Painful Menstrual Cramps

Worsening cramps may be caused by a common type of benign growth in your uterus known as a fibroid. About 30 percent of women have fibroids, usually discovered after age 30. Some women are more likely top get fibroids, including black women, women who have never been pregnant and women who have a mother or sister with fibroids. If you have a fibroid, your diagnosis can usually be made by a pelvic ultrasound. If you are over 30 and if your cramps are more severe than they have been in the past, it is reasonable for you to have this test. Contact your health care provider to discuss your symptoms or arrange to be seen by your gynecologist. Sometimes fibroids are removed by surgery or treated with medication so that symptoms of cramping and heavy menstrual flow can be lessened.

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