More than half of teenage and adult women have menstrual cramps. For some, it’s a minor inconvenience. Others have pain that keeps them away from daily life. The challenge is deciding when to seek medical care.
Chetanna Okasi, MD, and our Women’s Wellness MD team believe women should never endure pain. In addition to easing your discomfort, we want to be sure your pain doesn’t signal a gynecological problem that may cause complications.
Here, we explain period and pelvic pain and offer some guidelines about when to seek help.
At the start of each menstrual cycle, your body releases prostaglandins. These chemicals tell muscles inside the uterus to tighten. As a result, the engorged lining separates from the uterus, and your period begins.
Uterine muscle contractions fill a crucial role, but they cause menstrual cramps. The severity of your cramps depends on prostaglandins. Women with high prostaglandin levels have more severe monthly cramps.
Menstrual cramps are a type of pelvic pain, but pelvic pain is a broader category that includes other problems.
Menstrual cramps are always related to uterine muscle contractions. They cause:
Whether your pain is mild or severe, menstrual cramps revolve around your period. In addition to the pain, you may have other symptoms, such as:
Many women have such severe period pain that they take time off from school or work and have difficulty sleeping.
A gynecological condition rather than muscle cramps can cause menstrual pain. This type of pain is called secondary dysmenorrhea.
Pelvic pain may contribute to period pain, but it’s not limited to your menstrual cycle. This type of pain can occur at any time throughout your monthly cycles and has many causes.
If you have pelvic pain, the problem can begin in your uterus or any other organ in your lower abdomen, including your ovaries, bladder, and the tissues lining the abdominal wall.
Causes of secondary period and pelvic pain include:
In addition to pelvic pain, these conditions lead to problems like heavy bleeding and infertility.
Many women put up with period pain because it’s such a common problem and lasts a short time. However, you should seek help when your pelvic pain:
Sudden, severe pain accompanied by fever, chills, or sweating needs immediate medical attention. These symptoms are red flags signaling a serious infection, inflammation, or obstruction needing emergency care.
We can help you get relief from monthly cramps and pelvic pain, including identifying and treating an underlying gynecological condition. Call Women’s Wellness MD or book an appointment online today to get help with period pain.
