Is it normal to have painful periods?

Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on September 23, 2024
00:00
00:00

Dysmenorrhea is generally abnormal. Under normal circumstances, if menstruation involves ovulation, there may be slight discomfort in the lower abdomen during menstruation, which is considered normal. If dysmenorrhea is present and tends to worsen over time, this condition usually indicates the possibility of endometriosis. In such cases, it is essential to visit a hospital for a color ultrasound and a CA125 blood test to confirm if the pain is caused by endometriosis, and treatment should be based on the diagnostic results. Furthermore, if dysmenorrhea is caused by a cold uterus, symptoms might include pain accompanied by a cold sensation in the lower abdomen and cold extremities. In this case, it is typically necessary to take medicine that warms the meridians, dispels cold, and alleviates pain in the uterus. If dysmenorrhea is due to qi stagnation and blood stasis, one can take medicine that promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, and relieves pain in the meridians. Therefore, dysmenorrhea is not normal.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
40sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
48sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Shuai
Obstetrics and Gynecology
47sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
1min 16sec home-news-image

What causes menstrual cramps?

Dysmenorrhea is generally caused by endometriosis in the majority of cases. If the endometrium is misplaced in the ovaries, it can form ovarian chocolate cysts; if misplaced into the myometrium, it can lead to adenomyosis, which generally presents with dysmenorrhea that tends to worsen over time. In most cases, this condition is considered to be caused by endometriosis. Additionally, the occurrence of dysmenorrhea should not exclude the possibility of being caused by a cold uterus. Patients with a cold uterus might experience lower abdominal pain and a cold lower abdomen during menstruation; in such cases, treatment can involve warming the meridians to dispel cold and using warming and pain-relieving medicines for symptomatic treatment. Moreover, if dysmenorrhea is caused by Qi stagnation and blood stasis, there might be a large volume of menstrual blood accompanied by large blood clots during the bleeding process. Treatment in this scenario would involve using medicines that invigorate the blood, break up stasis, soften hardness, and disperse conglomeration for symptomatic management.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Jia Rui
Obstetrics and Gynecology
38sec home-news-image

Can you drink coffee when you have menstrual cramps?

While drinking coffee does not significantly exacerbate menstrual pain, it can lead to excessive excitability and affect nerve functions. Moreover, too much coffee can cause stomach discomfort. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink coffee during periods of menstrual pain. Instead, it is advisable to drink more brown sugar ginger tea or eat easily digestible food, which helps in rapid recovery of the condition and is very beneficial in alleviating menstrual pain. During menstruation, it is also important to avoid cold foods.