Definition of Painful menstrual periods:

Painful menstrual periods are periods in which a woman has crampy lower abdominal pain, sharp or aching pain that comes and goes, or possibly back pain.

Although some pain during your period is normal, excessive pain is not. The medical term for painful menstrual periods is dysmenorrhea.

Considerations:

Many women have painful periods. Sometimes, the pain makes it difficult to perform normal household, job, or school-related activities for a few days during each menstrual cycle. Painful menstruation is the leading cause of lost time from school and work among women in their teens and 20s.

Common Causes:

Painful menstrual periods fall into two groups, depending on the cause:

• Primary dysmenorrhea
• Secondary dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain that occurs around the time that menstrual periods first begin in otherwise healthy young women. This pain is usually not related to a specific problems with the uterus or other pelvic organs. Increased activity of the hormone prostaglandin, which is produced in the uterus, is thought to play a role in this condition.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain that develops later, in women who have had normal periods, and is often related to problems in the uterus or other pelvic organs, such as:

• Endometriosis
• Fibroids
• Intrauterine device (IUD) made of copper
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Sexually transmitted infection
• Stress and anxiety