Patient's question:
I am a college student, female, and only 20 years old. I'm always worried about irregular menstruation affecting future fertility, and I'm too embarrassed to go to the hospital. Please ask: Does menstrual pain cause infertility?Doctor's answer:
Painful menstruation will never cause infertility, but it's hard to say whether the cause of painful menstruation might lead to infertility. The symptoms of painful menstruation you described are quite severe, so it's best to go to the hospital for a thorough examination to check if there are any serious diseases interfering with this. Additionally, self-medicating with pain relievers is not advisable, as it only addresses the symptoms rather than the root cause, and pain relievers can also have some side effects on the body. It's not advisable to completely avoid them. If you have already undergone comprehensive physical examinations with no abnormalities, you could consider seeking treatment from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) gynecologist to restore balance to your body. It might also be related to stress-induced stagnation of qi and blood stasis, or kidney deficiency. You can also practice dietary supplements in daily life. For example, when your period is approaching, you could drink some red bean soup or brown sugar millet porridge to boost your qi.