Patient's question:
Detailed medical condition and consultation purpose: I started menstruating at the age of 12, and every time the first day of my period, I get stomach pain. My periods always have blood clots. Now that I have been married for half a year, it is still the same. Am I experiencing dysmenorrhea? Can dysmenorrhea affect pregnancy?Duration and onset of the current illness: From noon today to now
Previous diagnoses and treatment history and effectiveness: I have never gone for a check-up
Doctor's answer:
Hello, it can affect pregnancy. The phenomenon of severe lower abdominal pain during menstruation that naturally disappears after the period is called dysmenorrhea. Most dysmenorrhea occurs during menstruation, while some people experience it a few days before their period. The pain worsens after menstruation begins and returns to normal afterward. The characteristics of the abdominal pain are closely related to menstruation—pain does not occur if there is no menstruation. Therefore, abdominal pain unrelated to menstruation is not dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea can be divided into two types: primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to abdominal pain that begins from the onset of menstruation, while secondary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual abdominal pain that appears after several years or even decades. The causes of the two types of dysmenorrhea are different. The cause of primary dysmenorrhea is often a narrow cervix, underdeveloped uterus, or large pieces of endometrium in the menstrual blood—the latter condition is called membrane-like dysmenorrhea. Sometimes blood clots in the menstrual blood can also cause lower abdominal pain. The cause of secondary dysmenorrhea is mostly due to diseases, such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or pelvic congestion. In recent years, it has been discovered that an increase in prostaglandin synthesis in the endometrium can also cause dysmenorrhea.