What Causes Menstrual Cramps?
Nov 24
Menstrual cramps (a.k.a. dysmenorrhea) occurs when the uterus expands and contracts. And while contractions are a normal occurrence in most muscles, when a woman is menstruating, the contractions are much stronger and tend to be painful.
Uterine contractions are caused by prostaglandins which are lipid compounds that act like hormones.
According to About.com, “Strong uterine contractions cause the blood supply to the uterus to temporarily shutdown, depriving the uterine muscle of oxygen and setting up the cycle of menstrual contractions and pain.”
There are two types of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea affects women who haven’t had children yet and usually goes away once they do give birth to a child.
However, there is a another form, which may feel just like the primary but is not only painful, but harmful as well because this form is caused by a disease in the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries rather than the normal production of prostaglandins.
Common causes of secondary dysmenorrhea include:
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
- Uterine Fibroid Tumors
- An Intrauterine Device (IUD)
- Ovarian Cysts
- Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOS)
[Source: About.com/Women's Health ]
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