Highlights of this issue
◎ Is dysmenorrhea a disease?
◎ What is the underlying pathogenesis of dysmenorrhea?
◎ Dysmenorrhea is considered serious only if it is painful
◎ How to solve dysmenorrhea well
In this article, Dianhetang has compiled the 10 most critical questions about dysmenorrhea from the three aspects of “causes of dysmenorrhea”, “characteristics of dysmenorrhea” and “how to solve dysmenorrhea”. The answers to many of these questions, even if there are Women who have had dysmenorrhea for many years may not understand it very clearly, so let’s follow Dian Hetang’s analysis to clarify these 10 major issues and get rid of the many misunderstandings about dysmenorrhea.
The root cause of dysmenorrhea: 3 key questions
01
Is dysmenorrhea a disease?
If the dysmenorrhea is only occasional and mild, and there are clear triggers, such as eating a large amount of spicy food before menstruation, or performing strenuous exercise, as well as emotional stress, excitement, and changes in the environment, it may lead to occasional dysmenorrhea.
Dysmenorrhea in this case is not considered a disease, but care must be taken to avoid repeated stimulation caused by such inducements, otherwise it can easily escalate into a disease. Of course, it is best to observe carefully for several months to rule out dysmenorrhea caused by uterine fibroids and other female reproductive organ lesions.
Relatively regular dysmenorrhea, no matter how severe it is, is generally considered a disease. Dysmenorrhea refers to lower abdominal pain and bloating before or during menstruation, which may be accompanied by backache or other discomfort. The pain is often spasmodic, usually located on the pubic bone in the lower abdomen, and can radiate to the waist and inner thighs. And divided into the following two types:
Primary dysmenorrhea (PD)
Also known as functional dysmenorrhea, it refers to dysmenorrhea without organic lesions in the genitals, accounting for more than 90% of dysmenorrhea.
Secondary dysmenorrhea (SD)
Also known as organic dysmenorrhea, it refers to dysmenorrhea caused by organic lesions in the pelvis, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, etc.
02
What is the underlying mechanism of dysmenorrhea?
Prostaglandins [1] are currently recognized as one of the most important factors causing dysmenorrhea, and the fundamental mechanism of dysmenorrhea is directly related to “stasis” [2].
The fundamental mechanism of “dysmenorrhea”
When microcirculation disorders occur in the endometrium and myometrium, or when the ovaries are blocked, the endometrium may not grow, proliferate, necrosis, or fall off normally, or part of the endometrium may invade the muscle tissue of the uterine wall or Planted outside the uterine cavity, when menstruation occurs, Because the endometrium does not shed smoothly, the myometrium will undergo spasmodic contractions with excessive production of prostaglandins,resulting in dysmenorrhea such as lower abdominal pain and bloating; at the same time, microcirculation disorders, ovarian congestion, fallopian tube congestion, etc. can also lead to abnormal uterine and ovarian function.
03
What is the connection between dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation?
Because the two often occur together, some women mistakenly believe that there may be some causal connection between “irregular menstruation” and “dysmenorrhea”. The two may occur in sequence in time, but the one who comes first is not the cause of the one who comes later, and there is no saying that which one of the two is more serious.
In fact, it is because most dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation are caused by blockage in the uterus, so these two problems often coexist in the same woman.
Characteristics of Dysmenorrhea Key 2 Questions
01
What are the characteristics of dysmenorrhea caused by “stasis”?
When blockage occurs in a woman’s endometrium and myometrium, in addition to causing dysmenorrhea, it may also cause:
① Menstrual disorders, which can be manifested as abnormalities in menstrual cycles, menstrual periods, and menstrual volume;
② Infertility or ectopic pregnancy;
③ Adenomyosis, endometriosis, low back pain, early menopause, ovarian cysts, premature ovarian failure or worsening of menopausal symptoms;
④ Cold in the uterus, etc.
