Menstrual Cramp, Dysmenorrhea, and Everything In Between

Not everyone has this experience, but there are a few people who would have to go through this phase within 3 to 5 days monthly. 84.1% of us usually have this, 43.1% usually have this monthly and 41% gets this periodically.(NCBI).

As a lady, I have to through this every month, and a lot of ladies also have this experience. Within the period of 5 days, it looks like hell breaks loose, and I am in the middle of wildfire and hurricane in my lower abdomen. I won't be able to do my activities, in some cases, I would have to use heat pads, and even rigorous exercises wouldn't save me. You see, it is a different thing to know there is something wrong, and it is another thing to know what could be the cause of the wrong.

Before I continue,let me let you in, on the fact that I have been to the hospital severally, and even when I have ibuprofen has been prescribed, it just creats a minor pain relief and not a major one.

Dysmenorrhea is most times not understood by the masculine gender first-hand except theoretically, but as a female, it is worth researching on. While menstruation do not affect the functionality of the person, when it has to do with dysmenorrhea, it can lead to an entirely bad day. So let us first start with knowing the beginning.

The Cycle Species

Humans just like a few mammals have menstruations in common. Mammals including Bats, Apes, Monkeys, and Elephant shrews are the known mammals. The days differ with these animals as some have their menstrual cycle with 24 to 37 days in Primates, 21 to 33 days in bats. While there are many animals bleed, not all of them have a menstrual cycle. Some have what is known as Oestrous Cycle, like it is common with Dogs, Horses, Cows, and so on. It is also known as Heat period.(Yourkaya).

From experience, I would tell you that the human menstrual cycle is within 28–29 days betterhealth, but it could vary from person to person. While this task is a very vigorous and uncomfortable one for the body, according to peertechz publications, females within the age of 14 years and 55 years do this on a monthly basis after which menopause kicks in.

According to cleveland clinic, it is the shedding of the lining of the endometrium (which would include blood, mucus, and cells from the lining of the uterus) from the body.

It Rains For a Reason

Have you wondered why women menstruate? While we all know that it is the elimination of the thickened lining of the endometrium, we need to understand why women see their period. In 1993, Margie Profet wrote in the journal published on The University of Chicago Press that menstruation serves as cleansing/defence against pathogen transmitted by sperm. Personally, I do not agree with this, as even ladies who haven't had any penetrations, do menstruate. Also, the blood from the menstruation is Iron rich, which supports the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. According to The evolution of menstruation: A new model for genetic assimilation, the placenta, which nourishes the foetus, directly flows into the mother's circulatory system. In other mammals that do not menstruate, the placenta is outside the endometrial stroma and most mammals can expel their foetus, thereby determining how their foetus gets nutrients. Menstruation: a non-adaptive consequence of uterine evolution confirms that the embryo embed itself in the endometrium, and since the lining gets thick to allow a healthy environment for fertilization. Anytime there is no fertilization during ovulation, the endometrium lining is depleted alongside with the dead embryo that didn't get fertilized.

When Normalty comes with Pain

We know that humans have a menstrual cycle which happens monthly, but most of us feel lots of pain in the process.The severity of this pain differ but dysmenorrhea becomes a thing when the severity is high as a result of hypersecretion of prostaglandins as well as increased uterine contractility. (Dysmenorrhea and related disorders).

According to a the journal on Dysmenorrhea and related disorders,the there are two classes of Dysmenorrhea; primary dysmenorrhea, in which the pains and cramps are felt in the pelvic organs prior to menstruation and a few days after the menstruation begins. This could be regarded as normal, but often associated with low standard of living. Secondary dysmenorrhea, is a more severe pain which be as a result of diseases such as endometriosis and adenomyosis.

Endometriosis is associated with women in their reproductive age, and it is a chronic gynaecological disease where the endometrial tissues are present outside the uterus, leading to very heightened pain. Patients with Endometriosis are often suffering from infertility, as most times, clinicians find out during infertility tests. It is also associated with short menstrual cycle, which could be an early way to identify Endometriosis. (NCBI).

With Adenomyosis,the endometrial tissue grows not just outside the uretus, but forms a thick wall, which thickens and sheds during cycle. It could result in abnormal uterine bleeding and in cases where the endometrial tissues have fully developed with severity, hysterectomy is often required.

Repairable/Damaged Beyond Repair

Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, hysterectomy will be needed in severe cases, but while this is a good way to save a life, it could mean that the patient won't have a womb.

In my case, after lots of visitation to the hospital, I am told to take Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and not paracetamol, Since the pain isn't monthly (although the months I go through this pain, it can be very serious). According to an article on Dysmenorrhea and related disorders, Oral contraceptive is another way to prevent endometrial proliferation, but a research, published on plog.org shows that a very low percentage of young women in low and medium income countries do not use this, for the purpose of fertility. While I go through this monthly, I hope I do not have any reason to suffer Endometriosis or any other worse disease. It could affect my life activities and quality of life.

Conclusion

While moderate pain and cramps during menstruation is normal, dysmenorrhea is the complete opposite of it. It can be very painful and knowing that it occurs as a result of underlying diseases which could be as a result of the endometrial tissue and the uterus, makes it very scary. From my research, all method of treatment, except using Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are in one way or the other affecting the reproductive ability of women. It would be good to see new researches which will be targetting treatment without causing a reduction/elimination, in the possibility of reproduction in the patient.