What is dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for pain that women have before or during menses (known as their period). It usually is not serious.

Menstrual cramps can feel like a dull ache or a shooting pain. They most often occur in your low stomach. You may also feel them in your low back, hips, or thighs. The pain may start before your period or when your period begins. Menstrual cramps last about 1 to 3 days. The pain may be bad enough to keep you from normal activities.

There are two types of dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by common menstrual cramps. Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by a disease or condition. This could include:

• an infection
• ovarian cysts (fluid-filled sacs in your ovary)
• endometriosis (a problem with the lining of your uterus).

Most of the time, women do not need to see the doctor for menstrual cramps. This may be different if you have severe, lasting pain or pain that is new or different. In these cases, your doctor may want to do a physical exam, pelvic exam, or tests. These can help diagnose or rule out the cause of your pain. An ultrasound test lets your doctor see if you have ovarian cysts. A laparoscopy can check for endometriosis. In this minor surgery, the doctor makes a small cut in your low stomach. Then, they insert a thin tube to look inside your uterus.

At-home treatment is available for women who have menstrual cramps. The goal is to relieve symptoms. Over-the-counter medicines can reduce pain. These include ibuprofen (brand names: Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (brand name: Aleve). Other medicines are Midol, Pamprin, and Premsyn PMS. You also can try using heating pads or taking a warm bath.

Talk to your doctor if these don’t help. They may suggest a stronger pain reliever. They may want you to try using birth control pills or a birth control shot. These can help make your periods less painful.

Menstrual cramps are painful but can be managed with treatment. Talk to your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• painful periods that start later in life
• pain at times other than the first couple days of your period
• pain that doesn’t go away when you take medicine to relieve it.

What is primary dysmenorrhea? Primary dysmenorrhea is the cramping pain that comes before or during a period. This pain is caused by natural chemicals called prostaglandins that are made in the lining of the uterus. Prostaglandins cause the muscles and blood vessels of the uterus to contract.

Menstrual cramps can feel like a dull ache or a shooting pain. They most often occur in your low stomach. You may also feel them in your low back, hips, or thighs. The pain may start before your period or when your period begins.

While dysmenorrhea does not affect fertility, it may be symptomatic of a fertility issue. Most women with dysmenorrhea have primary dysmenorrhea, which is caused by natural pelvic pain during menstruation. This type of dysmenorrhea is not associated with fertility.

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