In addition, if blockage is not limited to the uterus, the common effects of blockage on women include urinary problems (such as frequent urination, urgency, leakage, urinary incontinence, etc.), as well as sensitivity to cold, cold hands and feet, chloasma, Acne etc.
Therefore, most dysmenorrhea caused by blockage may be accompanied by other problems caused by blockage, such as frequent urination, sensitivity to cold, irregular menstruation, back pain, spots and acne, etc. It’s just that the degree of blockage is different, and the various symptoms or degrees they ultimately cause are different. Therefore, if timely intervention is not performed on the blockage, related symptoms will generally increase and worsen.
02
How to judge the severity of dysmenorrhea?
Dysmenorrhea can be roughly divided into three levels: mild, moderate and severe:
| Mild dysmenorrhea |
| There is pain, but it does not affect daily activities and work is rarely affected;No other accompanying symptoms;Painkillers are rarely used. |
| Moderate dysmenorrhea |
| Daily activities are limited, which has a certain impact on work;It is rarely accompanied by symptoms such as low back pain and fatigue;Painkillers are required and effective. |
| Severe dysmenorrhea |
| Pain significantly limits daily activities and work;Symptoms associated with the whole body, such as nausea, low back pain, fatigue, and pale complexion, are obvious;Painkillers don’t work well. |
Kind tips
Regardless of the severity, dysmenorrhea should be intervened in time. On the one hand, it can reduce the pain for the patient, and on the other hand, it can also prevent the congestion from worsening and causing more complex and severe symptoms.
Treatment of dysmenorrhea: 5 key questions
01
Can dysmenorrhea heal on its own?
As mentioned above, if dysmenorrhea is occasional dysmenorrhea caused by external stimulation, as long as you pay attention to avoiding those stimulating factors, you could effectively avoid dysmenorrhea.
Most disease-like dysmenorrhea is caused by stasis. Mild stasis that does not cause disease may be prevented and controlled through good living habits. Once stasis causes various symptoms and diseases such as dysmenorrhea, medical treatment must be used to correct it.
Since stasis occurs during normal metabolism and aging, blindly believing that “dysmenorrhea can heal itself” without timely treatment will only lead to its worsening and other more serious symptoms and diseases.
02
Could dysmenorrhea be cured?
Dysmenorrhea caused by stasis can be completely cured. Now there are good methods to deal with stasis and blockage. Therefore, related problems such as dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, spots and acne in women caused by stasis can be completely solved.
03
Could some common physical therapies solve menstrual cramps?
Physical therapies such as drinking hot water, drinking brown sugar water, or hot compresses can only temporarily and slightly improve local circulation, thereby relieving pain symptoms to a certain extent. However, it cannot solve the root cause of most dysmenorrhea – “stasis”, and can only be used as an auxiliary way to improve symptoms.
In addition, a special reminder is that some women choose to use massage to relieve menstrual cramps. Dianhetang does not recommend this method, especially during menstruation. Improper massage can easily aggravate local congestion due to pressure and aggravate stasis, thus aggravating various symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
04
How to resolve dysmenorrhea caused by stasis?
The fundamental solution to dysmenorrhea caused by stasis is naturally to “clear the stasis.”
Since stasis and the problems it causes are often systemic problems, solving it and the symptoms and diseases it causes requires treating people as a whole and starting from the relationship between the normal physiological functioning of the human body, the immune mechanism and the occurrence and development of diseases. Focus on the common characteristics and patterns of diseases, starting from the root factors of various diseases caused by stasis. Using a systematic approach, combined with dispersing stagnation and replenishing to achieve thorough and comprehensive removal of stasis, multi-component, multi-target, combined with ways to activate blood circulation, reduce swelling, drain pus, relieve stranguria and diuresis, reduce inflammation, clear heat, and diuresis to fundamentally solve the problem .
