‘Period pains equivalent to heart attack’: Physician Dr Kunal Sood explains why menstrual pain must be taken seriously

Dr Kunal emphasised that menstrual pain can be as severe as heart attack pain, particularly in cases like endometriosis, urging for more research and treatment.

Most people experience mild pain or discomfort during their periods. However, for some, the cramping can become so severe that it may impact their daily ability to function normally. Highlighting this, a content creator shared a video comparing period pains to a heart attack.

She said, “Doctors are now saying that the pain we feel when we experience period cramps is equivalent to the pain we feel when we have a heart attack.” The video was shared by Dr Kunal Sood, a double board-certified physician in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine, on Instagram in a July 25 post.

Period cramps as painful as a heart attack!

Dr Kunal said that this is actually true, highlighting that a professor at the University College of London did research which showed that the “cramping abdominal pain that women feel during their period is just as painful as having a heart attack.”

He explained, “Menstrual pain is due to contraction of the uterus and is broken down into primary or secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary does not have a cause, but secondary does.”

Explaining secondary dysmenorrhea, Dr Kunal noted that an example is endometriosis. According to Mayo Clinic, endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus (or the endometrium) grow outside the uterus. Endometriosis often involves the pelvic tissue and can envelop the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can affect nearby organs, including the bowel and bladder. It can cause painful and heavy periods, pelvic pain, and make it hard to get pregnant.

‘Menstrual pain should be taken seriously…’

With women's pain this severe during the period, Dr Kunal stressed that it is alarming that there's a lack of treatment options and research. He added, “Women's menstrual pain is also often dismissed, without options and research. Also, a study did show that one in four women will have pain so bad that they'll have to take medications or miss a social activity.”

About the expert

Dr Kunal Sood, MD, is a double board-certified physician in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine. He did his residency and fellowship in anesthesiology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a one-year fellowship in interventional pain medicine. He later became the medical director of the office in Germantown, Maryland.

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