle. Instability of hormonal levels during menstrual periods is completely normal phenomenon: the concentration of progesterones and prostaglandins changes towards the latter, the uterus contracts more strongly, and it is because of this that, for the most part, the stomach hurts so much during menstruation.

• Contraction of the uterine muscles

Another important reason why your stomach hurts during menstruation. Smooth muscle contracts, releasing unnecessary endometrium, and in women who have a fairly low pain threshold, this can cause severe discomfort.

• Deviation of the uterus

The unusual location of the uterus can also play an important role in pain during menstruation. However, here we mean a slight deviation back, which touches the nerve endings and causes mild pain: if the position of the uterus is severe departs from the norm and the angle of its location becomes unnatural, this is a reason to be examined by a gynecologist.

• Poor nutrition

In this case, “malnutrition” means the active consumption of foods that retain fluid in the body and increase gas formation before and during menstruation. Leave all foods that can ferment the stomach and cause swelling during menstruation: bloating will increase pain and discomfort.

• Intestinal disorder

This phenomenon does not occur so often, but it can also cause pain during menstruation, which is quite difficult to cope with - and it is not a pathology. This condition is divided into two subtypes: diarrhea and constipation.

Appearance loose stool before menstruation is a normal hormone-dependent phenomenon: due to the action of prostaglandins, the smooth muscles of not only the uterus, but also the intestines contract. Don't worry and take medicine for diarrhea, it will go away on its own. Constipation They are associated with a decrease in estrogen levels and disappear as soon as hormonal levels normalize.

All of these reasons are subtypes of the norm, and if your pain does not cause you obvious discomfort, most likely it is caused by one of these reasons. However, if unpleasant sensations accompany you throughout your entire menstruation and you cannot get rid of them with pills, you may be developing a disease.

When pain during menstruation is a pathology

There are times when the pain during menstruation becomes so severe that it it's impossible to just endure. Antispasmodics and painkillers stop helping or help only slightly, and the woman cannot get out of bed until the end of her period, because the slightest movement becomes real torture for her. A specialist should figure out why your stomach hurts so much during menstruation - and it’s better not to delay visiting him, so as not to aggravate your condition.

Diseases that can cause such severe pain include the following:

• Genital infantilism

This is the name for a condition in which the uterus does not develop in accordance with age or is located at the wrong angle, strongly deviating in any direction. Most often, genital infantilism occurs in young girls, whose reproductive system is still developing, and either over time, or with the onset of sexual activity or after childbirth, disappears without a trace.

Genital infantilism in adult women comes in various forms: it includes diseases such as hypoplasia, bending and displacement of the uterus, and prolapse of the uterine walls. Each of these diseases is very unpleasant, dangerous, is one of the main causes of female infertility and is treated by a gynecologist.

• Hyperthyroidism

This is a syndrome of overactive thyroid gland, in which the production of thyroid hormones T3 and T4 increases many times. It has already been said about the important role hormonal levels play in menstrual syndromes: an increased content of prostaglandins in the body can increase the duration and intensity of critical days, as well as accompany them with painful sensations in the lower abdomen.

This is an unpleasant benign disease in which the cells of the inner layer of the uterus spread beyond this very layer. During menstruation, it causes discomfort due to the fact that all endometrial cells that have grown beyond its limits also reject their outer layer, like ordinary endometrial cells: that is, the pain from this process increases several times. With the beginning of the cycle, as soon as menstruation begins, endometriosis makes itself felt with severe pain in the lower abdomen and heavy bleeding; In addition, the discharge may be “smeared” for some time after menstruation. This is a really unpleasant disease, the symptoms of which need to be seen by a gynecologist.

• Inflammatory diseases of the genital organs

Very unpleasant diseases that can turn ordinary menstruation into a real nightmare. They increase the pain of critical days, and also often cause fever, nausea or even vomiting, and chills. With such diseases, severe problems with urination, itching in the perineum and an unpleasant odor may appear. After critical days with such diseases, the lower abdomen may continue to pull painfully.

• Neoplasms

All kinds of cysts, fibromas and tumors of various qualities also make themselves felt during menstruation, manifesting themselves much more actively than throughout the entire subsequent cycle. Severe pain during menstruation, thick and abundant discharge interspersed with brown color speak in favor of this option: if you observe such symptoms, do not hesitate to go to the doctor.

As you can see, there are many diseases in which pain during menstruation can turn your life into a real nightmare. However, you should not rely on advice on the Internet and your own feelings alone: ​​the possibility of any of these conditions is terrible and is an important reason to contact a specialist.

Pain after menstruation

Painful sensations after the end of menstruation, unfortunately, are also far from uncommon for modern women. Most often this the problem is related to hormonal imbalance: even after the critical days are over, it does not immediately return to its normal state and provokes pain. The course of this condition is purely individual and depends on the individual woman: a range from two to seven days is considered normal, but for some this condition can last almost half the cycle.

So, if in addition to pain in the lower abdomen you experience other unpleasant symptoms symptoms such as vomiting or nausea, headache, severe chills - you should visit a doctor. This is due to improper production of the hormone prostaglandin and may be a consequence of hyperthyroidism, which needs to be treated.

Another reason that can cause very painful sensations after the end of your period may be inflammatory processes in the body in general, and in particular in the genitals. The possibility of endometriosis is no less likely; genital infantilism can also cause similar symptoms - and each of these conditions is very dangerous for a woman.

If abdominal pain persists for a long time after your period, consult a doctor.

How to reduce pain during menstruation?

If you have tried taking special antispasmodic drugs or NSAIDs, which are designed to relieve pain of various types, but the drugs did not help you at all, it makes sense to try the following effective and simple methods:

You can also use folk recipes:

Of course, all these methods are good, but if your menstrual pain becomes unbearable and does not allow you to live your life to the fullest during your period, please consult your doctor. Do not self-medicate and take care of your health!

Every month, thousands of women lose their ability to work for several days and are unable to lead their usual lifestyle. According to statistics, every woman, at least once in her life, has experienced pain in the abdomen during menstruation. Gynecologists explain what to do with painful periods and why your stomach hurts during periods.

Why does my stomach hurt during menstruation?

Menstruation is a normal physiological process during which a mature follicle is expelled from the uterus and the outer layer of the endometrium of the uterus, which is intended for the implantation of a fertilized egg, is shed. Pain during this process can be caused by physiological or pathological reasons.

Physiological causes of pain during menstruation

1. Muscle contractions, which are necessary for the expulsion of an unfertilized egg, can be perceived quite painfully by women - this is due to the strength of the contractions and the sensitivity of the receptors located inside the abdominal wall. Uterine contractions may intensify due to physical and emotional stress, nervous overstrain or hypothermia. The sensitivity of nerve endings is an individual characteristic of the body, so some women do not feel any ailments at all, while others drink painkillers every month.

2. Hormonal imbalance– menstruation is regulated by female sex hormones, hormonal imbalance during puberty, when taking hormonal contraceptives or caused by other reasons can cause pain during menstruation, its lengthening or an increase in the amount of discharge.

3. Nervous overstrain– stress, prolonged nervous tension or excessive worries can increase unpleasant experiences during menstruation.

It is quite easy to distinguish pain during menstruation that occurs from physiological causes: it can pull the lower back, hurt the stomach and lower abdomen, feel general malaise, dizziness, swelling of the mammary glands and mood changes. But these symptoms should not prevent a woman from leading a normal life or force her to seek medical help.

Pathological causes of pain during menstruation

Severe pain, fainting, cramps in the abdomen and intestines, heavy bleeding, increased body temperature during menstruation may indicate the following pathologies:

• Inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs (colpitis, oophoritis, infectious diseases);
• Endometriosis or cervical erosion;
• Polycystic ovary syndrome or cysts in the uterus;
• Fibroids or polyps in the uterus;
• Endocrine diseases;
• Other diseases.

What to do if your stomach hurts during menstruation

If your stomach regularly hurts during your period, you need to consult a gynecologist and rule out all of the above diseases, and if they are absent, try to cope with the unpleasant sensations without medications.

Changing your lifestyle can help you cope with painful menstruation: on these days and before your period, you should avoid unnecessary stress, walk less, avoid noisy events or general cleaning of the house. You need to avoid hypothermia, wear comfortable clothes and get plenty of rest - this regime allows you to endure menstruation quite easily, and painful sensations become less noticeable. It is also necessary to avoid very spicy foods, the use of seasonings, alcohol and smoking - all of this increases bleeding and disrupts the hormonal balance in the body.

If all these measures do not bring the desired result, you can use folk recipes for painful periods:

• Warm heating pad– the easiest way is to apply a warm (not hot) heating pad to the lumbar area or tie it with a warm woolen scarf;
• Oregano infusion - 1 tsp of dry oregano, pour 1 tbsp of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes and drink after straining in small sips;
• Raspberry leaf infusion– 2-3 tablespoons of dry raspberry leaves, pour 1 tablespoon of boiling water, leave for 15-20 minutes, strain and drink throughout the day;
• Infusion of mint and chamomile– mix 1 tbsp of dry chamomile and lemon balm, pour 2 tbsp of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes, strain the infusion, cool and drink 14 tbsp 30-60 minutes before meals during the day;
• Anise tincture– pour 1 tsp of anise with a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes, then strain and take 14 tbsp 3 times a day before meals;
• Blackberry leaf infusion– 2 tablespoons of crushed blackberry leaves, pour 2 tablespoons of boiling water, leave for 2-3 hours and take 12 tablespoons 3 times a day;
• Viburnum berries– grind viburnum berries with sugar and eat 2 tablespoons 3 times a day before meals.

All of the above remedies help relieve discomfort during menstruation, but should not be taken for gynecological diseases without consulting a doctor.

17.03.2016

Many women and girls worry about pain in the lower abdomen during or before menstruation. In fact, this is a normal phenomenon and not always worth worrying about. The uterus begins to produce discharge, this happens every month, but not during pregnancy.

