Pain and pulling in the lower abdomen during menstruation: causes, treatment

In some cases, a woman has to seek medical help because pain in the abdomen appears, as during menstruation. The causes of abdominal pain as during menstruation vary. Sometimes this is due to physiology, and sometimes it indicates the development of serious pathologies that can even threaten a woman’s life.

Sometimes my stomach hurts like menstruation

Can pain be a symptom of pregnancy?

Also, the reason why the lower abdomen hurts like before menstruation may lie in the onset of pregnancy. This phenomenon is considered one of the initial signs that conception has occurred. If severe, nagging pain occurs, one can judge the increase in tone in the uterus or the attachment of a fertilized egg to the upper part of the uterine tissue.

To determine pregnancy, you can use a special test. It will allow you to determine whether conception has occurred already in the first days of a missed period.

The symptoms in such a situation are similar to premenstrual syndrome, so pain in the lower abdomen with a simultaneous delay should not be ignored. You also need to take into account that similar symptoms are also typical for ectopic pregnancy. Although the test in this case will be negative. As a result, in order to exclude an ectopic pregnancy, you need to consult a gynecologist, since this condition poses a threat to the patient’s life.

If you experience such pain, you should visit a doctor.

Why does pain come?

Normally, the period of menstruation should not bring discomfort to a woman. If severe pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness occur before or during menstruation, then three options are possible:

1. The presence of inflammatory processes in the female reproductive system.
2. Incorrect position of the uterus.
3. Underdevelopment of the uterus.

Pain may also occur after severe stress or during central nervous system disorders. Normal periods, which do not bring any sensations, occur only in a small number of women. The rest suffer from premenstrual syndrome and menstrual pain, most often due to a large number of stressful situations in everyday life.

What other reasons are there?

Possible reasons are shown in the table.

Herbal medicine for painful periods

Some medicinal herbs and herbs can help with painful menstruation, so before taking pills, you can try to get rid of the pain with folk remedies. Experts recognize ginger tea as the most effective for dysmenorrhea. Ginger root contains many glycosides, esters and phytoncides - natural substances with antibacterial and analgesic effects. To prepare the drink, it is best to use fresh ginger, but if it is not available, dried spice will also work (1 spoon of fresh ginger = 0.5 spoon of dried root).

7 products against pain

To prepare tea, you need:

• grate or chop a small piece of ginger root (2-3 cm) with a knife;
• pour a glass of boiling water;
• add a little cinnamon;
• leave for 7 minutes.

You can add a few mint leaves, a slice of lemon and a little sugar to the finished tea. The therapeutic effect occurs 15-30 minutes after use.

Important! Ginger drink is contraindicated for women with diseases of the digestive system (especially in the acute stage) and blood pathologies. If your periods are usually long and heavy, it is also better to avoid this method.

Peppermint tea with lemon balm

Peppermint tea with lemon balm has a pronounced analgesic effect

A mixture of mint and lemon balm has a pronounced analgesic effect. To make tea that will help get rid of pain during menstruation, you need:

• mix 2 g each of peppermint and lemon balm (you can use fresh or dried herbs);
• add 4-5 drops of lemongrass oil and 250 ml of boiling water;
• leave for 5-7 minutes.

If you don’t have lemongrass oil at home, you can use citrus zest: oranges, lemons, grapefruits (5 g per cup of drink). It is advisable to drink this tea every day until your menstruation ends. For prevention, you can drink one cup after waking up and 1-2 hours before bedtime.

Chamomile tea with raspberries

It is very important for this method to use raspberries, and not leaves. The fact is that raspberry leaves stimulate the contraction of muscle fibers and can lead to the opposite effect. Some pregnant women, wanting to speed up the approach of labor, drink a drink made from raspberry leaves to induce the onset of contractions.

Chamomile tea with raspberries has a restorative and calming effect

To achieve relaxation of the muscles of the uterus, you need to prepare tea strictly according to the recipe below:

• Pour 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers into 300 ml of boiling water;
• add 15 g of dried raspberries (berries);
• leave for 10 minutes;
• add a pinch of cinnamon and a little natural honey.

Chamomile tea with raspberries also has a general strengthening and calming effect, therefore it is recommended for women with severe clinical manifestations of PMS and disturbances in emotional stability during menstruation.

