Symptoms and self-care strategies in women with and without dysmenorrhea

We compared the self-reports of women who reported either none-mild (N = 34) or moderate-extreme (N = 27) pain from uterine cramping regarding, (a) gastrointestinal, perimenstrual, and other symptoms during the 5 days before and after the beginning of menstrual flow; (b) smoking, alcohol use, exercise behaviors, and number of reported stressors; and (c) self-care strategies used for symptom management. Although there were significant differences between the two groups in reported symptoms, there were no significant between groups differences in smoking, alcohol use, exercise behaviors, and number of stressors reported. Despite the number of symptoms reported, relatively few self-care strategies were used. The most commonly reported strategy was the use of medication for cramping pain. The results confirm prior observations that dysmenorrhea is associated with a variety of symptoms and extend our understanding of how women manage these symptoms.