Based on more than two thousand years of traditional medical wisdom and with the help of modern medical perspectives, we can summarize several traditional Chinese medicine raw materials that are particularly outstanding in dispersing stagnation, activating blood circulation, diuresis, diuresis, clearing away heat, and tonifying:
Bee pollen, dandelion, Houttuynia cordata, purslane, poria, platycodon, peach kernel
Among them, bee pollen is known as an “all-round nutritional food”. The last six common plant raw materials are all items that have the same origin as medicine and food and are listed in Appendix 1 of the《List of Items that Are Both Food and Medicines》in the 《Notice on Further Standardizing the Management of Health Food Raw Materials》published by the Ministry of Health. Suitable for daily use.
What needs to be reminded about clearing stasis is that because everyone has different degrees of stasis and different disease symptoms, the specific effects of clearing stasis at different stages will also be different:
【Stage 1】
Relieve irritation and oppression and eliminate most symptoms
The effect of clearing stasis in the first stage is mainly reflected in the removal of stagnant metabolites, secretions and other toxins in the organs and tissues to improve the microcirculation/microenvironment, thereby relieving the stimulation and compression of nerves and tissues, and eliminating most of the stasis-induced various symptoms.
【Stage 2】
Improve functions and steadily eliminate symptoms
The desilting effect of this stage is mainly reflected in further optimizing the internal environment, improving the body’s self-healing ability, and restoring the body’s functions, thus stably eliminating a small number of remaining minor symptoms and improving systemic chronic inflammation.
【Stage 3】
Prevent stasis and maintain a healthy state of smooth vitality
The effect of clearing stasis at this stage is mainly reflected in preventing the occurrence of stasis, improving the body’s circulatory metabolism, and strengthening the immune system, thereby preventing the occurrence of diseases and keeping the body in a smooth, energetic and healthy state.
05
Does the treatment of dysmenorrhea need to be combined with improvements in lifestyle habits?
Of course, because compared to stasis caused by metabolism and aging.Bad living habits(such as irregular work and rest, staying up late, drinking, indulgence, excessive fatigue, etc.; high mental stress or emotional stimulation; unreasonable and unbalanced diet, liking spicy, fatty, raw and cold foods; sitting for a long time and doing little exercise; not paying attention to keeping warm, etc. )is the more important culprit causing various diseases.
Various types of stasis diseases [3] can be said to be “lifestyle diseases”. Therefore, in addition to relying on external intervention and treatment, the improvement of living habits is of great significance for auxiliary treatment and subsequent disease prevention.
Women with dysmenorrhea need to pay special attention to reducing the intake of spicy and cold foods and drinks, keep their abdomen warm at ordinary times, and try to keep their emotions as calm as possible. For more details on lifestyle adjustments [4], see the bottom of the article.
Knowledge expansion
- Prostaglandins and dysmenorrhea
Prostaglandins are currently recognized as one of the most important factors causing dysmenorrhea. Among them, prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) play an important role in participating in the contraction and relaxation of uterine myocytes. Prostaglandins are generated in the later stages of menstrual secretion to promote uterine The endometrium sloughs off and bleeds. Patients with primary dysmenorrhea have higher levels of PGF2α in their menstrual blood and endometrium than those without dysmenorrhea. The increase in the PGF2α/PGE2 ratio can lead to contraction of uterine blood vessels and myometrium, increased uterine activity, excessive contracture, reduced blood flow, and tissue deficiency. Lack of oxygen in the blood causes pain. Other studies have shown that PGF2α can also increase the sensitivity of nerve endings to pain.
