General measures for management include patient education and reassurance. Treatment is supportive and should be guided by individual needs, as the severity of pain and degree of limitation of activity vary widely among women with dysmenorrhea.
Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the presence of recurrent, crampy, lower abdominal pain that occurs during menses in the absence of demonstrable disease that could account for these symptoms. The diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea, which is one of exclusion, is made more often in adolescents and young women.
Obstetric causes - The combination of crampy pelvic pain and uterine bleeding is also characteristic of pregnancy loss (miscarriage) and ectopic pregnancy. These disorders should be suspected in a woman with new onset of pain and recent menstrual irregularity and are readily excluded by a negative pregnancy test.
Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the presence of recurrent, crampy, lower abdominal pain that occurs during menses in the absence of demonstrable disease that could account for these symptoms. The diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea, which is one of exclusion, is made more often in adolescents and young women.
Timing of pain - Dysmenorrhea is characterized by pain that begins just prior to or with the onset of menstrual flow and typically resolves within 12 to 72 hours. Characteristics and severity of pain - The pain of dysmenorrhea is typically crampy, midline lower abdominal or suprapubic pain.
If secondary dysmenorrhea is suspected, then laboratory testing targeted at the presumed underlying etiology is performed. Possible tests may include: -Testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia should be performed in all sexually active patients as well as in patients suspected of having cervicitis or PID.
Dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation, is a common problem experienced by women in their reproductive years. Dysmenorrhea can be a primary process or secondary to other pelvic pathology. For clinical purposes, dysmenorrhea is divided into two broad categories, primary and secondary. Click again to see term 👆. Tap again to see term 👆.