Overview of Dysmenorrhea

Any periodic lower abdominal pain, pain in the lumbar region, or even severe pain and fainting during or before and after menstruation is called dysmenorrhea.

Dysmenorrhea can be divided into two types: primary and secondary:

Primary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain without obvious organic lesions in the reproductive organs, also known as functional dysmenorrhea, which often occurs at or shortly after menarche. It often occurs in unmarried or married women who are not pregnant. The symptoms of dysmenorrhea can be alleviated or disappear after giving birth.

Secondary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual pain caused by organic lesions of the reproductive organs, such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and submucous uterine fibroids. It often occurs two years after menarche and is more common in married or childbearing women.

According to statistics, half of women have experienced dysmenorrhea, of which primary dysmenorrhea accounts for 50%. The general symptoms are: 1 to 2 days before menstruation, you start to feel backache and lower abdominal pain, which can radiate to the perineum and anus when it is severe; often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, constipation or diarrhea; abdominal pain can last for several hours or 1 to 2 days; when menstrual blood is unobstructed, the pain gradually subsides. Some girls may also become pale, have cold hands and feet, sweat coldly or even faint when they are in pain, and they need to be treated promptly.

For the treatment of dysmenorrhea, in addition to symptomatic treatment (oral analgesics), you can also consider using Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine often says "pain means obstruction, and no pain if the obstruction is unobstructed", which is also the principle of treating dysmenorrhea. The principle of using medicine is to activate blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and harmonize qi and blood.

During treatment, dysmenorrhea patients should also learn to take care of themselves, such as doing regular physical exercise to improve physical fitness and blood circulation; taking care to rest during menstruation (resting in bed if necessary), not doing strenuous activities, avoiding cold and rain; controlling sexual life, and absolutely prohibiting sexual intercourse during menstruation, etc. In addition, when experiencing dysmenorrhea, do not be afraid, nervous, or disgusted, so as not to aggravate the symptoms, and keep a happy mood.