Menstrual cramps are a common symptom that almost every woman experiences. Sometimes, these cramps can be a sign that you have health problems that can affect your reproductive health.
Dysmenorrhea is abdominal pain when the day "red light" and can be repeated in the menstrual cycle. Pain time depends on the location of each person, some people suffer for a few hours, but sometimes it lasts up to a few days. But, do these stomach aches affect fertility? Please join aFamilyToday Health to follow the following shares to get answers to this problem.
Menstrual cramping occurs because when the period comes, the uterus becomes swollen, the uterine lining thickens, compresses it, and causes pain. Besides, in order to push blood and tissue out, the uterine muscle must contract. These contractions are activated by a hormone produced by the body called prostaglandin, which regulates body temperature, relaxes muscles, and contracts. This is the main culprit causing pelvic pain in "red light" days. The higher the prostaglandin level, the more severe the abdominal pain.
Menstrual pain is often divided into two categories:
Primary dysmenorrhea: mild to moderate pain that usually develops in adolescents.
Secondary dysmenorrhea: severe pain. This could be the result of a pathological disorder in the reproductive system.
Severe menstrual pain can be a sign of dangerous conditions that adversely affect a woman's ability to become pregnant:
This is a disease in which a woman's reproductive organs including the uterus, cervix, ovaries or fallopian tubes become infected. It is usually caused by having sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes and ovaries, making it difficult to get pregnant, or leading to an ectopic pregnancy (the fetus grows in the fallopian tubes).
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissues in the uterus grow outside the uterus and encroach on the fallopian tubes. These improperly grown tissues still function as normal uterine tissue, meaning they will shed and bleed during the menstrual cycle. In general, this is not too dangerous but can lead to infertility because the mucosa can be located in the fallopian tube leading to obstruction of the fallopian tubes.
Endometriosis is one of the most common reasons for severe menstrual cramps. It is estimated that about 100 million women worldwide have this disease.
Endometriosis can be easily diagnosed through endoscopy. If you experience pain before or during your period, pain after sex, or some gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea, constipation, and nausea, you are more likely to have it.
The condition is somewhat like endometriosis, but in this case, cells from the lining of the uterus grow inside the uterine wall instead of on other reproductive organs. The most common symptoms of this disease are severe abdominal pain and more bleeding than usual during menstruation.
About 30% of women between the ages of 30 and 45 years have fibroids . These are benign tumors, found inside or outside the uterine wall. Fibroids can distort the frame of the uterus, causing the tubes to become blocked or semi-blocked, delaying pregnancy or infertility . Having fibroids during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or premature birth, especially if the tumor is located under the mucosa.
Ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled mass located in an ovary. Like fibroids, ovarian cysts are harmless and will go away on their own without treatment. However, if these cysts are large and appear in places like the fallopian tubes or ovaries, they can interfere with conception.
If you have severe menstrual cramps, see your doctor to seek help. Your doctor may recommend that you take hormonal birth control pills for pain relief. However, this is not recommended in case you are trying to conceive. Some pain relievers may also be helpful, but many fear that taking this medication may affect fertility. Some studies have also shown negative effects of ibuprofen on the reproductive system, so it's best to consult your doctor before taking it.
In some cases, surgery will be needed to relieve the pain. However, before you make up your mind, you should talk to your doctor about the effect of surgery on your ability to conceive.
Through the above sharing, hopefully you have had some more useful information about menstrual cramps. If you are experiencing severe stomach upset during the "red light" days, it is best to go to the hospital to check and see if you have a condition that affects your ability to conceive.
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