[2] Stisis
| Traditional Chinese Medicine | Physical stasis in traditional Chinese medicine mainly refers to qi stagnation, blood stasis, accumulation of turbid evil, etc. Its manifestations include blockage of meridians, which can be tangible or intangible. Because the organs and tissues of the human body need to be nourished by qi and blood. When there is qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm coagulation, dampness accumulation and other blockages in the body, it will cause organ dysfunction, disharmony between qi and blood, and accumulation of turbid evils, and the body will be in trouble. You will feel uncomfortable; if the blockage lasts for too long, it will easily develop into various diseases. Therefore, Chinese medicine believes that all diseases arise from stasis. |
| Western medicine | From the perspective of Western medicine, the main manifestations of stasis are blockage caused by microcirculatory disorders and blockage caused by poor discharge of metabolites and secretions in tissue and organ cavities or pipes, and the two will promote and influence each other. Microcirculation is the blood circulation between arterioles and venules. The basic function of microcirculation is to exchange substances between blood and tissue fluid. Under normal circumstances, the blood flow of microcirculation adapts to the metabolic level of tissues and organs, ensuring the blood perfusion of various tissues and organs and regulating the amount of blood returned to the heart. If microcirculation is disrupted, the intracellular environment of tissues and organs will become clogged, resulting in insufficient blood supply, insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen; carbon dioxide and other metabolic wastes produced by tissue cell metabolism cannot be taken away well, resulting in intracellular Environmental deterioration compresses and stimulates tissues and nerves, directly affecting the health of cells and the physiological functions of various organs; at the same time, stasis also affects the movement of immune cells, reducing human immunity and disease resistance. Stagnation caused by poor discharge of metabolites and secretions from tissue and organ cavities or ducts will deteriorate the internal environment of the tissue or organ, impair its functions, and prevent it from working properly. Moreover, stasis can also compress and irritate tissues and nerves, causing various uncomfortable symptoms. |
[3] Various diseases that can be caused by stasis include prostate diseases, urinary system diseases, gynecological diseases, gout, cysts, stones, etc., and even cancer.
[4] Lifestyle adjustment program for women with dysmenorrhea
| Diet | Women with dysmenorrhea should pay special attention to avoid cold food, especially iced drinks. Low-temperature food will cause poor blood circulation and cause cold coagulation, aggravating stasis. And long-term consumption of raw and cold ice drinks may reduce the basal metabolic rate. |
| Activity | If you have dysmenorrhea, you should strengthen daily appropriate exercise, improve basal metabolism, and keep the body’s blood circulation smooth at all times, which can prevent or slow down the occurrence of stasis. However, attention should be paid to resting during and before menstruation. For women with long-term dysmenorrhea, the stasis is often severe. Not only does a single exercise not help clear the stasis, but it will cause the blood that has accelerated in a short period of time to swell and block the stasis, aggravating the pain. |
| Keep warm | In the same way as the first two, keep warm every day: mainly add clothes when cooling down, paying special attention to keeping the lower abdomen area warm; whether you are drinking water, bathing or washing things, especially during menstruation, you need to ensure that the water temperature is appropriately higher than body temperature; and Avoid blowing the air conditioner for a long time during and before and after menstruation. When blowing, you can increase the temperature appropriately. These measures are all to prevent cold air from invading the body and exacerbating stasis. |
| Work and rest | Women with dysmenorrhea should try to avoid staying up late. Staying up late will not only reduce body metabolism and immunity, but also disrupt hormone secretion, aggravating congestion at multiple levels. Women who have experienced it should know: staying up late during menstruation will significantly increase the pain. |
| Wear | Regardless of whether there is dysmenorrhea or not, women must wear less tight clothing (especially during menstruation). Such clothing can easily impede blood flow, increase pelvic and abdominal pressure, and cause menstrual blood to become more sluggish or reflux and other abnormalities. |
| Mood | Emotional fluctuations will directly affect blood flow and disrupt the secretion of various hormones, thereby aggravating the body’s metabolic failure. During menstruation, women are already affected by the fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone and are prone to mood swings. At this time, they must avoid things that may affect their mood to avoid further stimulation that may lead to mood swings and worsen pain. During menstruation, women can create a comfortable environment for themselves, read books instead of watching emotionally stimulating videos, listen to more soothing music, and wear pure cotton and soft clothes. |
◎ Is dysmenorrhea a disease?
