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Dysmenorrhea
How should people with cold-induced dysmenorrhea regulate their condition?
Patients experiencing cold-induced dysmenorrhea can firstly apply a warm towel to the lower abdomen, which can effectively help treat the pain caused by a cold uterus. They can also soak their feet in hot water every night to promote blood circulation and accelerate metabolism, which can effectively alleviate the symptoms of dysmenorrhea. It is also important to keep warm and avoid getting cold. Engaging in physical exercise can effectively add some heat as well as help expel the cold from the body and increase resistance. Drinking ginger soup, which has the effect of expelling cold, can also be beneficial.
How to treat dysmenorrhea?
If menstrual pain is severe, initial treatment can often include heat therapy, such as using a hot water bottle or applying a warm bottle to the abdomen, and soaking feet in warm water. Heat therapy generally provides quick relief from the spasm of smooth muscles, and alleviates pain. Menstrual pain is primarily caused by the contraction and spasm of smooth muscles. In severe cases, painkillers may be necessary, but they can potentially harm the stomach and have other side effects, so they are generally not the first choice. To manage menstrual symptoms, it is important to keep warm before and during the menstrual period, avoid getting chilled, maintain regular exercise, and work on improving overall physical health.
What should I do if the menstrual pain is very severe?
If women experience severe dysmenorrhea, they should first undergo routine examinations to rule out organic lesions, which are the possibility of secondary dysmenorrhea. For example, we should initially conduct gynecological examinations, pelvic ultrasounds, or combine other auxiliary examinations such as pelvic CT and MRI scans to rule them out. Some women may suffer from conditions such as endometrial polyps, ovarian chocolate cysts, or uterine fibroids, leading to severe dysmenorrhea. The treatment methods vary depending on the different causes. For instance, if a woman has endometrial polyps, hysteroscopic electrosurgical resection of the polyps can be performed. If it has been ruled out that the woman has organic lesions of the reproductive system and the possibility of secondary dysmenorrhea, it is possible that she has primary dysmenorrhea. She can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs orally during menstruation to relieve the pain, or regularly take short-acting contraceptive pills to suppress ovulation and alleviate the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
What foods relieve menstrual pain?
You should pay attention to eating foods that warm the uterus and promote blood circulation, which can help alleviate menstrual pain. Such foods mainly include red dates and longan. If consumed in summer, you can appropriately add some lotus seeds to prevent heatiness, while in winter, you can add some goji berries. Additionally, you can eat some mutton and drink brown sugar water during your menstrual period. Usually, avoid cold foods, especially those taken straight from the refrigerator, as well as chilled drinks and cold desserts. Try to avoid spicy foods and abstain from smoking and alcohol.
Does soaking feet in hot water work for menstrual cramps?
During menstrual cramps, soaking feet in hot water can promote blood circulation and somewhat relieve the pain. However, applying a hot water bottle to the abdomen is more effective as it raises the local temperature, which enhances local blood circulation and helps alleviate menstrual pain. The principle behind this is that the occurrence of menstrual cramps is due to an increase in prostaglandin levels in the blood during menstruation, leading to muscle contractions and even spasms, causing pain. Applying heat locally through methods like hot compresses can maintain high temperatures and promote blood circulation, facilitating the metabolism of prostaglandins and the relief of muscle spasms, thereby reducing or alleviating pain.
How to regulate dysmenorrhea for those with a cold constitution?
For dysmenorrhea related to a cold constitution, the first approach can be to adjust the cold constitution through traditional Chinese medicine. Second, massaging or applying moxibustion to acupoints can also regulate a cold constitution. For example, moxibustion on Sanyinjiao, Yinlingquan, and Yanglingquan can help alleviate and regulate a cold constitution. Third, through medicinal diet therapy, one can regulate their condition by eating warm-natured foods more often while avoiding cold and icy foods. In everyday life, it's also important to keep warm and avoid being in cold places for extended periods, and to pay attention to nutrition enhancement before menstruation.
Can I take painkillers for menstrual cramps?
Patients with dysmenorrhea usually take painkillers when the pain is severe. Dysmenorrhea is generally treated with painkillers which relieve symptoms but do not address the root cause. If the pain during menstruation does not alleviate, it's not advisable to continually use painkillers. Therefore, before taking painkillers again, it is crucial to undergo relevant examinations to identify the cause of the dysmenorrhea. If the pain is caused by a cold uterus, it is advisable to take medicine that warms the meridians, dispels cold, and relieves pain, and to manage the condition regularly. If the dysmenorrhea is caused by stagnation of Qi and blood stasis, one can take medicine that activates blood circulation, removes blood stasis, and relieves pain before the onset of the next menstruation to properly manage the symptoms. Thus, severe pain can be managed with painkillers. For minor abdominal discomfort, observing the situation generally suffices. If dysmenorrhea gradually worsens, it is essential to visit a hospital for an ultrasound to check for endometriosis. Painkillers can be used during painful episodes of dysmenorrhea, but other times should be managed with appropriate medicines. (Please take medications under the guidance of a physician and do not self-medicate.)
The harm of dysmenorrhea
Some women experience severe dysmenorrhea, where the pain can radiate to the root of the thigh, affecting their normal sleep and concentration during the day, which in turn affects their work efficiency. Some women experience such severe dysmenorrhea during their menstrual period that they even need to take leave from work to rest at home. Additionally, some women may suffer from secondary dysmenorrhea, which is linked to underlying diseases. For example, conditions like adenomyosis, endometriosis, and endometrial polyps can alter the internal environment of the uterine cavity and change its coagulation state, leading to increased menstrual flow. This can cause anemia due to blood loss and also affect normal pregnancy.
What causes menstrual cramps?
Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual pain that occurs without organic lesions in the uterus. It is caused by the increase of prostaglandin levels in the body during menstruation, which stimulates uterine contractions. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by organic pathological changes in the uterus itself, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease, which stimulate uterine contractions and lead to lower abdominal pain during menstruation.
Is dysmenorrhea a disease?
Obvious and severe dysmenorrhea is also considered a disease. Even if physical examinations do not reveal any abnormalities, simple cold uterus or straightforward dysmenorrhea are recognized as diseases. It is advisable to routinely undergo physical examinations to identify causes related to dysmenorrhea. For instance, some people suffer from dysmenorrhea due to pelvic inflammation, others due to complications with intrauterine devices, and some can be diagnosed with conditions such as adenomyosis or endometriosis, which cause progressive dysmenorrhea symptoms.