Period pain is sometimes minimized in our society. Part of the scientific community now compares it to that of a heart attack. When they are particularly violent, it is advisable to ask the question of endometriosis, a frequent and underdiagnosed disease.
Cramps in the lower abdomen, feeling of fatigue, headaches, etc… Once a month, women are subject to these inconveniences because of their period. Often minimized, this menstrual pain is now recognized: it would be “almost as strong as a heart attack”, says John Guillebaud, professor of reproductive medicine at University College London, in an interview with the Quartz magazine.
“Women doctors are sometimes not very emphatic”
Painful periods, or “dysmenorrhea” in scientific jargon, are manifested by cramps or contractions in the lower abdomen. Women who suffer the most have pain up to the middle of their back or thighs. The pain usually begins with the first bleeding and lasts two to three days. Thanks to analgesics (against pain) or antispasmodics (to fight against contractions of the uterus), women suffer less from their periods. On the other hand, aspirin is not recommended because it increases bleeding.
Professor John Guillebaud underlines that painful rules are still too minimized in society and even within the scientific community. “On the one hand, men, because they do not know these pains, underestimate their intensity in some patients. As for female doctors, they sometimes show little empathy because they do not suffer from it, or if they do, because they believe that their patients can overcome them.“, he develops.
“The contractions of childbirth are nothing next”
However, the extreme pain associated with menstruation can signal real pathologies such as endometriosis. This gynecological disease manifests itself at any age, when endometrial cells leave the uterus and lodge in the ovaries, peritoneum or other locations. They are subject to the action of the hormonal cycle and in particular bleeding within them during menstruation, constituting bags filled with blood.
“The pain is excruciating, the contractions of childbirth are nothing next! Explains Fabienne, whose first symptoms appeared at the age of 33. Suffering increases every day, the more blood we lose the more we suffer. Once, I thought I had passed out. “ To eradicate the pain, Fabienne had to give injections for two years and take pills until her menopause.
Endometriosis affects 10% of women, according to Inserm. But it is not the only disease that women face. Painful periods can also herald fibroids, polyps or infections. It is important to see a doctor if the pain is too severe.
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