◎ What is the underlying pathogenesis of dysmenorrhea?
◎ Dysmenorrhea is considered serious only if it is painful
◎ How to solve dysmenorrhea well
In this article, Dianhetang has compiled the 10 most critical questions about dysmenorrhea from the three aspects of “causes of dysmenorrhea”, “characteristics of dysmenorrhea” and “how to solve dysmenorrhea”. The answers to many of these questions, even if there are Women who have had dysmenorrhea for many years may not understand it very clearly, so let’s follow Dian Hetang’s analysis to clarify these 10 major issues and get rid of the many misunderstandings about dysmenorrhea.
The root cause of dysmenorrhea: 3 key questions
01
Is dysmenorrhea a disease?
If the dysmenorrhea is only occasional and mild, and there are clear triggers, such as eating a large amount of spicy food before menstruation, or performing strenuous exercise, as well as emotional stress, excitement, and changes in the environment, it may lead to occasional dysmenorrhea.
Dysmenorrhea in this case is not considered a disease, but care must be taken to avoid repeated stimulation caused by such inducements, otherwise it can easily escalate into a disease. Of course, it is best to observe carefully for several months to rule out dysmenorrhea caused by uterine fibroids and other female reproductive organ lesions.
Relatively regular dysmenorrhea, no matter how severe it is, is generally considered a disease. Dysmenorrhea refers to lower abdominal pain and bloating before or during menstruation, which may be accompanied by backache or other discomfort. The pain is often spasmodic, usually located on the pubic bone in the lower abdomen, and can radiate to the waist and inner thighs. And divided into the following two types:
Primary dysmenorrhea (PD)
Also known as functional dysmenorrhea, it refers to dysmenorrhea without organic lesions in the genitals, accounting for more than 90% of dysmenorrhea.
Secondary dysmenorrhea (SD)
Also known as organic dysmenorrhea, it refers to dysmenorrhea caused by organic lesions in the pelvis, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, etc.
02
What is the underlying mechanism of dysmenorrhea?
Prostaglandins [1] are currently recognized as one of the most important factors causing dysmenorrhea, and the fundamental mechanism of dysmenorrhea is directly related to “stasis” [2].
The fundamental mechanism of “dysmenorrhea”
When microcirculation disorders occur in the endometrium and myometrium, or when the ovaries are blocked, the endometrium may not grow, proliferate, necrosis, or fall off normally, or part of the endometrium may invade the muscle tissue of the uterine wall or Planted outside the uterine cavity, when menstruation occurs, Because the endometrium does not shed smoothly, the myometrium will undergo spasmodic contractions with excessive production of prostaglandins,resulting in dysmenorrhea such as lower abdominal pain and bloating; at the same time, microcirculation disorders, ovarian congestion, fallopian tube congestion, etc. can also lead to abnormal uterine and ovarian function.
03
What is the connection between dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation?
Because the two often occur together, some women mistakenly believe that there may be some causal connection between “irregular menstruation” and “dysmenorrhea”. The two may occur in sequence in time, but the one who comes first is not the cause of the one who comes later, and there is no saying that which one of the two is more serious.
In fact, it is because most dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation are caused by blockage in the uterus, so these two problems often coexist in the same woman.
Characteristics of Dysmenorrhea Key 2 Questions
01
What are the characteristics of dysmenorrhea caused by “stasis”?
When blockage occurs in a woman’s endometrium and myometrium, in addition to causing dysmenorrhea, it may also cause:
① Menstrual disorders, which can be manifested as abnormalities in menstrual cycles, menstrual periods, and menstrual volume;
② Infertility or ectopic pregnancy;
③ Adenomyosis, endometriosis, low back pain, early menopause, ovarian cysts, premature ovarian failure or worsening of menopausal symptoms;
④ Cold in the uterus, etc.
