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Jemima, a 21-year-old clinical psychologist, expressed her frustration with period pain!
“I’m always tired and can’t do anything for the whole day”.
“All I want to do is sleep, I’m practically unproductive for the better part of the day”.
“ I get emotional, have mood swings, and am irritated by the slightest things”.
Abiola, a 42-year-old Bank Manager said “I never looked forward to my menstrual bleeding days”.
While some women simply replied, “I don’t feel any pain, only to see my period flow”.
Both of them started having period cramps a few months after their first-ever period (menarche) at the ages 11 – 12. This would last for the first 24 hours and ease off. However, this is a 24-hour period where they cannot or could not do much with their lives.
A known fact: A severe period pain is as painful as a heart attack pain!
Now imagine this happening every month for many years of a woman’s life!. It becomes tedious, tiring, and increasingly difficult to plan any major events around their expected period days. What about exam season, amazing parties to attend, and special outings for the ladies? Period pain is a reality for so many, so is it okay to talk about it and explore how women can be best supported?
Primary Period Pain
This is experienced by nearly 70% of women, starts 2-3 years after menarche, and is severe in the first 24 hours of their monthly period called primary or spasmodic dysmenorrhoea.
Why do some women have period pain and others do not? This is a question I have been asked a few times, it’s quite baffling, isn’t it? Which is why I have decided to answer it the best way I can.
For a long time, the actual cause of this variation eluded the medics and scientists until recently, the two offenders are vasopressin (a hormone that helps reduce dehydration and regulates blood pressure) and prostaglandins (the hormone that causes uterine contractions). When these are imbalanced, it causes uterine contractions leading to pain, predominantly in the lower abdomen, back, and inner thighs.
Secondary Period Pain
At no time did I experience period pain until the age of 26, it happened out of the blue and I knew something was not right. It turned out to be caused by a uterine fibroid.
This other type of period pain is secondary dysmenorrhoea. It is uncommon before the age of thirty years old and not caused by hormonal imbalance. The main baddies in this instance are endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease. I would strongly advise women who develop painful periods all of a sudden to have this checked.
Uterine fibroids are the most common benign pelvic tumors women present with, and a major cause of painful periods in women. They are made of muscle-fibrous tissue that develops inside the womb or attached to its outer layer. Many women, with uterine fibroid, I have encountered in my practice anticipate their periods with such trepidations.
Pelvic endometriosis made the news headlines in October 2020, the bone of contention being the length of time it takes to diagnose the condition, while women suffer in pain. There is evidence to show that diagnosis can be delayed for as long as 4 –10 years. It is a major cause of pelvic pain.
Period pain is higher among black women, mostly due to secondary causes, as mentioned above. The best way to manage this form of period pain is to treat the underlying causes.
What Helps?
“Exercises and less sugar intake work wonders for me”
“There was a drastic and less noticeable period pain when I started exercising”.
“My period pain reduced significantly when I removed my IUD (Intrauterine device for contraception)”
“My period pain gets better with pain relief”
These are some of the responses I got from the ladies I spoke with, and yes, these are great ways to get rid of or reduce this annoying pain.
Now that we know the main cause of primary dysmenorrhoea, the treatment targets the reduction of prostaglandins, in the form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, for example, mefenamic acid, (Available only on prescription).
Disclaimer: This is not by any means a prescription, always discuss your treatment with your healthcare professionals!!!
As always, I am dedicated to bringing you up-to-date medical and practical information to make the right choices for your health. I would so much love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you need further clarification or any help with your health needs kindly send me an email at healthyebonywoman@gmail.com.
You are always amazing!
