Common Menstrual Problems and How to Treat Them

What are menstrual disorders?

Menstrual disorders include heavy bleeding, missed periods, and uncontrollable mood swings. They are interruptive physical and emotional symptoms before and during menstruation.

Some women experience little to no difficulty getting through their monthly periods. Their monthly periods arrive like clockwork, beginning and ending at almost the same time each month.

Nevertheless, some report various physical and emotional symptoms before and during their periods. These symptoms may significantly disrupt a woman's life, ranging from excessive bleeding and missing periods to uncontrollable mood swings.

What is Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS?

PMS begins one or two weeks before your period starts. Certain women experience a variety of physical and emotional symptoms. Some have little to no symptoms at all. PMS may lead to:

Bloating or irritability
Backaches
Headaches
Soreness in breasts
Food cravings and acne
Extreme tiredness
Depression
Anxiety
Insomnia
Constipation
Diarrhea
Mild stomach cramps

Every month, you can encounter a different set of symptoms, and the intensity of those symptoms might also change. Unless it causes you to miss out on your usual activities, PMS is generally not a cause for concern.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder or PMDD

Compared to ordinary PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder is far more severe. According to experts, the distinction between PMS and PMDD is similar to that between a minor tension headache and a migraine.

Anxiety, mood changes, and increased irritability are the most common signs of PMDD. It is more likely to affect women with a history of major depression, postpartum depression, or mood disorders than other women.

Severe menstrual cramps or Dysmenorrhea

Most women have had menstrual cramps, either before or during their period. But, if your cramps are particularly painful and recurring, this is known as dysmenorrhea, and you should see a doctor.

The hormone-like chemicals known as prostaglandins, produced by the uterine lining cells and circulated in your bloodstream, cause uterine spasms that result in menstrual cramp pain. If you have a painful period, you can also experience periodic bouts of diarrhea or a fainting spell that causes you to turn pale and sweat abruptly. This is because prostaglandins promote diarrhea by accelerating intestinal contractions and dizziness by lowering blood pressure and relaxing blood vessels.

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Bleeding is regarded as heavy when it starts interfering with your daily activities. Around one in five women experience such heavy bleeding during their periods that they are unable to finish routine tasks so they can manage their flow. Hormone imbalances can bring on excessive menstrual bleeding, uterine structural issues (such as poles or fibroids), and other medical concerns like thyroid problems, liver or kidney disease, leukemia, complications from IUD, blood clotting disorders, miscarriage, and infections.

No Menstrual Bleeding or Amenorrhea

Amenorrhea is the term used to describe a woman who has absolutely no menstrual cycles. When a girl who reaches 16 experiences this but has not yet begun menstruating, it is probably due to a problem with the endocrine system, which controls hormones. Low body weight can occasionally lead to delayed pituitary gland maturation. Problems with estrogen levels may happen when a female has had regular periods for a while and then abruptly stop for three months or longer.

Diagnosis of Menstrual Problems

Seeing your doctor is the first step in diagnosing menstrual issues. Your doctor will be interested in learning about your symptoms and how long you have dealt with them. Having notes on your menstrual cycle, its regularity, and any symptoms you have been experiencing may be helpful.

Your doctor or GP will probably perform pelvic and physical exams. She can examine your reproductive organs during a pelvic exam and determine whether your cervix or vagina is inflamed. A PAP smear will also be carried out to rule out the risk of cancer or other underlying problems.

At your visit, your doctor or nurse practitioner may prescribe a blood or urine pregnancy test to check whether it's due to pregnancy.

Treatment

The type of treatment will vary on the reasons for causing your menstrual cycle problems. Birth control tablets can decrease heavy periods and reduce PMS symptoms. If a higher or lighter than usual flow is caused by a thyroid condition or another hormonal imbalance, hormone replacement therapy may help you feel more regular.

Although hormones may cause dysmenorrhea, you may also need additional medical care to address the issue. For instance, pelvic inflammatory illness is treated with antibiotics.

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