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MENSTRUAL CRAMP

Menstrual cramps are painful sensations in a woman's lower abdomen and sometimes lower back, which occur when her menstrual period begins or just before. It usually begins 1 to 2 days before menstruation and lasts from 2 to 4 days.

Menstrual pain as it is sometimes called is common and a normal part of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Most women experience it at some point in their lives. Menstrual cramps are the leading cause of absenteeism in women younger than 30.

Causes

Once in every menstrual cycle (approximately 28 days, which varies from person to person) if there is no sperm to fertilize the egg, the uterus contracts to expel its lining.

Hormone-like substances called prostaglandins trigger this process.

Prostaglandins are chemicals that form in the lining of the uterus during menstruation. They cause muscle contractions and cramps that are similar to labour pains. They can also contribute to nausea and diarrhoea.

Symptoms

In addition to cramps in the lower abdomen and lower back just above the pelvic bone, a woman may also experience some of these symptoms with menstrual cramps:

• Pain in the hips or thighs, sometimes radiating down the entire legs

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Bloating

• Diarrhoea or loose stools

• Constipation

• Headaches

• Irritability

• Sweating

• Weakness

• Fainting spells (in extreme cases)

Risk factors

Those who are more likely to experience menstrual pain include:

• being younger than 20 years of age

• starting puberty at 11 years or younger

• menorrhagia

• never having given birth