Secondary dysmenorrhea can cause intense pain and other symptoms. Read on to learn more about what causes secondary dysmenorrhea, whether symptoms only occur during your period, and how to get relief.
As so many people who get periods know: periods can hurt!
For some people, that pain is incredibly intense—so much so that it’s impossible to function.
This is often associated with secondary dysmenorrhea, a particular type of period pain that can occur at any point and (somewhat confusingly) doesn’t necessarily happen during your period
Read on to learn what secondary dysmenorrhea is, symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea, when symptoms occur, causes, and how to get relief.
What is secondary dysmenorrhea? Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful periods, and that experience is more common than you may realize. In fact, up to 90% of people experience pain during or around the time of their periods.
Clinically speaking, doctors classify dysmenorrhea into primary dysmenorrhea secondary dysmenorrhea .
Primary dysmenorrhea is the more common of the two, but about one in ten people who experience dysmenorrhea have the more intense and painful version: secondary dysmenorrhea.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain around the time of your period—or at other moments in your cycle—that stems from an underlying reproductive condition.
Secondary dysmenorrhea pain is significantly more severe than period cramps. Pain tends to worsen over time, particularly if left untreated, and may be more intense during your period.
Symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea Symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea may begin right after you get your first period .
It’s entirely possible, though, to start experiencing secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms later in life, including in your 30s or 40s .
Symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea include:
Intense pelvic or abdominal pain Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Bloating Constipation Headaches Dizziness Muscle cramps Body aches Trouble sleeping Fatigue Bleeding between periods Abnormal vaginal discharge Pain during sex Bleeding after sex On top that, secondary dysmenorrhea can also cause period symptoms, like:
If you’re looking at this list and thinking to yourself, “some of that sounds like period cramps,” you’re right: there’s some overlap between secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms and primary dysmenorrhea period cramps.
The difference, though, is timing and severity .
Secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms can start before your period, continue after your period, and may even occur at moments in your cycle entirely apart from your period. But secondary dysmenorrhea can also cause pain during your period, and often, symptoms even ramp up at this time.
Secondary dysmenorrhea also tends to be significantly more severe than period cramps (although pain levels can fluctuate). Sometimes, pain and other symptoms may be so intense that any kind of activity is impossible for days at a time. In fact, dysmenorrhea is one of the leading causes behind missing school and work.
When in your cycle does secondary dysmenorrhea occur? Pain from secondary dysmenorrhea can occur at any point in your cycle.
Unlike primary dysmenorrhea period pain (which only happens right before or during your period), you may experience pain and other secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms throughout your cycle—including during and outside of your period.
That’s partly because secondary dysmenorrhea pain isn’t quite the same thing as period pain, in that it isn’t solely caused by or confined to periods. Yes, very painful periods and intense period cramps are some of the potential symptoms, but this experience goes beyond your period.
To help you understand what secondary dysmenorrhea is, and to remember that it isn’t limited to your period only, you can think of secondary dysmenorrhea more largely as reproductive system pain .
What causes secondary dysmenorrhea? Unlike period cramps (which are caused by what’s happening in your body during your period), secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by an underlying condition affecting the reproductive organs.
That’s partly why you can experience symptoms at any moment in your cycle: symptoms don’t stem from your period alone, but from the underlying condition.
Reproductive health conditions that may cause secondary dysmenorrhea pain and other symptoms include:
Endometriosis : A condition where uterine tissue grows outside of your uterus, in areas such as the ovaries or fallopian tubes. Like the uterine tissue inside your uterus, this tissue also bleeds during your period, which leads to pain and scarring. Endometriosis is the most common cause of secondary dysmenorrhea.Adenomyosis : A condition where uterine tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, which can lead to an enlarged uterus, pain, and heavy bleeding during your period.Ovarian cysts : Fluid-filled sacs that can grow in or on your ovaries.Uterine polyps and uterine fibroids : Non-cancerous growths that can develop inside the uterus.Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) : An infection that can occur in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or uterus.Abnormalities in reproductive anatomy : Though rarer , being born with certain abnormalities in reproductive structures like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, hymen, or reproductive tract may contribute to pain.If your periods are very painful, or if you regularly have pelvic or abdominal pain and other symptoms outside of your period, talk with your doctor. They can help you get to the bottom of what’s causing your secondary dysmenorrhea pain, so you can treat the underlying condition and manage symptoms.
What does secondary dysmenorrhea mean for fertility? Many of the potential causes of secondary dysmenorrhea can also cause fertility issues. That means that secondary dysmenorrhea may impact your fertility and make it harder to conceive.
But that doesn’t mean pregnancy is impossible!
As you and your care team treat and manage the underlying condition causing secondary dysmenorrhea, chances are the treatment will also help address your fertility issues. Consider consulting fertility specialists like reproductive endocrinologists for extra help as needed.
In time, your chances of conceiving in a given cycle may well improve.
How to get relief from secondary dysmenorrhea Treating secondary dysmenorrhea depends on the underlying condition causing your pain and other symptoms. Once you have your diagnosis, you and your doctor can determine next steps.
Long-term treatment and management options to get relief from secondary dysmenorrhea may include:
Pain relievers, like ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen Hormonal birth control methods, like the pill, the implant, the injection, or an IUD Certain hormonal medications, like gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists Your doctor will help you decide which treatment is right for you and your needs, and monitor how you respond.
In more extreme cases, or if other pain relief and treatment methods aren’t working, your doctor may recommend surgery. This may be the case, for example, if you have ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids that need to be removed.
To get immediate relief from secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms as they occur, you can also try methods like:
All of these methods have been shown to be effective for easing moderate to severe dysmenorrhea pain.
Secondary dysmenorrhea: the bottom line Secondary dysmenorrhea is the medical term for intense pain during your periods and throughout your cycle, stemming from an underlying medical condition.
Secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms include severe pain, painful periods, vomiting, dizziness, and severe cramps. These symptoms may be caused by reproductive conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, or uterine fibroids.
Treatment for secondary dysmenorrhea depends on the underlying condition. Options for long-term treatment can include pain relievers and hormonal birth control. For some, methods like exercise, heat application, acupuncture, and TENS devices can offer immediate repreieve from secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms. If you’re experiencing pain you believe may be secondary dysmenorrhea, a medical professional can help you find both short- and long-term relief.
