WORLD MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY 2021

DYSMENORRHEA/MENSTRUAL PAIN.

INTRODUCTION Dysmenorrhea is most common among females that are menstruating from the first time they start seeing blood (menarche) to when it completely ceases (menopause). It's normal for a woman to experience pain prior, during menstruation or both that may last about 2_3 days; the period pain is mainly headache, general body discomfort, lower back pain, groin or upper thighs which may accompany other related symptoms such as high body temperature, mood swinging, irritability among others, it occurs as a result of contraction of the uterus (womb) to shed the endometrial layer (basal layer), unfertilized eggs and as a result of hormonal changes. There are about half of the women or more experience dysmenorrhea during menstruation; however, for a woman to experience mild pain prior to or during menstruation is normal due to the above rationale but to the extent that it becomes frequent and more severe sometimes it may do to underline disease condition, lifestyles and poor hygiene that allure medical intervention is it medications, surgeries or other medical management depends on the disease condition. Being me health personal so many women sought medical assistance from me regarding medications and ways to overcome the problem and also seeing how women suffer within this short time every month and some people see it as something wrong to discuss menstruation even within the family members which is a negative misconception that's what drew my attention and stimulated me to wrote this article for our mothers and sisters to benefit upon. Before I proceed let me briefly give an insight into what menstrual cycle and menstruation are.

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5805803503573544" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

MENSTRUAL CYCLE These are sequential events that occur every month to a woman of childbearing age within 28 days. The average days is 28days but can range from 21_35days. The woman starts menstruation immediately following puberty at 12 years of age but can occur at early at 8 years and later at 16 years (menarche) and it completely ceased at the age of 45_50 years of age (menopause) but it varies on individuals. The cycle undergoes a series of stages before the commencement of menses; the menstrual period lasts for three days, five days, seven days, or more depending on nature. The menstrual cycle occurs based on events in each of the ovarian cycle or uterine cycle which further sub_divided into phases 1.OVARIAN PHASE: includes three phases as below •Follicular phase: it involves the development of graffian follicles by the actions of hormones. •Ovulation phase: involves the release of matured eggs from raptured graffian follicles. •Luteal phase: this is the last phase, during this phase, the dominant follicles are transformed into corpus luteum which later produce a hormone called progesterone increase level of this hormone causes the release of another hormone called estrogen which further decline the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH). 2. UTERINE CYCLE: it also includes three phases as below •Menstrual phase: it involves the shedding of the endometrial layer and unfertilized eggs out of the uterus (womb) through the vaginal. It lasts for 3_7days. •Proliferative phase: it involves the regeneration of the shredded endometrial layer (basal layer of the endometrium) which will grow up and graffian follicles begin to develop with the influence of a hormone called estrogen. This phase overlaps the follicular phase of the ovarian phase which lasts for 11_14 days. •Secretory phase: this is the last phase of the uterine phase which corresponds to the luteal phase of the ovarian phase, at this phase the dominant follicles transformed into corpus luteum and begins to release a hormone called progesterone which makes the endometrial layer prepare for the reception of fertilized egg (zygote) when pregnancy occurs the hormones play a role in the maintenance of pregnancy; if the pregnancy doesn't occur the menses begins. WHAT'S MENSTRUATION? Menstruation: simply means shedding of the endometrial layer and unfertilized egg out of the uterus (womb) through the vagina. It's termed menses or menstrual period. The shredded uterine layer gets out of a woman's body from the uterus to the cervix and to the vagina as blood. WHAT'S DYSMENORRHEA? Dysmenorrhea: simply means painful menstruation. It often occurs in most of the women who start menstruation however, it's normal to experience cramps prior to or during menstruation to some extent it occurs as a result of ailment(s). CAUSES •Premenstrual syndrome: this affects almost 90% of menstruating women, it starts few days before the period and continues to the 1st or 2nd day of menstruation. It occurs as a result of estrogen and progesterone levels dipping before the period. •Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: this is more severe than premenstrual syndrome, the cause is unknown but stress and depression play a major role in its occurrence.

