Menstrual cramps. . . ugh! Never in the history of mankind has a woman truly enjoyed having menstrual cramps- unless it gets her out of going to work. . .or something else (wink, wink). So, why do you get menstrual cramps anyway? Yes, there is a scientific reason why women get them. Here are the basics:
Dysmenorrhea
[dis-men-uh-ree-uh] is the scientific name for menstrual cramps. There are two types of dysmenorrhea:
- Primary dysmenorrhea: There is no specific pelvic disease causing your menstrual cramps.
- Secondary dysmenorrhea: You have an identifiable reason for the menstrual cramps (such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids).
So, there is an identifiable (and treatable) reason for secondary dysmenorrhea, but why does a woman get PRIMARY dysmenorrhea?
- Your body releases a hormone-like substance called “Prostaglandins”.
- Prostaglandins cause your uterus to contract (meaning clamp down).
- When your uterus clamps down, the uterine blood flow is interrupted.
- The interruption in blood flow cuts off uterine oxygenation, ultimately resulting in pain. (Just like a person gets chest pain if blocked vessels starve portions of the heart of oxygen, a women gets lower abdominal pain when the blood flow to her uterus is cut off.)
It all starts with those Prostaglandins! What some solutions? Check out my next blog post! #DrNita
