Getting Cramps Without Your Period
April 23, 2021 | Farah Jassawalla

Getting Cramps Without Your Period

Most women are familiar with experiencing cramps during their periods, and they endure the pain with the hope that it will last only a few days, till their period is over. However, you can get cramps even when you are not on your periods. It might be shocking to most of you, but it does happen to many women and they become as confused as you are after reading this.

Causes of Cramps other than Periods

Other than periods women can feel cramps in their lower abdomen and pelvic pain due to several reasons. The most common causes are:

      Pregnancy

      Ectopic pregnancy

      Ovarian cysts

      Ovulation

      Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

      Ovarian cancer

      Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Pregnancy:

If you are having period cramps with no periods, you should take a pregnancy test as you might be pregnant. In the early stages of pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterus walls; this is called implantation pain. The implantation pain is similar to period cramps, so, taking a pregnancy test if you are having period cramps out of nowhere may give you many answers.

Ectopic pregnancy:

Pelvic pain can also be caused due to Ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs inside the fallopian tube rather than the uterus and a ruptured ectopic pregnancy can cause sharp pains in the pelvic area as well as in the back. Other symptoms are similar to that of a normal pregnancy like nausea and breast tenderness etc.

Ovarian cysts:

Cysts are little sacks of fluid formed over ovaries. These are usually harmless unless they grow over a certain size. Sometimes ovarian cysts burst and cause sharp to dull pain on one side of the belly. The ruptured cysts can also cause light spotting at times.

Ovulation:

Sometimes women get cramps in the middle of their menstrual cycle, 14 to 15 days before their periods. This happens because ovaries release eggs into the body for possible fertilization. Women experience dull pains in their pelvic region during this process.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID):

PID is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection and it affects the entire reproduction system. It usually causes vaginal discharge, pain during sex and cramps in the abdominal area.

Ovarian cancer:

Cancer that is formed in ovaries may also cause dull but constant pelvic pain. Though this is not the most common cause of cramps, its symptoms must not be ignored. Symptoms include swelling of the lower belly, constant but dull pain that does not go away, and a constant need to pee.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD):

IBD refers to a chronic and long-term bowel disease that affects various parts of your digestive system and can even affect your mouth. There are different types of IBD like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Each IBD causes pain in the belly in different areas and with different intensities.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If your cramps are consistent and there is no sign of periods, you must consult a doctor at once. It may be something serious like an ectopic pregnancy or ovarian cancer. Diagnosis can only be done medically by a doctor and not at home.  Many causes of these cramps are harmless but others require proper medical attention so do not ignore these cramps if they last too long or the intensity of pain is too much. You can get pain relief medications at Shifa4U, so book your online appointment now.

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Farah Jassawalla

Farah Jassawalla is a graduate of the Lahore School of Economics. She is also a writer, and healthcare enthusiast, having closely observed case studies while working with Lahore's thriving general physicians at their clinics.