What Gives You Painful Menstrual Cramps?

Simple Ways to Treat Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is a menstrual disorder in which women suffer painful menstrual cramps along with other symptoms during their periods. It affects about 20 percent of the women of menstrual age. This happens at the start of the periods and may last for three days till the end of the period.

Few Common Symptoms are:

- Abdominal pain with menstrual cramps
- Joint pain, especially in the lower back hips and sometimes in the inner thighs
- May also result in vomiting sometimes
- In certain cases, may also cause an upset stomach

The causes behind dysmenorrhea

The primary cause behind this is usually the contracting of the uterus. The uterus does normally contract a little during menstruation but it may contract a bit too much, affecting the blood vessels and nerves within the abdominal region causing this condition. Some basic steps to reduce pain from cramps.

Some of the steps to be followed to allay the symptoms are:

- Taking ample rest during the days of bleeding
- Staying away from alcohol or any other food or drink that may dehydrate the body
- Avoiding smoking
- Avoid coffee or any food products high in caffeine
- Avoiding foods high in salt
- Massaging the lower back gently
- Using a hot water bag on the abdomen to relieve some of the pain

The steps mentioned above are meant primarily as preventive and pain reducing measures, but for more severe symptoms medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or others may be necessary.

However, the best advice would be to consult a doctor in case of prolonged pain during the days of bleeding rather than self-medicating or only relying on home remedies.

'Consult'.

Related Tip: 7 causes of heavy menstrual bleeding women need to know about