Good health reflects the good quality of a human’s life. Both physical and mental health plays great importance in ensuring humans are able to lead a good healthy life. In the modern world, many health issues are able to be identified or treated, thanks to discoveries of effective medicine and medical procedures. When it comes to women’s health specifically, medicines such as Duphaston 10 mg is among the many medicines used to help treat conditions affecting reproductive health.
Menstruation, or known as period, is the normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of the woman’s monthly cycle. It is one of the big parts that plays a role in the women’s reproductive system. The body will prepare for pregnancy every month. Thus, when no pregnancy occurs, the lining of the uterus or womb sheds. Menstrual blood consists of blood and partly tissue from the inside of the uterus. Period typically starts between the age of 11 and 15 and will continue until menopause which is around the age of 50. Periods commonly last from 3 to 5 days. It is worth noting that a normal menstrual period can look slightly different than what is common. Do talk with the doctor if there are changes in the menstrual period cycle.
It is common for women to have menstrual pain during menstruation. Menstrual pain in medical terms is known as dysmenorrhea. More than half of women who menstruate have some pain for 1 to 2 days each month. In general, pain is mild but it can be severe in some women which might affect their normal daily life routine for several days a month.
There are 2 types of dysmenorrhea. The first one is known as primary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is the cramping that comes before or during a period. This occurs due to the natural chemicals called prostaglandins that are made in the lining of the uterus. Prostaglandin causes the muscle and blood vessels of the uterus to contract. Since the level of prostaglandin is high on the first day of the period, pain becomes significant on this day and as the level or prostaglandin goes down as days goes by, the pain becomes less. The second one is known as secondary dysmenorrhea which often starts in later life and is caused by other conditions affecting the reproductive system such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Pain tends to get worse over time and often lasts longer than normal menstrual pain.
Symptoms often are a dull, throbbing pain in the lower abdomen. Most of the time women refer to this as menstrual cramp as there is cramping pain. Other symptoms include pain in the lower back and thighs, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, changes to bowel movement such as diarrhoea or constipation and headaches. While most of this symptom does not signify a serious condition, patients need to be careful if symptoms become severe or get worse, presence of blood clots that are bigger than usual and pain that is present outside of menstruation. These signs need to be taken seriously and patients need to get checked by a doctor.
Since period pain can cause great stress, if you are or did experience it, you might want to know how to reduce the menstrual pain. The usual thing that can quickly ease the pain is to take over-the-counter pain relief such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As a matter of fact, products specifically catered for menstrual cramps are easily available in the market. This product usually combines pain relief with anti-prostaglandins. In some cases which are often characterised by very painful ones, can be treated with birth control such as pills, implant and intrauterine devices (IUDs). It is best to get birth control treatment from doctors as they can assist and advise on how to use it properly. When dysmenorrhea is caused by other underlying medical conditions, doctors usually recommend surgery or certain medications to tackle the issue.
Beside getting medication, there are other things that can be done to help reduce menstrual pain. You may want to try alternative treatments such as acupuncture or nerve stimulation therapies that eases the pain by focusing on manipulating the trigger points. Relaxation exercises and biofeedback are other kinds of therapies that can help cope with pain.
What you can do at home is to apply a heating pad or take a warm bath. You should also try to get enough sleep before and during the menstrual period. There is no certain exercise activity of specific duration that clearly be evident for reducing dysmenorrhea. Thus, maintaining an active lifestyle by exercise, mainly aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, biking or swimming and a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is generally recommended. Supplements such as vitamin B1 or magnesium may be helpful. It is important to tackle menstrual pain and if you are unable to cope with it, it may be time to have a discussion with the doctor on what you can do to ease the pain and ultimately, improve your quality of life.
