DYSMENORRHEA

Dysmenorrhea : 

Painful menstruation or dysmenorrhea, is a very common occurrence these days. This disorder is traceable to a debilitated and toxic condition of the system in general and of the sex organs in particular due to a wrong diet, wrong style of  living and nervous exhaustion. 

There are two types of dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation):

Primary dysmenorrhea usually does not occur until several years after menstruation begins but present from the time of menarche. The pain begins a few hours before or at the onset of bleeding, may last from a few hours to 1-2 days, and is generally worst the first day. At first, there is a scanty flow, which increases as the pain subsides.

Secondary dysmenorrhea may start 2-3 days before onset, with pain in the abdomen, small of back, and on down the legs. It is a more constant pain, but includes sharp cramps, and continues throughout the period. This type is often linked to a pelvic disorder (inflammation, uterine malposition, endometriosis, tumors, etc.), which needs to be eliminated in order to lessen or remove the pain.

Hormonal imbalance is usually involved

This is a glandular malfunction and a carefully planned natural diet will usually put matters right. When the pain occurs during menstruation, it usually means that the womb itself is inflamed. 

MANAGEMENT

The various disorders relating to menstrual flow are indicative of the low level of a woman’s health and a toxic condition of her sex organ, which has been brought about by wrong habits of living, especially wrong dietary habits. These disorders are made more deep-seated and chronic by modern medical efforts to deal with them through the suppressive agency of surgery and drugs. The disorders being systemic in origin, can be tackled only by treating the system as a whole so as to remove the toxicity from the body and build up the general health-level of the sufferer.

To undertake such a scheme of all round health-building treatment, the sufferer from menstrual disorders should begin with an all-fruit diet for about five days. In this regimen, the patient should have three meals a day of fresh, juicy fruits, such as apples, pears, grapes, papaya, oranges, pineapple, peaches and melon. 

No other food stuff should be taken; otherwise the value of the whole treatment will be lost. During this period the bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water enema. After the all-fruit  diet, the sufferer should adopt a well- balanced diet.

The diet factor is of the utmost importance. Fruits and salads, nature’s body-cleansing and health-restoring foods, must form the bulk of the future diet along with whole grains, nuts and seeds, especially in sprouted forms.

A further short period on all fruit, say two or three consecutive days can be undertaken at monthly intervals, according to the need of the case.

This condition can be relieved by proper attention to diet and water treatment

DIET

• The diet should contain an adequate, but not excessive, amount of high quality proteins, preferably from non-meat sources.

• Eat complex carbohydrates (whole grains), to avoid blood sugar drops. This is important. But do not overeat on anything. Low blood sugar is common during menstruation.

* Food intake around menstrual period should be light, soft, and easy to digest. Heavy meals, overeating, spicy and cod foods should be avoided.

• Include B complex, especially B12 and B6; along with vitamins C and E. 

• Take vitamin A as beta-carotene during the last 14 days of the cycle.

• Iron is vital because of the loss of blood each month. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Beware of supplemental iron during pregnancy! Iron-rich sources include blackstrap molasses (best single source), apricots, and raisins. Iodine is also needed, when there is a blood loss. Eat kelp or dulse.

• Calcium supplementation is very important, if you want to avoid painful cramps!

• Cramping may be relieved by additional intake of calcium and niacin.

• Manganese is needed for normal reproduction and the mammary glands, and help prevent osteoporosis.

• Vitamin B12 helps restore normal menstrual cycles.

• Limiting salt and fluid intake a short time before menstrual onset may help reduce edema in the legs and elsewhere in the body.

• Food allergies can be involved in painful menstruation. In one study, eight patients were freed of the problem when all foods they were allergic to were eliminated (see "Allergies" and "Pulse Test").

• Allergenic foods most frequently listed were whey, milk, eggs, beef, chocolate, nuts, fish, beans, cauliflower, pepper, and cabbage.

• Avoid overeating! This encourages abdominal congestion.

• A low-salt diet helps relieve bloating and water retention.

• Taking the birth control pill greatly upsets the entire hormonal system, and it does not recover, even after the pill is stopped for many months or years.

• Extreme diets (strict fruitarianism, very low protein diets, or repeated strict weight loss regimens) can produce amenorrhea.

 AVOID:

 white-flour products, sugar, confectionery, rich cakes, pastries, sweets, refined cereals, flesh foods, rich, heavy, or greasy foods, tinned or preserved foods, strong tea, coffee, pickles, condiments and sauces. 

OTHERS

• Problems with the pituitary, adrenals, or thyroid may produce amenorrhea, or abnormal bleeding cycles. Stress or the birth control pill can seriously affect the adrenals (which produce 20% of the total estrogen used by the body).

• Poor body mechanics (poor posture) causes the female organs to move out of place, and this can affect menstruation. Proper posture tends to reduce cramping.

• Those who have diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing tend to have no menstrual pain. Avoid belts and tight clothing about the waist.

• Adequate exercise is also needed.

• Avoiding constipation is very important.

• Avoid over fatigue just prior to the period. Maintain a regular daily schedule throughout the month.

• An excess of stress can also affect menstrual flow and attendant problems.

• Sexual stimulation at that time of the month increases abdominal congestion.

* Not keeping the legs and feet properly clothed can cause uterine problems, due to pooled blood in the trunk organs

• If you are overweight, lose weight in order to reduce painful periods.

• Using tobacco aggravates menstrual disorders. Smoking induces painful menstruation.

• A four-minute back massage to an area an inch to the right of the lumbar (small of the back) spine may bring relief from painful menstruation.

HERBS

Dill seed: 2-3 grams of the powder is taken twice a day with warm water preferably after meals, for continuous pain use 2-3 teaspoonful (10-15 ml) infusion is recommended at hourly intervals

Drink catnip tea each morning and evening during the period.

Blue cohosh, peppermint, wormwood, lemon grass, banana flower, Asoka tree (Bark)

Ginger has been useful in menstrual disorders. A piece of fresh ginger should be pounded and boiled in a cupful of water for few minutes sweetened with rock sugar should be used thrice daily after meals as a medicine for dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea due to exposure to cold winds and taking cold baths.

Sesame seeds are also useful in menstrual disorders. Half a teaspoonful of powder of these seeds taken with hot water twice daily acts excellently in reducing spasmodic pain during menstruation in young unmarried anemic girls.

Safflower seeds have also been found to be beneficial in the treatment of painful menstruation. A decoction prepared by boiling two teaspoonful's of powdered seeds in 120 ml. of water should be given as a remedy for this condition.

HYDROTHERAPY:

Hot hip sitz baths just before the period, add juniper needles to the water and cold hip baths between the periods. The hot hip bath is generally taken for eight to ten minutes at a water temperature of 100 o F which can be gradually increased to 120 o F. The cold hip bath should be taken for 10 to 15 minutes at a water temperature of 50 o F to 65 o F, will increase the tone of the ovaries.• Or Take two hot baths each day at the beginning of menstruation. This draws blood from the over congested uterus to the skin.

Sipping of warm water and hot water fomentation over lower abdomen give relief from pain. The morning dry friction and cold hip baths should form a regular feature of the treatment. All cold baths should however, be suspended during the menstrual period.