For some of us, menstrual cramps can be excruciatingly painful. In the past, we’ve always had trouble explaining the intensity of the pain. Even when you do manage to, words like “too delicate” or “dramatic” are thrown at us. As an outcome, we choose to suffer in silence and not talk about it.
But looks like we won’t have to do it anymore because science is here to help with some facts. Dysmenorrhea aka menstrual cramps has finally been ruled as painful as having a heart attack. Professor of reproductive health at University College London, John Guillebaud, told Quartz that patients have described the cramping pain as “almost as bad as having a heart attack.”
It’s not something to be overexcited about because we’re still talking about the pain that shows up on a monthly basis but it’s a relief to know that people have finally acknowledged the period pain. And the fact that it can be intense enough to be compared to a near-death experience.
In fact, women’s period pain was so ignored that even doctors didn’t take it seriously. They were failing to actively treat the condition. Frank Tu, director of gynaecological pain at NorthShore University HealthSystem, told Quartz some physicians are taught that ibuprofen “should be good enough.” But probably open conversations about periods in the recent past has made the revelation possible.