What are Menstrual Cramps?

Menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhoea is common and many women consider it to be a normal part of menstruation. However, for some, pain is severe and life can be completely disrupted by their periods. It is the most common cause of school absenteeism in teenage girls and may lead to loss of job through repeated days off work.

What is Dysmenorrhoea or Menstrual Cramps?

Dysmenorrhoea or menstrual cramps is defined as painful cramps associated exclusively with menstrual bleeding. Estimates of its prevalence vary from 45-95% of women. Smoking is associated with dysmenorrhoea .

Primary dysmenorrhoea describes pain which develops with or shortly before menstruation and fades after the 1st day or 2. It implies that teenagers who suffer with pain are less likely to have demonstrate pathology than an older woman experiencing a change in her usual level of pain.

Potential causes of pain due to Menstrual Cramps:

• Congenital uterine abnormality
• An imperforate hymen
• Endometriosis
• Adenomyosis
• Pelvic infection
• Fibroids

Assessment of the patient to understand the Potential causes of pain due to menstrual cramps:

The reasons of the pain during the menstrual cycles can differ from women to differ. The location, frequency and the symptoms help a doctor to understand the underlying cause of the same. The common aspects that doctors investigate in are listed below. If you are suffering from menstrual cramps, it is important that you introspect on the listed topics below :

• Nature and pattern of pain
• Cramping/constant
• Heaviness of bleeing
• Irregular /intermenstrual bleeding/postcoital bleeding
• Altered bowel habits/diarrhoea
• Rectal pain or bleeding
• Painful intercourse

Dysmenorrhoea is common and treatable. If. no other sinister symptoms are present and other symptoms are well controlled with medical treatment, no further investigation is necessary provided patient’s concerns have been addressed.