Living with menstrual pains

THE phone rang, hello Ify, how are you? Hmmm, I’m fine, has it started, she smiled, yes! but, the pain is too

terrible, how can one continue to live with this pain?

    At a particular time in every woman’s life there comes a time she begins to experience a menstrual period, it is a good thing for every woman to experience, any woman who is unable to see her menstrual circle all through her life span, chances of her conception are very slim.

  Menstrual circle can be normal or painful, but painful circle is not worth experiencing.

  Many women have painful menstruation, (dysmenorrhea) sometimes, the pain makes it difficult to perform normal household or other activities for a few days during the period.

  Painful menstrual periods are periods in which a woman has cramp, in lower abdomen, sharp and aching pain that comes and goes, this was disclosed by Olivia Odiari, a matron with Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, (NATH) Nnewi.

  Although some pain during this period is normal, excessive pain is not. The medical term for painful menstrual pain is dysmenorrhea, she said.

  Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for the painful cramps that may occur immediately before or during the menstrual period, she noted. There are two types of dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is another name for common menstrual cramps.

  According to Olivia, cramps usually begin one to two years after a woman starts having her period. Pain usually is felt in the lower abdomen. They can be mild or severe. Common menstrual cramp often starts shortly before or at the onset of the period, she said. They usually become less painful as a woman ages and many stop entirely after the woman has her first baby.

  Secondly dysmenorrhea is pain caused by a disorder in the woman’s reproductive organs. These cramps usually begin earlier in the menstrual cycle and last longer than common menstrual cramps, Odiari explained.

  The symptoms of menstrual cramps include; aching pain in the abdomen, feeling of pressure in the abdomen, pain in the hips, lower back and inner thighs, when cramps are severe, symptoms may include upset from the stomach, sometime with vomiting and loose stools; she said.

  Menstrual cramps are caused by contractions in the uterus, which is a muscle moving organ, Olivia note that  the uterus, a peer-shaped organ where a baby grows contracts throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle.

  If the uterus contracts too strongly, it can press against nearby blood vessels, cutting off the supply of oxygen to the muscle tissue of the uterus. Pain results when part of a muscle briefly loses its supply of oxygen, she said.

Remedies for painful menstruation:

* Apply a healthy pad to your lower belly area, below your belly button. Never fall asleep with the healthy pad on.

* Do light circular massage with your fingertips around your lower belly area.

* Drink warm beverages, eat light but frequent meals.

* Take warm baths.

* Walk or exercise regularly, lose weight if you are over weight, get regular exercise.

  If these self-care measure do not work, consult your doctor immediately.