Dear Counselor, why do some girls get pains during their periods?
Written by Counselor at SchoolNet on 9th October, 2009
While some girls go through their periods with no or very little pain, others experience painful periods often accompanied by fatigue and even dizziness. This pain is usually felt in the pelvic area and lower abdomen. Menstrual pain is one of the most frequent causes of absenteeism from school among girls.
As part of the menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus (womb) grows and thickens in anticipation of holding a fertilized egg. If no egg is fertilized, the thickened lining of the uterus has to be shaded off in form of menstrual blood.
The pain during the period is thought to be due to the forceful contractions of the womb (uterus) to open up the cervix (neck of the uterus) to expel the menstrual blood. These contractions are caused by the prostaglandin hormones. These hormones stimulate the contractions of the uterus during the period. These contractions compress the blood vessels to the uterus cutting off the blood supply and depriving the tissues of blood. Too little blood to the uterine muscle may cause pain. Some girls produce an excess of prostaglandin hormones causing too little blood to the uterus muscle leading to excessive pain. The good news is that the pains become milder as one becomes older.
A hot water bottle wrapped in a towel applied to the abdomen and eating iron-rich foods (eggs, meat, poultry, and fish), fresh fruits and vegetables can give relief.