Painful menstruation is also called Dysmenorrhoea.
But what exactly causes the pain?
°°°°
1. Every month (for context a normal cycle runs between 21 and 35 days), a woman's body undergoes a deeply fascinating journey that revolves around releasing an Egg from either of her Ovaries which goes on blind date by travelling towards either of her fallopian tubes, all in the hopes of meeting a male Sperm, while her womb (Uterus) builds special reinforcements to accommodate a successful outcome of this union — Pregnancy.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴.
2. For most months, this blind date would be interupted, either by the absence of a viable male sperm or some other reason. In any case where the objective of pregnancy fails, the reinforcements built by the womb would have to be demolished.
This demolition and subsequent ejection of the building materials through the woman's Vagina is what comprises the menstrual flow.
3. Since most of the building materials are relatively solid structures, the woman's body produces special local chemicals within the womb which liquefy the materials into fluid form to enable them flow out from the Vagina easily.
Of all the chemicals, two most notable chemicals that ensure this liquefaction are:
- Prostaglandin
- Vasopressin
4. Unfortunately, these local chemicals cause several other effects while trying to perform their job.
- They cause spasms in the womb to control blood flow.
The outcome here is pain, which varies from being a mild tummy ache in some women, to a deeply excruciating painful crisis in others.
- They affect the movements of certain parts of the Intestine, causing watery stools, bloatedness and vomiting...and more pain.
- They reach other parts of the body and influence the production of other special chemicals that excite or depress certain parts of the brain.
This manifests as volatile mood swings, poor concentration, depression and other features.
#Part3
