Is PCOS the Cause of Painful Periods?

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a medical condition that takes place because of hormonal changes. It affects nearly 12-21% of women under reproductive age. Many complications accompany the medical condition. It may also have reduction infertility. You may wonder if PCOS can cause painful periods. For this, you may require to understand the symptoms and the medical condition. Herein, we have provided the complete detail for this.

Know Facts related to PCOS

• PCOS may have a varying range of symptoms. It may cause you underlying effects of certain symptoms like hair loss, ovarian cyst, chronic fatigue, and change in the menstrual cycle or dates.
• Despite this, you may have different symptoms of PCOS that may become difficult to diagnose. It can result in adverse effects to nearly 70% of women if the symptoms remain undiagnosed.
• This is why it is important to learn about the periods or the underlying symptoms of PCOS or related diseases that may interfere with your regular menstrual bleeding.
• This may help you to understand the conditions. It is not the “one size fits all”. You may experience varying symptoms and at the same time, you may not be aware of those symptoms.

What are the varying symptoms of PCOS?

Get to know about the symptoms of PCOS here –

• Consistently irregular periods

Some women may have periods that run like clockwork. It is completely normal to have periods that bleed according to your food habits, the time you eat and the time you are fasting, etc. your periods may arrive one or two days before the exact date.

It happens when your periods are consistently sporadic. This can be a sign of PCOS. The sporadic timing of your periods can alter the number of facts. It may bring you irregular periods, the change in flow, and can also be the reason for PCOS.

• No periods at all

Some women with PCOS face a “no period” month. They may go in the absence of a period that may hit like two or three consecutive months. This is known as amenorrhea. It can be the reason for infertility and the related issues in women.

When there is no period for a month, it means that there is no egg production taking place in the female body. It is good to keep a note of your menstrual cycle. This may help you to work on the symptoms before the “no period” month arrives. If anyhow you notice a break of three months from your periods, you may consult your gynecologist to investigate the cause.

• Very heavy periods

PCOS can cause painful periods along with heavy flow. Your menstrual cycle may interrupt your overall health. The technical and scientific name for this condition is menorrhagia. The probable cause of it is the decrease in the level of progesterone. It is one of the medical conditions that is characterized by severe bleeding. It may last for seven days or even longer.

The average loss of blood during periods is around 40-45 ml. But, women going through the symptoms of menorrhagia may have bleeding ranging from 80-85 ml. They may also experience clotting during their periods. Also, many women have raised the myth that severe bleeding is a part of the everyday menstrual cycle. While periods are a bit heavier during adolescence. This can also be the early sign of PCOS.

PCOS can cause Painful Periods

PCOS can cause heavy bleeding that can be uncomfortable for you. It may accompany cramping, called dysmenorrhea. Many women feel relief after they have a hot water bath or put a hot water bag on the painful area. Some opt to take paracetamol during heavy bleeding and cramping or when painful symptoms arise.

These actions are deliberating and common. Having painful periods can be an early sign of PCOS. It can bring you the symptoms of endometriosis that is also characterized by painful periods. You can have a change in your diet and daily schedule. This may bring some relief in your periods.

• Menstrual Pain and PCOS

Many women need to understand a well-known myth that menstrual pain should be treated as a symptom, not as a disease. You may require to consult a doctor for the same. Some women face heavy bleeding during PCOS along with abdominal cramping. This may not give a sign of PCOS but can also be the early symptom of endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), etc. if you consistently feel pain during periods, try to reach out to your doctor. It may hamper your daily routine. Such conditions often accompany anxiety, depression, high thinking, irregular menses, heavy bleeding, etc. this may be the sign of evaluation by an expert.

What are the different types of menstrual pain?

There are two different types of menstrual pain. These can be seen as the underlying symptom of any kind of persistent medical condition. However, if the pain doesn’t persist for a longer period and may go away with the arrival of the next cycle, it is just a symptom, not the underlying condition.

• Primary Dysmenorrhea 

Typically, this is harmless. It is also called functional dysmenorrhea and may occur without any cause of gynecological disease. It may accompany abdominal pain, cramps, that you may experience in the lower abdominal area. 

Common symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea:

• Back and thigh pain
• Headache
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

The pain or cramp may occur shortly before two or three days of the arrival of your periods.

• Secondary Dysmenorrhea

This kind of pain occurs when your periods are associated with any kind of unidentified disease. In such a case, your doctor may suggest a physical exam that may further include or give an understanding of your pelvic abnormalities. For this, your doctor may require you to do an ultrasound of your pelvic area. The symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea include heavy or abnormal bleeding, pain during intercourse, infertility, and irregular periods. Also, this can be the cause of endometriosis, PCOS, PID, fibroids, ovarian tumors, etc. Related to the condition, your doctor may suggest you change in medications, change in lifestyle, and the use of alternative therapies like using heating pads, etc.

Also Check: What are the chances of getting pregnant with PCOS?