Dysmenorrhea: Women's number one and most prominent problem
Dysmenorrhea is the most appropriate and accurate name for menstrual pain, which may be secondary or general. Dysmenorrhea has different causes and treatments, and may require seeing a doctor in some cases; Dr. Basma Gamal El-Din, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Fakeeh University Hospital in Dubai, explains all of these matters to us.
And we start, as usual, with an explanation of what dysmenorrhea is.
Dysmenorrhea is pain that occurs during the menstrual cycle. It is common among women and ranges in severity from mild to severe .
As mentioned above, menstrual cramps are caused by contractions (or tightening) of the uterus (a muscle) by a chemical called prostaglandin. If the uterus contracts too strongly, it can squeeze nearby blood vessels, cutting off the oxygen supply to the muscular tissue of the uterus.
Pain occurs when part of the muscle loses its oxygen supply for a short period. Menstrual cramps can also occur for the following reasons:
Endometriosis: In this case, part of the tissue lining the uterus comes out, and is usually implanted on the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or tissue lining the pelvis.
Uterine fibroids: Noncancerous growths in the wall of the uterus may become a source of pain for some women during their menstrual cycle.
Pelvic inflammatory disease: This infection of the female reproductive organs is usually caused by sexually transmitted bacteria.
Cervical stenosis: In some women, the opening of the cervix may be so small that it obstructs menstrual flow, causing painful pressure inside the uterus.
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