Many women complain that their stomach hurts a week before menstruation. Such a malaise causes discomfort and significantly reduces the quality of life. This worries about 60% of women. In 10% of the pain are intense, you have to take painkillers. If a woman is healthy, pains, as a rule, short and short-term, pass without consequences. In some cases, the pain is severe, lasts a week, without losing intensity, cause a lot of trouble. To understand how to deal with them, you need to consult a doctor to find out the cause and, if necessary, the appointment of adequate treatment.
Causes of abdominal pain a week before menstruation
All changes in the female body in reproductive age depend on the production of hormones in this period. The hormonal background of a woman is constantly changing. In the second half of the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels increase sharply. In some women with predisposing factors to intestinal dysfunction, hormonal dysfunctions provoke:
• decrease in intestinal motility up to atony;
• increased gas formation;
• constipation.
These are the causes of abdominal pain a week before menstruation.
Algomenorrhea - one of the main reasons
Algomenorrhea - this general term in gynecology refers to a common deviation in which to bother soreness during menstruation and there is a disorder of menstrual function.
According to statistics, every second woman is observed. It manifests itself in pains in the lower abdomen a week before menstruation. The nature of the pain is pulling or cramping. Continue throughout the cycle.
Algomenorrhea is primary or secondary.
The causes of primary algomenorrhea are:
incorrect location of the uterus (possibly the location of the ankle);
intrauterine contraception (spiral);
low amounts of prostaglandins.
Secondary algomenorrhea occurs in connection with:
inflammatory processes in the female genital organs;
gynecological operations.
Secondary algomenorrhea is often accompanied by:
fever;
soreness in the lower back;
bloating.
With algomenorrhea, mood and performance suffer: it is accompanied by weakness and depression.
Premenstrual Syndrome - Cause of Abdominal Pain
A decrease in estrogen and progesterone immediately before menstruation is accompanied by abdominal pain, a simultaneous increase and soreness of the mammary glands, a decreased mood, irritability.
If the level of progesterone is very low during this period, the pain and discomfort in the abdomen are intensified even more.
With the approach of menstruation, the level of progesterone decreases, and this is manifested by PMS (premenstrual syndrome), the symptoms of which:
headaches;
dizziness;
prostration;
irritability;
manifestations of aggression;
depression;
nausea.
Before the menstruation itself:
drowsiness;
fatigue;
subfebrile condition.
The pains of the premenstrual period and pain, the source of which may be the intestine, differ in character:
PMS is manifested by dull aching pulling pains in the lower abdomen;
with intestinal pathology - spasmodic pain, accompanied by flatulence, rumbling, bloating;
Physiological causes of pain
Another reason for abdominal pain a week before menstruation is an increase and swelling of the uterus before menstruation: the uterus is being prepared for conception.
In addition, before menstruation, there is a delay and accumulation of fluid in the body, which leads to a slight increase in the abdomen and heaviness in the abdomen. There is a change in water - electrolyte balance, which also provokes the appearance of pain.
Ovulatory pain
Sometimes the causes of abdominal pain a week before menstruation are associated with late ovulation. These are the most harmless pains.
Ovulatory pain is constantly experienced by 20% of women. These pains can appear when a cycle is established, and then do not disturb, or vice versa. Ovulatory pains appear a week (sometimes two) before the onset of menstruation. They are localized in the lower abdomen, but in most cases - on the right or left, depending on the location of the egg. They arise due to rupture of the follicle and slight bleeding, which, getting on the abdominal wall, irritates it, causing pain. Ovulatory pains are not pathological. Rather, it is a feature of the female body. In order to be completely sure of this, you should still visit a gynecologist.
Acyclic pain
Acyclic pains are not associated with menstruation, but they are prolonged and do not stop with conventional means. The reasons are:
endometriosis;
adhesive process;
congestion in the pelvis;
varicose veins of the pelvis;
uterine fibroids.
