Dysmenorrhea – or painful cramping associated with a menstrual flow – is something that many women have to deal with each month. These cramps can be something as simple as a dull ache but may be more severe where a woman is actually in so much pain she can’t function in her daily life. Regardless of which you call it, cramps or dysmenorrhea, women want to know what causes them and how they can treat them so they can get on with their lives.

There are two forms of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea is characterized by severe lower abdominal cramping that is so bad women miss millions of hours of school and work each year. Doctors believe primary dysmenorrhea is caused by an imbalance in the hormone called prostaglandin which is responsible for making the uterus contract so the lining of the uterus is expelled during a normal menstrual cycle. The problem comes when too much prostaglandin is produced, which causes the severe cramping women feel.

Continue reading " Secondary Dysmenorrhea – Common Causes "

Most women around the world experience menstrual cramps from time to time. It seems to go with being a woman. However, women experiencing frequent and severe cramps during the first days of their monthly cycle may be suffering from a condition called primary dysmenorrhea.

You’ve probably heard of menstrual cramping but may not have heard of it called by its scientific name – dysmenorrhea. In the simplest terms, dysmenorrhea is a condition whereby a woman experiences severe and painful menstrual cramps and other pain associated with having a period. Dysmenorrhea falls into two categories: primary and secondary.

Primary dysmenorrhea often begins a couple of years after a young woman starts having a menstrual cycle and usually lasts her entire lifetime and has no obvious physical cause. The pain is severe and often happens frequently during a cycle. Doctors agree the severe pain is caused by abnormal contractions of the uterus and believe up to 90% of all women experience this condition at some point.

Continue reading " Primary Dysmenorrhea – An Explanation "

Women experiencing menstrual cramps may be willing to try almost anything to avoid having cramps each month. Did you know you could treat menstrual cramps with nutrition? If you’re tired of having cramps every time you have your period, how can changing your diet hurt? Learn how diet affects the severity of your menstrual cramps.

* Eat a diet consisting of a variety of foods. Low fat, high fiber diets appear to combat the salty or sweet foods women typically crave during their menstrual cycle. Besides helping avoid cravings, you’ll also have more energy and a more stable mood.

* Ensure your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need by taking a multivitamin each day. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium are particularly important before and during your monthly cycle.

* Eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, swordfish, and lake trout. You may also want to add walnuts, Brazil nuts, and olive oil. These foods help stabilize your mood and have an anti-inflammatory effect. They also reduce the effect of cramps because they block the production of prostaglandins.

Continue reading " Menstrual Cramps And Nutrition "

* 3 d. juniper oil
* 2 d. clary sage oi
* in 600 ml of hot water.

Wring out a piece of fabric in water, and apply to forehead or back of neck. Re-apply when it has cooled to body temperature.

Continue reading " Menstrual Cramp Poultice "