Many women experience severe cramping and pain before their periods and even during the first two days of their period. Severe period pain is technically known as dysmenorrhea, and is a debilitating condition for many women.
What Causes Severe Period Pain
The menstrual cycle maintains a gap of approximately 21 to 28 days; different women have different body compositions that contribute to their menstrual cycle. The periodic cycle begins when a woman’s body is all set to break down its uterine lining to release the prostaglandins hormones. These are the hormones that trigger the muscles in a woman’s womb, thus leading to contraction. It also pushes the uterine lining out of the body through the vagina and the process is basically the same as a delivery. These muscles are very strong and prepared to take the pressure. The pain occurs due to various reasons; it could be because your body contains increased levels of prostaglandins that make the muscles in the uterus contract much faster, or it could also be the result of lesser blood supply to the uterus when the muscles contract, which means lesser oxygen supply. This makes the muscles cramp more than usual.
Treating Severe Period Pain
Severe period pain can be treated with certain antispasmodic pain relievers like Ibuprofen. These medicines work at the very spot of the pain by helping the body to reduce the production of prostaglandins – the molecules that cause pain. Pain relievers can be taken on the day you have your periods, or it can be taken a day earlier as well. Medicines will help in relieving abdominal cramps, lower back pain and cramping to make you relax.
Besides medicines, there are other ways to treat severe period pain that does not rely on pain medication. Here are some tips:
- Massaging the lower abdomen can bring relief to some severe period pain sufferers.
- Hot water can help relax the abdominal muscles and reduce cramping. Taking a hot bath can soothe your pain, as can placing a hot water bottle on your abdomen.
- Taking some health supplements, especially vitamin B supplements, may reduce pain and also relax the muscles. Thiamine is extremely effective in treating Severe Period Pain.
Usually, period pain can be significantly reduced by taking pain medications. However, in some rare cases even the strongest pain relievers do not help in treating the pain. In such cases, proper investigation becomes essential and you should see a doctor to identify whether or not there is any underlying condition that is causing the pain. There could be various causes that lead to pain during periods, such as tumors or fibroids, and it is important to identify any of these conditions and treat them as well.
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