In addition, if blockage is not limited to the uterus, the common effects of blockage on women include urinary problems (such as frequent urination, urgency, leakage, urinary incontinence, etc.), as well as sensitivity to cold, cold hands and feet, chloasma, Acne etc.
Therefore, most dysmenorrhea caused by blockage may be accompanied by other problems caused by blockage, such as frequent urination, sensitivity to cold, irregular menstruation, back pain, spots and acne, etc. It’s just that the degree of blockage is different, and the various symptoms or degrees they ultimately cause are different. Therefore, if timely intervention is not performed on the blockage, related symptoms will generally increase and worsen.
02
How to judge the severity of dysmenorrhea?
Dysmenorrhea can be roughly divided into three levels: mild, moderate and severe:
| Mild dysmenorrhea |
| There is pain, but it does not affect daily activities and work is rarely affected;No other accompanying symptoms;Painkillers are rarely used. |
| Moderate dysmenorrhea |
| Daily activities are limited, which has a certain impact on work;It is rarely accompanied by symptoms such as low back pain and fatigue;Painkillers are required and effective. |
| Severe dysmenorrhea |
| Pain significantly limits daily activities and work;Symptoms associated with the whole body, such as nausea, low back pain, fatigue, and pale complexion, are obvious;Painkillers don’t work well. |
Kind tips
Regardless of the severity, dysmenorrhea should be intervened in time. On the one hand, it can reduce the pain for the patient, and on the other hand, it can also prevent the congestion from worsening and causing more complex and severe symptoms.
Treatment of dysmenorrhea: 5 key questions
01
Can dysmenorrhea heal on its own?
As mentioned above, if dysmenorrhea is occasional dysmenorrhea caused by external stimulation, as long as you pay attention to avoiding those stimulating factors, you could effectively avoid dysmenorrhea.
Most disease-like dysmenorrhea is caused by stasis. Mild stasis that does not cause disease may be prevented and controlled through good living habits. Once stasis causes various symptoms and diseases such as dysmenorrhea, medical treatment must be used to correct it.
Since stasis occurs during normal metabolism and aging, blindly believing that “dysmenorrhea can heal itself” without timely treatment will only lead to its worsening and other more serious symptoms and diseases.
02
Could dysmenorrhea be cured?
Dysmenorrhea caused by stasis can be completely cured. Now there are good methods to deal with stasis and blockage. Therefore, related problems such as dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, spots and acne in women caused by stasis can be completely solved.
03
Could some common physical therapies solve menstrual cramps?
Physical therapies such as drinking hot water, drinking brown sugar water, or hot compresses can only temporarily and slightly improve local circulation, thereby relieving pain symptoms to a certain extent. However, it cannot solve the root cause of most dysmenorrhea – “stasis”, and can only be used as an auxiliary way to improve symptoms.
In addition, a special reminder is that some women choose to use massage to relieve menstrual cramps. Dianhetang does not recommend this method, especially during menstruation. Improper massage can easily aggravate local congestion due to pressure and aggravate stasis, thus aggravating various symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
04
How to resolve dysmenorrhea caused by stasis?
The fundamental solution to dysmenorrhea caused by stasis is naturally to “clear the stasis.”
Since stasis and the problems it causes are often systemic problems, solving it and the symptoms and diseases it causes requires treating people as a whole and starting from the relationship between the normal physiological functioning of the human body, the immune mechanism and the occurrence and development of diseases. Focus on the common characteristics and patterns of diseases, starting from the root factors of various diseases caused by stasis. Using a systematic approach, combined with dispersing stagnation and replenishing to achieve thorough and comprehensive removal of stasis, multi-component, multi-target, combined with ways to activate blood circulation, reduce swelling, drain pus, relieve stranguria and diuresis, reduce inflammation, clear heat, and diuresis to fundamentally solve the problem .
