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Questions
to Ask about Severe Menstrual Pain
Many women
experience painful menstrual cramps just before and during the
first few days of their monthly periods. But sometimes this pain
is severe enough to interfere with daily life, keeping women out
of school or work and other normal activities. It may occur along
with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache and fatigue.
This is a medical condition called severe dysmenorrhea, and in
most cases, it is treatable.
There are
two main types of severe dysmenorrhea: primary and secondary.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is severe pain that occurs as a result
of some identifiable underlying cause, such as endometriosis (a
condition in which the tissue that lines the uterus grows outside
of the organ), uterine fibroids or polyps (abnormal growths in
the uterus), or pelvic inflammatory disease (a bacterial infection
of the pelvic organs). To treat painful periods, a health care
professional needs to identify and treat that underlying condition.
Primary dysmenorrhea
is severe menstrual pain that cannot be tied to any definite cause.
This condition is most common in adolescence or early adulthood.
In fact, primary dysmenorrhea is most likely to occur within the
first few years after menstruation begins.
Fortunately,
medications are able to help the vast majority of women who have
severe menstrual pain. Over-the-counter and prescription non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptives can help relieve
menstrual pain and reduce menstrual flow. Either medication alone
is usually sufficient to stop the pain, although some women find
they need to take both and/or try different combinations of medications.
Here are some
questions to help you start a discussion with your health care
professional about severe menstrual pain:
- Based on
my symptoms and medical history, do you think I have dysmenorrhea?
- What's
causing my menstrual periods to be so painful?
- What tests
will you need to perform to figure out what is causing these
symptoms?
- Will insurance
cover these tests?
- Will you
be able to diagnose what's causing my severe menstrual pain
or will I have to see a specialist, and what type of specialist
would that be?
- Is there
anything I can do to minimize the effects this condition has
on my life every month?
- Are there
medications I can take to relieve the pain? What are their potential
side effects?
- When should
I start to feel pain relief after starting the medication? If
my pain does not improve, what should I do?
- If medication
does not give me complete relief, are there additional treatments
you would recommend?
- My teenage
daughter has severe menstrual pain. Is this common and what
treatments are available for her age group?
For more
information about severe menstrual pain, visit: "Fast
Facts for Your Health: Severe Menstrual Pain" and "Menstrual
Disorders."
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