The pathology of other organs can become a source of acyclic pain:
cystitis;
urolithiasis disease;
osteoarthrosis, etc.
With uterine fibroids, breasts may fill up, swelling appears, and mild pulling pains appear in the abdomen, which disappear as suddenly as they started.
Pregnancy is the cause of abdominal pain
Pregnancy is often one of the causes of pain, the cause is an increase in the tone of the uterus. Soreness on the right and on the left accompanies an ectopic pregnancy: the narrow lumen of the fallopian tubes prevents the fertilized egg from entering the uterus. It is implanted into the wall of the tube. In such cases, there is a delay, and pain from the lower abdomen often radiates to the rectum. With increasing pain, the appearance of nausea, dizziness, weakness, up to loss of consciousness, it is necessary to consult a doctor immediately, since if the tube is broken, the treatment is only surgical.
Other causes of pain
In many cases, when the stomach hurts a week before menstruation, this is completely unrelated to the menstrual cycle, but has other reasons:
inflammation in the pelvis of an infectious nature or after hypothermia;
various bowel diseases;
injuries.
If abdominal pain shortly before menstruation occurs regularly and is so severe that you have to take painkillers, this is not the norm. It is necessary to consult a doctor to determine the causes and prescribe adequate treatment.
The cause of intense pain can be a violation in the organs of the reproductive sphere.
The occurrence of pain in the lower abdomen also lead to:
improper lifestyle (alcohol, smoking);
malnutrition;
intrauterine device as a means of contraception;
pathology of the pelvic organs, including - the incorrect location of the uterus;
trauma (abortion and childbirth);
ectopic pregnancy;
genetic predisposition.
low levels of endorphins;
violation of the cycle.
In what cases is a gynecologist consulted
If for the first time changes have occurred in the body that have not previously been observed, this is the reason for going to the doctor:
with a duration of pain more than 7 days;
with heavy bleeding accompanying pain;
at the same time the temperature rises;
several periods with short breaks for one month;
painless menstruation in the past;
suspected pregnancy;
fainting before or after PMS.
Similar pains can be a manifestation:
latent infection in the organs of the genital area;
serious illness.
What to do if your stomach hurts a week before your period
If it is found that the stomach hurts a week before menstruation due to hormonal disorders (inflammatory diseases and infections are excluded), the following methods can be used:
Do not be nervous, relax, sleep.
Use heat: A heating pad or hot water bottle applied to the stomach can soothe pain by relaxing the uterus.
Take a warm bath or shower - this will have a relaxing effect on all muscles and a calming effect on the nervous system.
Make a light massage at the site of pain.
Take painkillers before stopping the pain. Some experts recommend starting treatment a few days before the start of the menstrual cycle.
You can take a tincture of medicinal herbs that have a sedative effect - Valerian, Corvalol.
Eat right: include in your diet the maximum amount of fruit, water without gas. Exclude smoking, alcohol, reduce the use of coffee, spicy, fried, smoked food.
To do physical exercises - this strengthens blood vessels and normalizes blood circulation.
The use of contraceptives, which significantly reduce pain, in some cases completely relieve pain. Oral contraceptives effectively reduce the manifestations of PMS.
To prevent and reduce pain that occurs in the lower abdomen a week before menstruation, it is necessary to reduce nerve stress and stress.
Apply vitamins and minerals.
If an inflammatory disease is detected, it is urgently necessary to treat it in order to avoid complications in the future.
If you suspect a pregnancy, you need to do a test and if the result is positive, consult a doctor, because a high tone of the uterus can lead to spontaneous miscarriage. With an ectopic pregnancy, a catastrophe can occur in the form of a rupture of the fallopian tube, accompanied by bleeding.
Therefore, the question: what to do if the stomach hurts a week before menstruation, there is a definite answer. A consultation with a gynecologist is necessary to exclude a serious pathology and immediate treatment when it is detected. With a trip to a specialist, you can not pull, so as not to miss the time. And you always need to carefully listen to your body - this will help to avoid many diseases.
