Why menstruation hurts?


menstrual cramp

What actually menstrual cramp is? These are pains in a woman's lower abdomen. They usually occur just before the periods or during the first few days.  Menstrual cramps can also be called dysmenorrhea in medical language. They can have throbbing or aching character.  Symptoms also can range in intensity from a mild annoyance to severe pain.

Interesting to know that menstrual cramp is the main reason why women under 30 don’t go to work. 10 % of all women usually stay home this days and experience severe pains, while more than 50 % have just a little discomfort.

severe pains

Who is more likely to have menstrual pain?

Some circumstances may influence the intensity of women’s pain during periods. For example, if a lady started her first period when she was younger than 11 years or is she smokes cigarettes or drinks alcohol very often, then she is more likely to have very severe cramps.  Also, the reason can be overweight or heavy menstrual periods. Besides, if a girl has never been pregnant she also can have intensive pains.

young lady has pain

What kind of pain do you have?

There are two major types of pain during periods – primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrheal is not so serious because there is no underlying problem with your health which can cause pain. Overall, this is the most common type, and it starts 1-2 days before the menstruation and lasts about 2-4 days. The main characteristic of it is the lower abdomen and lower back pain.

very serious menstrual cramp

Secondary dysmenorrhea is more severe because it occurs due to the medical problem such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease. The pains are terribly cramping.

READ ALSO: Is it healthy to have sex during mens?

What causes menstrual pain?

Woman’s body produces special chemicals called prostaglandins. Exactly these chemicals cause many of the symptoms associated with menstrual discomfort.  Prostaglandins are made of the tissue that lines the uterus, and they stimulate the uterine muscles to contract. So all pains you have depend on these chemicals. Women who have high levels of prostaglandin may experience more intense contractions of their uterus and more pain. Prostaglandins also may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches that accompany painful periods.

woman takes medicines

Talking about other cramps during menstruation, doctors say that the reason of them is the condition of reproductive tracts, such as the following

1.    Uterine fibroids - noncancerous tumors and growths in the wall of the uterus

2.    Adenomyosis - the tissue that lines your uterus grows into the muscular walls of the uterus

pain symptom

3.    Endometriosis - the tissue that lines the uterus develops outside the uterus

4.    Cervical stenosis - the opening of the cervix is small and limits menstrual flow.

5.    Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacterium

6.    Copper IUD -  the form of birth control that can prevent pregnancy for to 10 years. The device, which is placed in the uterus by a licensed healthcare provider, works by continuously releasing copper, which immobilizes sperm and prevents egg implantation. However, it also can cause pain.

woman experiences cramp

What are the symptoms of menstrual cramp and how to prevent pains?

In addition to other all aforementioned symptoms, the radiating down the legs, nausea, irritability, sweating, loose stools, dizziness, weakness and fainting spell in extreme cases may also be a sign of dysmenorrhea.

healthy diet

Remember if menstrual cramps continue to be painful for longer than usual or if the pain is suddenly worse or different from what you may have experienced before you should go to the doctor. Also it is better to go to the specialist in case of excessive bleeding which requires more than one pad or tampon per hour.


To prevent menstruation pain, you should eat more fruits and vegetables as well as limit intake of fat, alcohol, caffeine, salt, and sweets. You should stop smoking, exercise regularly, reduce stress and  try yoga or meditation.

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