Excess contents come out and thereby the uterus contracts, causing unpleasant pain. In order to start panicking, you need to understand whether your stomach hurts during menstruation, causing cramping.

Diagnostics

If a woman or girl experiences severe abdominal pain, and it continues for a long time, then this is not normal. If the pain makes it difficult to move, even in a supine position you feel a strong heaviness, then you urgently need to consult a doctor. Perhaps it's dysmenorrhea.

This disease can occur in half of all girls. Basically, at the first stage it is impossible to identify the causes of the disease, and it passes in a mild form, only in 5-15% of women it develops into a severe one. Young girls often suffer from this disease. During menstruation, sharp pain begins, sometimes vomiting, dizziness and even fainting. Therefore, it is necessary to provide yourself with bed rest for about 2-3 days.

Symptoms

If dysmenorrhea is primary, then it may have arisen as a result of physical exertion or psychological problems.

In case of secondary, there may be the following reasons:

• pelvic organs swell;
• pelvic veins dilate;
• hormonal imbalance in the body;
• venereal diseases;
• dysplasia;
• pelvic inflammation and others.

With primary dysmenorrhea occurs:

• feeling of pain;
• weakness;
• nausea;
• constipation;
• insomnia;
• possible skin redness.

And during the secondary stage:

• diarrhea;
• heart rate increases;
• vomit;
• body temperature decreases.

Sometimes the most important symptom is pain during sex.

Causes

The causes of pain in the lower abdomen can be diseases of the genital organs, for example, inflammatory:

• endometritis;
• oophoritis;
• salpingitis;
• ovarian cyst;
• polyps;
• endometriosis;
• uterine fibroids.

If a woman uses intrauterine contraceptives, for example, IUDs. In addition, there may be obstetric problems: miscarriage, abortion, pathological problems during pregnancy.

When should you see a doctor?

If a girl or woman feels pain in the lower abdomen, she in any case needs to see a gynecologist, at least for prevention. You shouldn’t delay this; it’s better to figure out your problem right away than to spend a lot of money on treatment and surgery later. You should immediately see a doctor if:

• heavy periods with painful sensations;
• body temperature is very elevated;
• before this there was no pain in the lower abdomen;
• suspicion of pregnancy;
• pain lasts more than 7 days;
• acute pain.

Treatment methods

Treatment takes place in two ways: with medications and surgery. There are three types of drug treatment:

1. Progestogens are hormones that renew uterine tissue and relax its muscles.
2. Contraceptives are special oral hormonal contraceptives that can suppress ovulation. The pressure on the uterus gradually decreases, and accordingly on the lower abdomen.
3. Anti-inflammatory - they are prescribed if the above drugs are contraindicated for a woman, the reasons may be different. This remedy should only be used during menstruation.

Surgery comes into play when a girl or woman begins to experience severe pain in the lower abdomen.

Can stress affect lower abdominal pain? Of course it does. Moreover, not only for the entire period of menstruation, but also for your condition and well-being. If there are problems at work, in school, in the family, all this can affect your health and also cause pain in the lower abdomen.

Traditional methods

Not only medications can numb the pain, but also various procedures that relax the uterus. It's both useful and enjoyable.

Beverages

Green tea will help cope with pain, especially if you add a little lemon balm or oregano. You can make the following infusion yourself: chop the celery root and pour a glass of water (cold), let it brew for two hours in a warm place and take about 2 teaspoons three times a day.

Water procedures

Warm water can relax the muscles of the uterus. Abdominal pain will subside or disappear completely. You can use a bath or shower; using both methods will have a positive effect.

Warm

It is necessary to ensure that the room is warm, thereby achieving a minimal effect of relaxation of the uterus, and its contractions will decrease. Most often, a heating pad or bottle filled with warm water is used. It is enough to lean the object against the painful area for a while.

Painkiller

You can simply take pills that dull the pain, they can be analgin, ketonal, ibuprofen. The contraction of the uterus is eliminated and the pain disappears. Many gynecologists advise taking medications even before the onset of menstruation.

Sedative

If there are troubles in life that make you nervous, then perhaps your lower abdomen hurts due to stressful situations. Then you should take a sedative; valerian or motherwort will help best.

Contraceptives

They will help get rid of pain affecting the lower abdomen if it is severe. After some time, these pills will help get rid of not only pain, but also other troubles of menstruation, for example, heavy periods and the cycle will be established.

Physical training

With the help of walks in the fresh air, light jogging, exercise in a fitness club or at home with regular gymnastics, you can dull the pain in the lower abdomen.

Diet food

Sometimes, due to poor nutrition, problems with the genitals appear. My lower abdomen begins to hurt. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate your diet, eat only light and healthy foods. Meat and milk should generally be excluded a week before menstruation. But not all types of vegetables and fruits have beneficial properties for the uterus; they can also negatively affect a woman’s well-being.

If all these remedies do not help get rid of the unpleasant sensations when the lower abdomen hurts, then the doctor is always ready to advise what to do. Therefore, you should not delay, you need to go straight to the hospital so that a much more serious illness does not develop in the future.