I have painful periods. My OBGYN told me I have dysmenorrhea. What is this and what is the treatment for dysmenorrhea?

According to the Women's Specialists of Plano, Texas (http://obgynplano.com), more than 50% of women will experience severe menstural cramps during their monthly period.

From the time a woman gets her first period, she begins to feel a little different. Our bodies change and each month, like our mothers and grandmothers before us, we experience first hand the love-hate relationship of having a period.

For most women, we need and want this monthly visit because it represents a healthy reproductive system and the possibility of new life when we are in fact ready for that next step. But what does it mean when your pain becomes life-changing, chronic and alarming, causing the mere idea of getting up out of bed and starting your day into a mere panic?

Severe menstrual cramps, also referred to as having painful periods, affects more than 50% of women in their menstruating years. The scientific term for painful periods is dysmenorrhea. The occurrence of these severe menstrual cramps tapers off as a woman ages and most commonly disappears once a woman has reached her thirties. The common condition is divided into two categories: Primary Dysmenorrhea and Secondary Dysmenorrhea. Of the 50% of women suffering from painful periods, 85% will be diagnosed with Primary Dysmenorrhea.

Many women will discuss their symptoms surrounding their painful menstrual cycles with their OBGYN during their annual visits. If the physician is unable to find a gynecological problem or disorder, or any internal obstruction that may be causing the painful periods and severe menstrual cramps, primary dysmenorrhea is usually the diagnosis. With primary dysmenorrhea, pain is the most severe within the first 48 hours of having a period. The pain comes and goes and can radiate throughout the abdomen, lower back and sometimes into the upper thighs. Some women describe the pain as “labor-like” and it can often be accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and headache. The pain can often be tolerated with over the counter pain relief medication and is typically gone by the third day of the monthly cycle.

A few activities seem to help with menstrual cramps relief for those suffering from primary dysmenorrhea including warm baths, long walks, avoiding fatty foods and taking over the counter medication such as Ibuprofen. Some women use heating pads at night to help control and soothe the pain. Many OBGYN's will prescribe low-dosage birth control pills to help regulate and decrease the symptoms associated with the monthly menstrual cycle.

If there is an underlying medical condition such as a uterine fibroid, a cyst, endometriosis or another gynecological disorder present, secondary dysmenorrhea will be the diagnosis. This condition is the result of another condition and can lead to painful menstrual cramping—sometimes unbearable—for the entire duration a woman is having her period.

Unlike primary dysmenorrhea, medical treatments are often the only hope for relief from the pain. The occurrence of secondary painful periods requires medical attention and at times medical procedures in order to help with severe menstrual cramps relief. The cause of secondary dysmenorrhea will determine the proper treatment of it.

A few of the procedures on the market for the treatment for dysmenorrhea include:

· Endometrial Ablation (Permanent removal of uterine lining to prevent further pain and/or limit bleeding)

· Hysterectomy (if the pain is caused by a malfunctioning reproductive organ; robotic hysterectomies are performed to help alleviate the long recovery periods, bleeding and pain.)

· A D & C—Dilation & Curettage (Removal of small amount of uterine lining, often as a cancer precaution)

· Intrauterine Contraceptive

· Oral Contraceptives (such as birth control pills)

· Vitamin B supplements (For pain related to lack of nutrition)

· Antibiotics (for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease—also referred to as PID—or an untreated sexually transmitted disease (STD)

· Surgery (For a Cyst, or Fibroid Tumor)

Treatment for dysmenorrhea varies according to severity of the issue and the problem causing the pain. The bottom line is if you are suffering from abnormally painful periods, it is of utmost importance that you check in with you OBGYN and discuss what is causing it, and your options for pain relief.