Five causes of painful cramps during menstruation

Cramps are a normal part of menstruation but for some, the pain can be nearly unbearable [Courtesy]

Menstruation is a beautiful part of femininity. Our bodies go through different stages and getting your period is one of them.

As much as it’s something that expresses your womanhood, it can come with annoying symptoms like cramps. They’re basically pain that is felt on the lower abdomen and they can come right before and during your period, then the pain gradually subsides.

Cramps are a normal part of menstruation but for some, the pain can be nearly unbearable.

They usually come in different intensities and while some people can barely feel them, others struggle to get though the day when they come.

You will know you experience cramps on the severe side when you need to take a break from your daily activities to get some rest and when the cramps don’t respond to over the counter pain medications.

There are many reasons why you might experience cramps of a higher intensity. Here are some that you need to know about.

1. Muscle contractions

During your period, your uterus will undergo contractions which helps it to release the uterine lining. This process is triggered by prostaglandins which fluctuate before and during your period.

 As the uterine lining is shed, that process can trigger painful cramps.

2. Pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease or PID, in short, is an infection that advances from a sexually transmitted infection that is left untreated.

It attacks the female reproductive organs and can do structural damage to the ovaries, uterus and tubes, which is irreversible even after treatment.

Due to this infection, some of the symptoms that comes with it are painful cramps.

3. Fibroids

Fibroids is a common condition that a big number of women have to deal with. This condition causes growths in the lining of the uterine walls and although they are non-cancerous in nature, they can trigger a number of menstrual problems.

If you have fibroids, you might experience irregular period cycles, heavy bleeding and painful cramping as well.

Since your body is going through hormonal changes, you might experience uncomfortable PMS symptoms [Courtesy]

4. Premenstrual syndrome

PMS can also affect how you feel before and during your period. You might notice that you’re more emotional during your period, irritable at times, anxious or that you’re getting headaches around that time.

Aside from these symptoms, you can also experience painful cramps. Since your body is going through hormonal changes, you might experience these uncomfortable PMS symptoms.

5. Adenomyosis and endometriosis

Both these conditions are caused by an abnormal growth of tissues. The difference is that adenomyosis causes these tissues to grow within the walls of the uterus while endometriosis causes these tissue abnormalities outside the uterus.

They can both cause severe cramps.

Treatments:

If you’re struggling with painful cramps due to hormonal changes that don’t involve a serious condition, you might get relief from over the counter mediations and home remedies like using a hot water bottle.

But if you’re dealing with more pain that usual due to an underlying condition, it could mean that you need to be put under prescribed medications or undergo procedures like surgery so that the issue can be dealt with for good.