Menstrual Cramps Occur From Puberty To Menopause
The who, what, when and why - relief and remedies
It can be alarming to say the least when a girl reaches puberty and has to face bloody discharge from her private parts. Even if she has been given an educational insight into menstruation, the reality when it happens, is none too pleasant. Add to that, menstrual cramps, and it's surprising that more girls don't denounce their femininity on the spot! As time passes, women grow accustomed to their cycles and the way their body behaves on a month-by-month basis. Still, the emotional roller coaster, the back pains, the temporary increase in breast size and the menstral cramps are monthly visitors that are neither welcome nor appreciated.
Menstruating is a normal part of a woman's life and despite its discomforts and inconveniences, is part of nature's promise that she should be able to reproduce. In a way, it's like enduring the bad in order to enjoy the good. Some women breeze through their periods without much ado, whereas others suffer considerably with symptoms that are anticipated every month with trepidation. In the latter case, several days before bleeding is due to begin, the woman will feel a sense of dread and misery, just knowing that she will soon be experiencing headaches, major cravings, copious bleeding, menstrual cramps and light-headedness. It hardly seems fair, when her friend may go about her normal activities, barely sparing a thought for her own health.
Menstrual cramps can be debilitating, leading to days off work or school, missing family events, and being unable to function at full capacity around the home. They are also arguably the most frequent excuse given for girls to miss gym class or swimming lessons! The pain can range from mild and hardly noticeable to severe, leaving a woman bedridden until it passes. Pain relief medication can be of use, and there are preparations specifically for the purpose. Maintaining adequate hydration can also be beneficial, and sometimes, taking a walk instead of lying down can bring relief.
For some women, a doctor may prescribe birth control pills to regulate the cycle. Whether or not the patient is aiming to prevent conception, the Pill is highly effective in bringing about some normalcy to a woman's cycle. It helps ease heavy bleeding, control symptoms such as headaches and PMT and also lessens the severity of the menstrual cramps.
Unfortunately for an increasing sector of the female population, endometriosis is a culprit behind menstrual cramps. It affects upwards of 5.5 million American women and girls and can be responsible for difficulties in falling pregnant. Menstruation is when the tissue lining the inside of a woman's uterus is shed monthly. In a patient with endometriosis, this tissue can be found elsewhere in the body, mostly in the pelvic region but also in the ovaries, fallopian tube and even in non-reproductive organs, and is not shed during menstruation. Sex can be very painful and any hope of conceiving diminishes the longer the condition is allowed to progress.
Menopause
As a woman nears the end of her reproductive cycle and her monthly periods slow and become increasingly irregular, she may begin to look forward to life post-menstruation. Ironically, as she enters menopause, menstrual cramps can become more prevalent than they were during her childbearing phase due to the hormonal fluctuations taking place in her body.
When teaching a young girl about the reproductive system and how babies are made, it's important to provide all the information she needs about what she can expect to happen to her body. Sex education should not just be about using condoms for safe sex, but also about the changes that take place in a woman's body as she grows and develops. Sugarcoating the advice will not prepare her adequately for the realities of menstrual cramps, PMS and days of heavy bleeding.
