Menstrual Cramps – Part I

Menstrual (Period pains) also called as dysmenorrhea, are excruciating sensations experienced in the lower portion of the abdomen during the time of the month when a woman’s monthly periods commence or prior to it. The pain could range from mild and niggling to chronic, acute and intense. Menstrual cramps have a tendency to commence following the release of the egg from the fallopian tubes that moves down the fallopian tube (ovulation).

Menstrual cramps are of two main forms, namely primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.

• Primary Dysmenorrhea – the widely prevalent form with no underlying problem being the cause. This typically involves pain felt in the lower portion of the abdomen and lower back starting one to two days prior to the periods and lasts between two to four days.
• Secondary Dysmenorrhea- It involves spasmodic pains that are caused due to a decipherable medical condition like endometriosis, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) or uterine fibroids.

Nearly half of the women undergo this monthly ordeal and nearly 15% recount these pains as being acute. Studies reveal that those women who evade exercising undergo a greater intensity of menstrual cramps.

Particular psychosomatic factors like emotional strain could additionally raise the chances of developing painful menstrual cramps. Other factors that might raise the risk of getting cramps comprise of:

• Those below 20 years.
• When the onset of puberty is at a younger age of 11 years or lesser.
• Heavy blood loss during the menstrual cycle.
• Those who have not had a child birth.

Menstrual Cramps Causes:

• In each monthly cycle, when fertilization fails, the uterus contracts, thus expelling its lining. The discharge of the hormone-similar substances known as prostaglandins during this process are related to elevated levels of pain and inflammation experienced. The uterus contracting leads to major part of the pain as the contractions hamper blood flow to the uterine lining (endometrium).
• Additionally during menstruation, the higher levels of the substances called as leukotrienes might be the reason behind the cramps.
• Scientists from the Northwestern University in Chicago, USA have unravelled the fact that those women ailing from the disorder known as delayed sleep phase syndrome are more prone to developing erratic menstrual cycles and PMS (Premenstrual symptoms) along with menstrual cramps.

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