Dysmenorrhea

Breaking the stigma of painful periods: 'They should not be debilitating'

"When it comes to period pain, a lot of people just don't know what they don't know," Dr. Nita Landry, a Los Angeles-based OBGYN, said. "Which makes sense, because the only period that you've ever had is your period."

The truth about period pain

Nine out of 10 women suffer from period pain – sometimes crippling – but many say their problem is dismissed. So what can be done?

You Shouldn’t Accept Period Pain & Discomfort As Normal, Explains Expert

Normalizing talking about periods and the complications that come with them will help beat the stigma that it’s acceptable that your monthly bleed is painful or heavy.

Diagnosis and Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is a prevalent, underdiagnosed, but treatable condition.

Bloody Relief: The Evolution of Period Pain Cures

From sticking weed in your vagina to steaming open your cervix, the annals of menstrual relief medicine is long and bleeding complicated.

Extreme Period Pain, or Acute Dysmenorrhea, Is a Real Health Issue

The thing to remember is that period pain is very real and can be debilitating - Dr. Devika Chopra

Helping Teenagers With Menstrual Pain

Painful periods are common around the world but, with treatment, should not cause a teenager to miss school, sports or social outings.

I Am Done Apologising For Suffering From Dysmenorrhea

I find myself crying and getting intolerably enraged sometimes, and then I calculate when my period is due and it all makes sense. But this maturity has come with experience and it is not perfect.

I have painful periods, could it be endometriosis?

Period pain (also called dysmenorrhoea) can be divided into two main types – primary or secondary dysmenorrhoea – depending on whether there’s an underlying problem. Primary dysmenorrhoea occurs in women with normal pelvic anatomy. It’s due, at least in part, to changes in hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins. Too much of a prostaglandin called PGF2a causes the uterus to contract. Secondary dysmenorrhoea is period pain that is caused by underlying pelvic problem and the most common cause is endometriosis. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) is found outside the uterus

In Some Countries, Women Get Days Off for Period Pain

Japan has offered menstrual leave policies since 1947, when a law was passed allowing any woman with painful periods, or whose job might exacerbate period pain, to take time off.

Period pain is impacting women at school, uni and work. Let’s be open about it

Menstrual symptoms including pain, heavy bleeding and low mood may be linked to nearly nine days of lost productivity per woman every year, according to a new study...

Period pain: why do so many women suffer from menstrual cramps in silence?

Up to 20% of women suffer from cramping severe enough to interfere with daily activities – and many grimace through it without ever speaking up

This new device claims to be the "off switch for menstrual pain." And it might actually work

Using oral contraceptives or over-the-counter pain relievers for period pain? There's a third option.

Viagra could have been a groundbreaking cure for period cramps

Those findings were reported almost eight years ago now, and for some reason there hasn’t been much research or buzz around Viagra and period cramps since. Which might point to a larger pattern in medicine—that there just isn’t a big appetite when it comes to understanding and treating reproductive issues that don’t have to do with penises.

What women say about their dysmenorrhea: a qualitative thematic analysis

Dysmenorrhea negatively affects women’s quality of life and is the leading cause of absence from school and work among women in the reproductive age.

Dysmenorrhea Is Not The Same As Period Cramps, Here’s Why

When a woman who is experiencing pain to the extent of having a heart attack is said to be exaggerating as being oversensitive based on sexist stereotypes, no wonder why medical research, in the domain of dysmenorrhea, took so long.

WhySufferSilently

#WhySufferSilently is a campaign against dysmenorrhea; the medical term for painful periods.

ACOG

Medications are usually the first step when treating painful periods. Certain pain relievers target prostaglandins. These medications, called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), reduce the prostaglandins made by the body and lessen their effects. This in turn makes menstrual cramps less severe. Most NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can be bought over the counter.

StatPearls

Primary dysmenorrhea: Prostaglandin F (PGF) is the main contributor to the cause of dysmenorrhea. The time of the endometrial shedding during the beginning of menstruation is when the endometrial cells release PGF. Prostaglandin (PG) causes uterine contractions, and the intensity of the cramps is proportionate to the amount of PGs released after the sloughing process that started due to dropping hormonal surge.