Dysmenorrhea is characterized by very intense colic during menstruation, which prevents even women from studying and working, from 1 to 3 days, each month. It is most common in adolescence, although it can affect women over the age of 40 or girls who have not started having the rule.
Although it is very intense and causes problems in a woman’s life, this colic can be controlled with medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers and the birth control pill. Therefore, if you suspect, you should go to the gynecologist to find out if it is really dysmenorrhea and which remedies are most appropriate.
- There are two types of dysmenorrhea.
- Primary and secondary.
- And the differences between them are related to the origin of colic:.
Knowing if a woman has primary or secondary dysmenorrhea is critical to initiating the most appropriate treatment for each case. The following table shows the main differences:
In addition, in primary dysmenorrhea it is common for symptoms to be controlled by taking anti-inflammatory and oral contraceptives, while in secondary dysmenorrhea there are no signs of improvement with this type of medication.
Severe menstrual cramps may appear a few hours before the start of menstruation, and other symptoms of dysmenorrhea are also present, such as:
The psychological factor also seems to increase levels of pain and discomfort, compromising even the effect of painkillers.
The most suitable doctor to make the diagnosis is the gynecologist after hearing the complaints of the woman, mainly appreciating intense colic in the pelvic area during menstruation.
Confirm that your doctor usually feels the uterine region, check if your uterus is enlarged, and order tests such as an abdominal or transvaginal ultrasound to discover the diseases that may be causing these symptoms, which is critical to determine whether it is a primary or secondary dysmenorrhea, in order to indicate appropriate treatment for each case.
To treat primary dysmenorrhea, the use of analgesic and antispasmodic medications, such as the compound Atroveran and Buscopan, is recommended, on the recommendation of the gynecologist.
For secondary dysmenorrhea, the gynecologist may recommend taking non-hormonal or anti-inflammatory pain relievers, such as mephenamic acid, ketoprofen, pyroxcam, ibuprofen, naproxen to relieve pain, as well as medications that decrease menstrual flow such as meloxicam, celecoxib or celecoxib.
Learn more about dysmenorrhea treatment
Some women should place a hot gel heat bag over their stomachs. Relaxing, taking a hot bath, relaxing massages, exercising 3 to 5 times a week and not wearing tight clothes are other suggestions that often relieve pain.
Reducing salt intake 7 to 10 days before menstruation also helps fight pain by decreasing water retention.
See other tips that can help relieve pain in the following video: