Primary dysmenorrhea is a common and debilitating gynecological condition characterized by severe abdominal pain during menstruation. It affects between 45%-95% of menstruating women and has severe effects on their sleep, physical and mental health, and overall quality of life.
Because of this condition, many women develop an increased sensitivity to pain that makes them susceptible to other painful chronic conditions in the future. Other common symptoms of dysmenorrhea include nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, tiredness, bloating, headache, vomiting, etc.
This pain can happen due to contractions in the uterus (primary dysmenorrhea) or underlying disease (secondary dysmenorrhea).
Many health professionals and pain researchers overlook this condition today despite its high prevalence. Sometimes the women themselves accept this painful condition as a normal part of their cycles and ignore it. It is very important to know that it is not so and that you must get the right consultation from expert Ayurvedic doctors in time.
Read ahead to understand primary dysmenorrhea better and how you can manage it effectively with the right medicines for period cramps.
What Is Primary Dysmenorrhea?
Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common kind of menstrual pain caused by natural hormone-like chemical compounds in the body called prostaglandins. These compounds cause the uterine muscles and its blood vessels to contract when the uterus sheds its lining during menstruation.
Higher levels of prostaglandins cause more severe menstrual cramps, abdominal pain, and inflammation in the system. These levels are the highest on the first day of the period and go down with bleeding as the uterine lining is shed.
Women can experience this pain anytime between their first period and the time of menopause. Over 80% of women experience it at some point in their lives. It usually happens in the form of menstrual cramps that cause mild pain and discomfort.
Sometimes, the uterine contractions are not even noticed. But among 5%-10% of those women, the pain is severe enough to disrupt their daily lives and workflow.
For the women who get their period before the age of 11 years, experience excess stress levels, have longer or heavier periods, or smoke, the risk of primary dysmenorrhea is higher, and the pain is usually more severe.
How to Manage It?
When treating primary dysmenorrhea, most medical professionals prescribe conventional medicines for period cramps and over-the-counter drugs like painkillers and antidepressants as their first step.
Certain pain-relieving drugs like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) target the prostaglandins, reduce their production, and weaken their effects on the system to make the cramps less severe.
Less common methods to manage primary dysmenorrhea include progestin and estrogen-containing birth control methods, hormonal IUDs, physical and nerve stimulation therapies, etc. Other management options for this condition include
- Regular exercise,
- Applying heat to the abdomen,
- Relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation,
- Getting sufficient sleep.
It is important to know that these traditional prescription medicines for period cramps come with adverse side effects on health that can worsen the condition, such as
- Indigestion and stomach issues,
- Diarrhea or constipation,
- Loss of appetite,
- Dizziness or drowsiness,
- Insomnia,
- Headache,
- Allergies.
Furthermore, steroids and addictive morphine-based drugs can cause physical dependence, while NSAIDs can increase the risk of liver, kidney, and heart problems.
Vijaya: The Effective Alternative
Ayurvedic doctors today prescribe consuming Vijaya to help effectively alleviate dysmenorrhea pain and its symptoms. That is because this potent herb is revered for its robust pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties and a safer and more holistic approach to treating a health condition.
The reason why Vijaya is considered effective medicine for period cramps is its direct influence on the body’s ECS (the endocannabinoid system).
It is one of the most vital biological symptoms in the body that is responsible for regulating numerous key bodily functions, from digestive actions and metabolism to nervous function, immune response, pain, and inflammation.
The ECS comprises cannabinoid receptors spread throughout the body. They are of mainly two types, CB1 and CB2. The CB1 receptors are mostly present in the brain, while the CB2 types have a high concentration in the immune cells.
When patients consume Vijaya, its natural chemical compounds (cannabinoids) bind with these receptors and activate them. That causes the herb to regulate pain signaling and perception directly. By affecting the pain-processing regions in the brain and the nervous system through the CB1 receptors, it significantly reduces abdominal pain in dysmenorrhea patients.
Furthermore, by activating the CB2 receptors in the body’s immune system, Vijaya prevents the immune cells from producing inflammatory cytokine cells. It reduces inflammation in the system caused by excess prostaglandin production.
Its Holistic Action
Besides significantly alleviating the excess pain and inflammation in dysmenorrhea patients, Vijaya helps reduce the other causative conditions of the pain. It stimulates the CB1 receptors in the uterus tissues and muscle walls. That prevents the uterus from hyper-reacting to the menstrual cycles and producing excess prostaglandins.
The herb further directly influences the brain to reduce the high-stress levels, mood issues, and other mental health conditions among women suffering from dysmenorrhea. Doing this reduces the chances of this condition from occurring more frequently in the future.
Vijaya exhibits a tolerable safety profile for consumption because the medicines derived from it contain natural formulations with herbal ingredients. Hence, not only does it not show any side effects as shown by conventional drugs, but it also reduces the risk of physical dependency on the common addictive medications.
To know more about how you can leverage this potent herb to alleviate your primary dysmenorrhea pain and its symptoms, contact Hempstreet and get the right medical consultation from the best Ayurvedic doctors for yourself!
References
https://www.gskhealthpartner.com/en-us/pain-relief/conditions/menstrual-pain/causes/
