Periods are that time of the life that comes with many mood swings as the levels of progesterone and estrogen keep changing, thus resulting in irritation, weepiness, breast softness, etc. All women are different, and so are their experiences. This discomfort varies and comes with changes that are not similar. Some have mild pain others may have acute ones. Pain is natural to happen, yet if the pain is unbearable, a consultation with a gynecologist is a must as this might obstruct the chances of the lady to get pregnant. It is always to be safe than sorry.
Going forward, let us discuss the causes of the pain that results in periods, how the pain can be a hindrance in conceiving, and if the treatment of the menstrual pain helps in recovering from fertility issues.
Causes of Period Cramps
The main chemical whose presence is there in various parts of the body, as well as the uterus, is Prostaglandin, and it can be blamed for causing the cramps as its function is to control the temperature of the body, growth of cells, dilation and contraction of muscles, etc.
During the time of periods, this chemical leads to the contraction of uterus muscles and helps to eject the lining of the uterus. However, in case the chemical level gets high in the body, one experiences acute contractions.
The acute contractions are the reason behind the cramps or pains. The pain resulting in periods is referred to as Dysmenorrhoea which can even be segregated under two heads-
- The primary which comprises of mild to average pain that only takes place till the uterus lining does not shed off.
- Secondary one, however, leads to acute pain and could be the reason behind a medical problem that could further obstruct the chances of conceiving in the future.
Can Intense Menstrual Cramps Affect Your Fertility?
String and acute pain during periods or what is also known as the secondary dysmenorrhoea could possibly indicate that there could be medical conditions in the body that could hamper one’s chances of getting pregnant in the coming future. There are few medical conditions that could lead to this acute pain, and they are as under:
1. PID Or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
The Pelvic inflammatory disease gets aggravated by sexually untreated infections, also known as STI’s that could be transmitted or by infections related to the reproducing organs. A prevalent issue with this condition is that most of the time, it is difficult to detect it as its symptoms like the vaginal discharge or the pain one undergoes during sex is not noticed or at times, not even exist. It is also seen that sometimes, there is no pain, yet fertility does get affected. The reason behind this is as the untreated sexually spread infections like chlamydia or syphilis could result in wounding the reproducing organs like those of ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus, thereby resulting in affecting fertility.
2. Endometriosis
One of the most common causes of menstrual pain, which could hinder fertility is Endometriosis. This takes place when the lining that grows in the uterus generally starts to grow in other areas, especially the reproductive body parts like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, etc. The lining, when becomes on the reproductive tissues, tends to weaken it, leading to hindrance in conceiving. This condition can be detected by laparoscopy. Having a pain in the lower back, or pain after undergoing sex, dizziness, nausea, these could be underlying symptoms for this condition. One thing important to be noted here is that not every acute pain is indicative of this medical condition or that it could create fertility issues. Conversely, having severe pain during the menstrual cycle and not able to get pregnant are not related to suffering from this medical condition.
3. Adenomyosis
Adenomyosis is like Endometriosis, the only difference being that the internal uterus line grows on the uterus walls than on the reproductive body parts. The main features of this medical condition are a pain in the lower abdomen, acute pain during periods, and excessive flatulence during periods. This reason behind this condition is still not very clear, and many experiments and researches are being done on the same. While some believe it could result from the hormonal changes that comprise of estrogen, progesterone, etc., others are not too sure about it. Having this condition leads to acute pain during periods, yet there is no certainty of proof that there exists a connection between the heavy flow, severe pain, and the problems with conceiving.
4. Fibroids and Ovarian Cysts
It is seen that almost 30-40% of the women who are in the age of 30-45 years suffer from fibroids that are also a tumor which is non-cancerous. These tumors exist inside the uterus or close to the lining of the uterus. Their growth leads to obstruction in the blood flow leading to acute pain during periods. This is one of the factors that could hinder the process of conceiving. This depends on how severe the condition is, indicating that the size and the spot of these fibroids could lead to problems with fertility. If, by any chance, the woman can conceive, it later leads to miscarriage or abortion as well.
As indicative of the name, the ovarian cysts are sacs that are filled with fluid, which are found in ovaries. Just like fibroids, ovarian cysts are non-cancerous in nature too. These keep getting better by themselves, yet if they increase in size and are found in the fallopian tube or in ovaries, it could obstruct the process of conceiving.
Does Treatment of Painful Periods Cause Infertility?
In case a woman has acute pain, one should not wait for it to worsen up. It is important to consult a doctor for the same. In many of the cases, the doctor offers hormonal birth control tablets to ease off the pain. This, however, is not suitable for the ones who are trying to conceive. There are many painkillers that are readily available and helpful, too, but women are scared to take them as it could affect their chances to conceive.
Many women need to go for surgery as well to get relieved from the pain they undergo during periods. Surgery is a big thing, so ideally, the woman should consult a doctor in the related field to know what the effect of surgery in relation to fertility would be. Only after a green signal from the doctor, should one proceed as it not only alleviates one from the pain but also increases the chances of her becoming pregnant in the future.
Thus, a woman needs to be very vigilant with respect to the pain they undergo during the periods. In case the pain is acute, it is best to seek medical help as it could be due to a severe problem that needs proper treatment as well and could also be a factor hindering the chances of getting pregnant soon.
Source: https://www.beingtheparent.com/can-painful-periods-affect-your-ability-to-get-pregnant/
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