Video: How to relieve pain during menstruation: natural remedies

How is the diagnosis carried out?

If you experience pain similar to menstruation, you should definitely consult a gynecologist or surgeon. In such a situation, a clinical examination of urine and blood is carried out, as well as an examination in a gynecological chair. Also, in order to determine the disease, an ultrasound, MRI of the peritoneal area, or colcoscopy may be prescribed.

It is recommended to undergo an MRI of the abdomen

In laboratory conditions, the PCR technique is used to identify the causative agent of the pathology. The concentration of sex hormones in the bloodstream is also determined. If the appearance of the secretion is suspicious, a vaginal smear is taken.

What you can do on your own

Before taking any measures, you need to find out the reasons for painful periods on one day. If the pain is not pathological, then you can take a warm shower, drink valerian or herbal tea and lie down. Minor cramps can be relieved by applying a heating pad to your stomach.

You can relieve pain with Ibuprofen

• Ibuprofen;
• Dratoverine;
• Paracitamol.

Folk remedies also have a positive effect:

• berry compote;
• a decoction of parsley or dill seeds;
• camomile tea.

Strong drugs should not be taken. It should be remembered that a number of medications can change hormonal levels, which will affect the process of menstruation, and also have a thinning effect on the state of the blood, which will provoke uterine bleeding.

When urgent medical attention is required

You should urgently seek the help of a specialist if the following signs are found:

• pain that interferes with a normal lifestyle;
• discomfort that appears during movement;
• the appearance of vaginal secretion with an unpleasant aroma;
• the appearance of spotting at a time when menstruation cannot occur;
• sudden cutting pain in the side;
• fainting;
• elevated temperature;
• the occurrence of vomiting;
• painful urination, blood in the urine.

If you are vomiting, you need medical attention.
You should consult a doctor regardless of the day of the menstrual cycle during which negative signs appeared.

If such pain appears during pregnancy, then the help of a doctor is needed immediately, as this may be evidence of the development of an ectopic pregnancy.

Discomfort in the lower abdomen - natural causes

Let us highlight the reasons that are not caused by the woman’s pathological condition. Initially, it is worth clarifying that the stated causes of the problem have unexpressed symptoms and do not greatly affect the general condition of the lady.

When the lower abdomen is tight, but there is no period, plus everything, the girl loses her ability to work on such days - this is a good reason to seek help from a specialist.

So, natural causes of discomfort in the abdominal area include:

1. Ovulation is one of the most common reasons that the lower abdomen pulls, but there is no menstruation. This is due to the process of breakthrough of the dominant follicle by the egg. During this, a microcrack occurs in the female body, which gives unpleasant sensations in the ovarian area.

In this case, the focus of pain is expressed more on one side, where ovulation occurred. But it happens that the pain radiates to the lower abdomen and lumbar region and this is normal.

Additional symptoms of ovulation may include:

• Soreness of the mammary glands and their hypersensitivity;
• Increased sexual desire for men;
• Whitish discharge from the vaginal perineum that looks like egg white;
• And other, more individual symptoms.

To be completely sure of the source of the lingering sensations in the abdomen, it is worth observing your condition for several months in a row.

Typically, the ovulatory period occurs in the middle of the cycle, 14-16 days after the start of the cycle with a 28-day menstrual period.

In addition, each monthly cycle the sensations are similar to each other or have slight deviations in pain intensity.

2. Premenstrual syndrome can also be the reason that the lower abdomen is tight, but there is no characteristic discharge. After the egg is released from the ovary, it prepares for fertilization.

If this does not happen, the reverse process begins. The functional wall of the uterus, created for the attachment of the fertilized egg, peels off and is about to come out along with the menstrual fluid.

This process may be accompanied by strong spasms of the internal muscles, which cause a pulling sensation in the lower abdomen. In some cases they are compared to prenatal contractions. Such pain is relieved with special medications or with the help of folk remedies.

3. Beginning of menstruation . The third reason may be the approach of menstruation. And even though according to the calendar they should come later, there are situations when red days come earlier.

Sources of early menstruation can be:

• Severe stress shock;
• Changes in climatic conditions;
• Moving to another time zone;
• Active physical activity;
• Exhaustion of the body due to a strict diet;
• Sudden weight gain;
• And much more.