Based on more than two thousand years of traditional medical wisdom and with the help of modern medical perspectives, we can summarize several traditional Chinese medicine raw materials that are particularly outstanding in dispersing stagnation, activating blood circulation, diuresis, diuresis, clearing away heat, and tonifying:
Bee pollen, dandelion, Houttuynia cordata, purslane, poria, platycodon, peach kernel
Among them, bee pollen is known as an “all-round nutritional food”. The last six common plant raw materials are all items that have the same origin as medicine and food and are listed in Appendix 1 of the《List of Items that Are Both Food and Medicines》in the 《Notice on Further Standardizing the Management of Health Food Raw Materials》published by the Ministry of Health. Suitable for daily use.
What needs to be reminded about clearing stasis is that because everyone has different degrees of stasis and different disease symptoms, the specific effects of clearing stasis at different stages will also be different:
【Stage 1】
Relieve irritation and oppression and eliminate most symptoms
The effect of clearing stasis in the first stage is mainly reflected in the removal of stagnant metabolites, secretions and other toxins in the organs and tissues to improve the microcirculation/microenvironment, thereby relieving the stimulation and compression of nerves and tissues, and eliminating most of the stasis-induced various symptoms.
【Stage 2】
Improve functions and steadily eliminate symptoms
The desilting effect of this stage is mainly reflected in further optimizing the internal environment, improving the body’s self-healing ability, and restoring the body’s functions, thus stably eliminating a small number of remaining minor symptoms and improving systemic chronic inflammation.
【Stage 3】
Prevent stasis and maintain a healthy state of smooth vitality
The effect of clearing stasis at this stage is mainly reflected in preventing the occurrence of stasis, improving the body’s circulatory metabolism, and strengthening the immune system, thereby preventing the occurrence of diseases and keeping the body in a smooth, energetic and healthy state.
05
Does the treatment of dysmenorrhea need to be combined with improvements in lifestyle habits?
Of course, because compared to stasis caused by metabolism and aging.Bad living habits(such as irregular work and rest, staying up late, drinking, indulgence, excessive fatigue, etc.; high mental stress or emotional stimulation; unreasonable and unbalanced diet, liking spicy, fatty, raw and cold foods; sitting for a long time and doing little exercise; not paying attention to keeping warm, etc. )is the more important culprit causing various diseases.
Various types of stasis diseases [3] can be said to be “lifestyle diseases”. Therefore, in addition to relying on external intervention and treatment, the improvement of living habits is of great significance for auxiliary treatment and subsequent disease prevention.
Women with dysmenorrhea need to pay special attention to reducing the intake of spicy and cold foods and drinks, keep their abdomen warm at ordinary times, and try to keep their emotions as calm as possible. For more details on lifestyle adjustments [4], see the bottom of the article.
Knowledge expansion
- Prostaglandins and dysmenorrhea
Prostaglandins are currently recognized as one of the most important factors causing dysmenorrhea. Among them, prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) play an important role in participating in the contraction and relaxation of uterine myocytes. Prostaglandins are generated in the later stages of menstrual secretion to promote uterine The endometrium sloughs off and bleeds. Patients with primary dysmenorrhea have higher levels of PGF2α in their menstrual blood and endometrium than those without dysmenorrhea. The increase in the PGF2α/PGE2 ratio can lead to contraction of uterine blood vessels and myometrium, increased uterine activity, excessive contracture, reduced blood flow, and tissue deficiency. Lack of oxygen in the blood causes pain. Other studies have shown that PGF2α can also increase the sensitivity of nerve endings to pain.
