When does dysmenorrhea usually occur?

Dysmenorrhea usually occurs 1-2 days before menstruation or on the first day of menstruation and lasts for 2-3 days. Dysmenorrhea may be related to factors such as increased endometrial prostaglandin secretion and abnormal uterine contractions, and is divided into two types: primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrhea is more common in adolescent women. It begins to appear within 1-2 years after menarche. The pain is concentrated from 24 hours before menstruation to the second day of menstruation. It manifests as spasmodic pain in the lower abdomen, which may be accompanied by nausea, headache or fatigue. This type of dysmenorrhea is usually related to the ovulation cycle, with excessive uterine contraction and ischemia being the main triggers. Secondary dysmenorrhea is mostly caused by pelvic organic diseases, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, etc. The pain may appear a few days before menstruation and last until the end of menstruation, or even cause discomfort throughout the menstrual cycle. The pain often worsens as the disease progresses. Some patients also experience dyspareunia, painful defecation, or non-menstrual pelvic pain.

If dysmenorrhea is accompanied by fever, abnormal bleeding or pain that seriously affects your life, you need to be alert to diseases such as pelvic inflammatory disease and uterine fibroids. Daily symptoms can be relieved by applying hot compresses to the lower abdomen, drinking appropriate amounts of ginger tea, or using ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, ketoprofen enteric-coated tablets and other drugs as directed by your doctor. It is recommended to record the menstrual cycle and pain characteristics, avoid strenuous exercise or eating raw and cold food during menstruation, and patients with long-term severe dysmenorrhea should undergo gynecological ultrasound examination to rule out organic diseases.