In such cases, early menstruation should be isolated situations and from the next menstrual cycle everything should return to normal.

4. Pregnancy . Another source of tension in the lower abdomen, but no menstruation, can be elementary pregnancy.

In principle, in the early stages of pregnancy, lingering sensations are a fairly common situation. This scares many expectant mothers, but in fact there is no threat in this. The whole reason lies in the physiological characteristics of the body. On such days, the muscle tone of the uterus increases and blood flow to the uterus itself increases; all processes cause discomfort in the abdominal area.

Quite often at this stage, a woman learns about her interesting situation if she consults a gynecologist with alarming symptoms.

On the other hand, if there is a chance of pregnancy, girls can purchase a special pregnancy test at the pharmacy and find out for themselves their current situation.

But there are situations when the test shows that there is no conception, menstruation never came, and the lower abdomen continues to pull.

Or the symptoms are severe with increasing pain - it is better to consult a doctor. Such signs may indicate an ectopic pregnancy.

How to eliminate pain yourself

To get rid of pain, you can use a warm compress on the problem area or take a bath with herbs. The duration of such a procedure should not exceed 20 minutes.

A cold compress in the form of crushed ice wrapped in a cloth or a cold heating pad is a good way to get rid of painful sensations in the lower abdomen. Session duration is maximum 10-15 minutes. You can use essential oils to rub into the abdomen and lower back to relieve pain.

This video will tell you about the causes of pain in the lower abdomen:

You should not put up with severe pain; if even minor signs appear, you should consult a doctor.

When pain is normal

70% of women experience stomach pain on the 1st day of their period. However, depending on the severity of symptoms, pathological abnormalities can be suspected.

Many girls experience pain on the first day.

Painful sensations on the first menstrual day are considered normal if:

• pain intensity is low;
• no sharp spasms;
• The pain is intermittent and quickly subsides.

During normal menstruation, a woman should not experience accompanying symptoms of deterioration in her general condition.

Severe pain in the lower abdomen

For some representatives of the fairer sex, such sensations do not cause much trouble, while for others they bring a lot of trouble.

Usually the pain occurs deep in the pelvis. It can be dull, pressing or pulling. Often the pain is pulsating in nature.

The norm is considered to be the presence of mild pain that occurs on the first day of menstruation and goes away immediately after the end of the menstrual cycle. Also, women quite often experience intestinal pain during menstruation. This condition is not normal and should be reported to your doctor.

What to do

If pain occurs

as a result of hormonal imbalances, then in this case it is very important not only to use painkillers to suppress it, but also to undergo a course of treatment to solve this problem.

Very often, women wonder what to do if their periods are accompanied by pain. In fact, such a problem requires an individual approach.

Most often, doctors recommend combining medications such as analgesics and antispasmodics. For example, very good results can be achieved by taking No-Shpu and Nurofen .

Treatment with hormonal contraceptive pills also has a good effect. This includes “Yarina”, “Diana-35” and many others. However, taking such medications without the knowledge of a doctor is strictly prohibited. You can use hormonal drugs only after passing special tests to determine the hormonal level of your body.

IMPORTANT!

Do not forget that pain is not normal, so it is very important not only to get rid of the pain syndrome, but also to eliminate its causes.

Why does my stomach hurt during menstruation?

Most often, a woman is bothered by abdominal pain on the first day of her period, although sometimes they can occur long before the onset or already during her period. The causes of pain in most cases are the following phenomena and pathologies:

• Infectious lesions of the pelvic organs, causing inflammatory processes.
• Endometriosis.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Hormonal disorders.
• Intrauterine device.
• Sexually transmitted infections.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Lack of vitamins and microelements in the body.
• Previously performed abortion.
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Alcohol abuse, disordered diet.
• Neoplasms in the uterus.
• Spontaneous miscarriage.

What is pain prevention?

A very painful first day of menstruation is usually no exception. In most cases, the pattern of menstruation in women remains until childbirth or forms again after the birth of the child. Women get used to enduring discomfort and torment, although most often after short treatment all disorders are eliminated.

The diet should be rich in vitamins
. You can independently try to prevent a serious condition; for this it is advisable to reduce physical activity, eliminate the influence of negative psychological factors, take vitamins and eat right. Experts also advise contacting doctors with complaints about abnormalities before your period begins.