[2] Stisis
| Traditional Chinese Medicine | Physical stasis in traditional Chinese medicine mainly refers to qi stagnation, blood stasis, accumulation of turbid evil, etc. Its manifestations include blockage of meridians, which can be tangible or intangible. Because the organs and tissues of the human body need to be nourished by qi and blood. When there is qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm coagulation, dampness accumulation and other blockages in the body, it will cause organ dysfunction, disharmony between qi and blood, and accumulation of turbid evils, and the body will be in trouble. You will feel uncomfortable; if the blockage lasts for too long, it will easily develop into various diseases. Therefore, Chinese medicine believes that all diseases arise from stasis. |
| Western medicine | From the perspective of Western medicine, the main manifestations of stasis are blockage caused by microcirculatory disorders and blockage caused by poor discharge of metabolites and secretions in tissue and organ cavities or pipes, and the two will promote and influence each other. Microcirculation is the blood circulation between arterioles and venules. The basic function of microcirculation is to exchange substances between blood and tissue fluid. Under normal circumstances, the blood flow of microcirculation adapts to the metabolic level of tissues and organs, ensuring the blood perfusion of various tissues and organs and regulating the amount of blood returned to the heart. If microcirculation is disrupted, the intracellular environment of tissues and organs will become clogged, resulting in insufficient blood supply, insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen; carbon dioxide and other metabolic wastes produced by tissue cell metabolism cannot be taken away well, resulting in intracellular Environmental deterioration compresses and stimulates tissues and nerves, directly affecting the health of cells and the physiological functions of various organs; at the same time, stasis also affects the movement of immune cells, reducing human immunity and disease resistance. Stagnation caused by poor discharge of metabolites and secretions from tissue and organ cavities or ducts will deteriorate the internal environment of the tissue or organ, impair its functions, and prevent it from working properly. Moreover, stasis can also compress and irritate tissues and nerves, causing various uncomfortable symptoms. |
[3] Various diseases that can be caused by stasis include prostate diseases, urinary system diseases, gynecological diseases, gout, cysts, stones, etc., and even cancer.
[4] Lifestyle adjustment program for women with dysmenorrhea
| Diet | Women with dysmenorrhea should pay special attention to avoid cold food, especially iced drinks. Low-temperature food will cause poor blood circulation and cause cold coagulation, aggravating stasis. And long-term consumption of raw and cold ice drinks may reduce the basal metabolic rate. |
| Activity | If you have dysmenorrhea, you should strengthen daily appropriate exercise, improve basal metabolism, and keep the body’s blood circulation smooth at all times, which can prevent or slow down the occurrence of stasis. However, attention should be paid to resting during and before menstruation. For women with long-term dysmenorrhea, the stasis is often severe. Not only does a single exercise not help clear the stasis, but it will cause the blood that has accelerated in a short period of time to swell and block the stasis, aggravating the pain. |
| Keep warm | In the same way as the first two, keep warm every day: mainly add clothes when cooling down, paying special attention to keeping the lower abdomen area warm; whether you are drinking water, bathing or washing things, especially during menstruation, you need to ensure that the water temperature is appropriately higher than body temperature; and Avoid blowing the air conditioner for a long time during and before and after menstruation. When blowing, you can increase the temperature appropriately. These measures are all to prevent cold air from invading the body and exacerbating stasis. |
| Work and rest | Women with dysmenorrhea should try to avoid staying up late. Staying up late will not only reduce body metabolism and immunity, but also disrupt hormone secretion, aggravating congestion at multiple levels. Women who have experienced it should know: staying up late during menstruation will significantly increase the pain. |
| Wear | Regardless of whether there is dysmenorrhea or not, women must wear less tight clothing (especially during menstruation). Such clothing can easily impede blood flow, increase pelvic and abdominal pressure, and cause menstrual blood to become more sluggish or reflux and other abnormalities. |
| Mood | Emotional fluctuations will directly affect blood flow and disrupt the secretion of various hormones, thereby aggravating the body’s metabolic failure. During menstruation, women are already affected by the fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone and are prone to mood swings. At this time, they must avoid things that may affect their mood to avoid further stimulation that may lead to mood swings and worsen pain. During menstruation, women can create a comfortable environment for themselves, read books instead of watching emotionally stimulating videos, listen to more soothing music, and wear pure cotton and soft clothes. |