Abdullahi sent Yesterday at 10:36 PM

•Fibroids: this is benign growth that develops in the uterus (womb) lining. •Ovarian cyst: this is sac contains fluid that forms in the ovaries. •Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): is an infection that can be counteracted from an infected individual when having unprotected sex e.g gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, etc. •Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): this is when the uterus and ovaries become infected, it occurs when the bacteria that cause sexually transmitted infection get access to the reproductive organs. •Endomentriosis: this is when the endometrial layer grows out of the uterus e.g ovaries and fallopian tubes. •Adnomyosis: this is when the endometrial layer grows into the wall of the uterus. Others •Douching •Vaginal insertion e.g insertion of potash •Multiple sex partners as it predisposes a woman to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) etc PREVENTION It's so frustrating for a woman to deal with cramps every month, but if the measures are put in place you might get some relief from mild to moderate period pain. •Drink plenty of water as it reduces bloating •Fruits and vegetable intake e.g pineapple, banana, orange, moringa, etc •Excercise mild to moderate •Intake of hot water increase blood supply thereby reducing pain •Decrease intake of food high in sugar, salt, and fat •Drink herbal teas e.g chamomile, ginger or garlic, etc •Avoid caffeine intake •Heat application as it relaxes the muscles •Reduce stress •Intake of vitamin supplement e.g vitamin D •Massage •Hormonal control •Begins alternate pain control methods e.g acupuncture, acupressure, and yoga etc •Medications for pain relief, consult doctor, nurse or other health personal for taking •Early detection and prompt treatment •Surgery e.g if you have fibroids to remove the growth tissue •Change of contraceptive control in case of intrauterine contraceptive device •Health education on health-related cases THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED DURING MENSTRUATION. •Change sanitary pad every 4_6 hours •Discard the used sanitary pad properly •Don't use soap for vaginal wash or perfume for spray •Maintain proper hygiene while menstruating •Maintain one method of sanitation •Avoid the use of tight and rubber underwear •Use light and cotton underwear •When the pad is removed dry the area before applying the next pad •Always wash or wipe the private from front to back •Wash hands with soap and clean water each you change the pad •Do not put the used pad on a flushing toilet as they clog in the plumbing causing stagnation of dirty water which lead to infection •Use loose clothes rather than tight like jeans to ensure airflow to the sensitive area and prevent excessive sweating •Avoid oily food, sugar, salt, and alcohol while menstruating as they trigger pain •Ensure adequate diet SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. Dysmenorrhea is most common among women that are menstruating, dysmenorrhea means painful menstruation. It's normal for a woman to have mild discomfort during her period but some are a little bit as a result of ailments that may lead to excessive bleeding, heavy bleeding, prolonged bleeding, or both to an extent that requires medical attention. The menstrual cycle is series of events that occur in a woman from menarche (the first time you start menses) to menopause (the time you stop menses), it involves phases. However, while menstruating a woman need to adhere to certain tips includes personal hygiene, proper use of the sanitary pad, regular change of sanitary pad, exercise, avoid foods rich in sugar, salt, and alcohol, proper pad disposal, avoid the use of soap to wash the vagina and perfume, wash or wipe the genital part from front to back to avoid infection among others. Finally, safety during menstruation and adherence to proper menstruation techniques can improve your health and that of the reproductive system to combat the issues of infections, infertility, or other gynecological and obstetrics problems.

I appeal to the parents, family members, and other relevant people to look into their sisters' while menstruating by providing sanitary pads and couch them about menstrual hygiene. I dedicated this article to our mothers and sisters out there in commemoration of world menstrual hygiene day 2021. If you're in need of a soft copy of this article indicate. Thank you.

Nurse Abdullahi Musa, Sokoto state Nigeria.

    muserabdullahi01@gmail.com