- Menstrual cramps are periodic abdominal and pelvic pains experienced by women.
- More than half of all menstruating women have cramps.
- The cramps are severe in at least one in four of these women.
- Medically, menstrual cramps are called dysmenorrhea.
- Primary dysmenorrhea is common menstrual cramps without an identifiable cause.
- Secondary dysmenorrhea results from an underlying abnormality that usually involves the woman’s reproductive system.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat cramps.
- Physical exercise can help alleviate menstrual cramps.
- Menstrual cramps tend to improve with age.
Menstrual cramps are pains in the abdomen and pelvic areas that can be experienced by a woman because of menstrual period. Menstrual cramps are not the same as the discomfort felt during premenstrual syndrome (PMS), although the symptoms of both disorders can sometimes be experienced as a continuous process. Many women suffer from both PMS and menstrual cramps.
Menstrual cramps can range from mild to quite severe. Mild menstrual cramps may be barely noticeable and of short duration. They are sometimes felt as just a sense of heaviness in the abdomen. Severe menstrual cramps can be so painful that they interfere with a woman’s normal activities for several days.
symptoms of menstrual cramps
- Menstrual cramps usually begin before the onset of the menstrual period, peak within 24 hours after the onset of the bleeding, and subside again after a day or two.
- Menstrual cramps are pains that begin in the lower abdomen and pelvis. The discomfort can extend to the lower back or legs.
- Menstrual cramps can be quite painful or simply a dull ache.
- The pain can be periodic or continuous.
- Pain may be felt in the inner thighs or hips.
Menstrual cramps may be accompanied by a headache and/or nausea, which can lead, although infrequently, to vomiting. Menstrual cramps can also be accompanied by either constipation or diarrhea, because the prostaglandins, which cause smooth muscles to contract also affect the intestinal tract. Some women experience an urge to urinate more frequently.
The difference between menstrual cramps that are more painful and those that are less painful may be related to a woman’s prostaglandin levels. Women with menstrual cramps have elevated levels of prostaglandins in the endometrium (uterine lining) when compared with women who do not experience cramps. Menstrual cramps are very similar to those a pregnant woman experiences when she is given prostaglandins as medication to induce labor.
Usually, the strength of menstrual cramps is not measured. Researchers have demonstrated that menstrual cramps can be scientifically documented by measuring the pressure within the uterus, as well as the number and frequency of uterine contractions. During a normal menstrual period, the average woman has contractions of low pressure (50-80 mm Hg), which last 15-30 seconds at a frequency of 1-4 contractions every 10 minutes. When a woman with dysmenorrhea has menstrual cramps, her contractions are usually of higher pressure (they may exceed 400 mm Hg), last longer than 90 seconds, and often occur less than 15 seconds apart.
source from – www.medicinenet.com
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler,
MD Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
