Periods seem to be very common for every woman. Period, also known as menstruation, is the monthly flow of vaginal blood that keeps women healthy. When the muscles of the uterus undergo contraction, the uterus lining sheds eventually. Such contraction naturally leads to pain or cramps in the lower abdomen during periods. This is known as period pain.
Most women deal with this uncomfortable part of their menstruation till menopause. Though the pain may vary in severity, it is generally harmless. However, some period pains may be harmful indicating some underlying health conditions.
Causes of severe period pain:
Though period pain is quite common in women, severe pain can be a cause of concern. Some of the significant causes are listed below.
- Post Menstrual Symptoms (PMS):
Women often experience unusual abdominal pain a few days before their periods. Usually, such pain comes along with bloating and mood swings. It may be very frustrating for some women. However, this stops once the period begins. - Endometriosis:
Endometriosis is a medical condition that leads to an additional cell growth in the pelvis. As a result, women suffer from permanent or frequent pain around the pelvis. - Fibroids:
Fibroids are the growth of noncancerous tumours along the walls of the uterus. This is a serious health condition that leads to severe period pain along with heavy bleeding. - 4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)::
In recent times, almost 20% of women suffer from PCOS worldwide. PCOS develops due to the unusual production of androgen and testosterone in women. The ovaries eventually develop numerous cysts, which are sometimes painful. As a result, women suffer from irregular and painful periods. - Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID):
This is a bacterial infection of the pelvis that leads to severe pain in the fallopian tubes as well as ovaries. Women suffer from intense abdominal pain if they are infected with PID.
- Cervical Stenosis:
It is a condition where the cervical wall becomes narrow which adds an additional pressure to the uterus. Hence, this gives rise to frequent pain around the uterus.
- Adenomyosis:
This is developed when the endometrial tissue grows inside the uterus. Such growth tends to thicken its walls and results in heavy bleeding during periods. Severe pain is also noticed in such cases.
- Family history of pains:
Period pains are rarely seen to be hereditary. If someone in the family has suffered from intense pain during their periods, it might be passed on to the next generations.
Ways to get relief from period pains: Few home-remedies often work well during period pains. Some of them are:
- Keep a heating pad on your lower abdomen when in pain.
- Try taking warm baths.
- Few painkillers like ibuprofen come in handy, however consult your physician before taking any medication.
- Try lying down with a side pillow.
- Use of oral contraceptives.
Treatments for severe period pains:
For extreme cases of pain, one should consult a gynaecologist without any delay. Nowadays, doctors mostly rely on ultrasound, CT scans and MRI in order to diagnose serious health conditions relating to period pain.
