Many women are only too familiar with the discomfort
that accompanies their menstrual cycle before bleeding
begins.
Indicators of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) range from uncomfortable bloating to severe cramping and debilitating migraine headaches.If you're affected by premenstrual syndrome, accepting these effects as a normal part of your monthly cycle may help to reduce the anxiety you feel about PMS.
The next step is to go about taking care of your body in a way that decreases discomfort, if possible
.Long misunderstood, PMS is now formally defined by the U.S. National Library of Medicine as "a symptom or collection of symptoms that occurs regularly in relation to the menstrual cycle, with the onset of symptoms five to eleven days before the onset of menses and resolution of symptoms with menses or shortly thereafter.
"Do all Women get Premenstrual Syndrome?
Seventy to ninety percent of women of childbearing age are affected by PMS. For about half of these women, the condition is severe enough to interfere with daily tasks, and for about ten percent of women, it's severe enough to be disabling.
Women who seem to be most affected include those between their late 20s and early 40s, those with at least one child, and/or a family history or personal history of depression or an affective mood disorder.
PMS should not be confused with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, which is a psychiatric term for a major mood disturbance that occurs in three to eight percent of women.
Recognizing your premenstrual syndrome symptoms and adjusting your diet and lifestyle in a way that supports your body is important. One way to predict the timing of symptoms is to keep a journal of the different phases of your menstrual cycle
.Each woman's menstrual cycle is different, and will require its own combination of prevention and treatments for PMS. Helpful treatments range from proper diet and exercise to hormone therapy and antidepressants.
Do You Have PMS? Know The Symptoms
Many women are only too familiar with the discomfort that accompanies their menstrual cycle before bleeding begins. Indicators of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) range from uncomfortable bloating to severe cramping and debilitating migraine headaches.
Premenstrual syndrome effects are generally felt during the second half of the menstrual cycle: about fourteen days after the first day of the last period. They usually do not occur for about a week after a menstrual period ends (the first half of the cycle). If you have these symptoms in the beginning of your menstrual cycle, you can assume they are not premenstrual syndrome symptoms, since by definition PMS refers to the time in the middle of the cycle.
Doctors acknowledge over 150 premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Some of the most common are:
breast tenderness and swelling
bloating and weight gain
headache or menstrual migraine
backaches or menstrual cramps
irritability and depression
mood swings
loss of libido
fatigue.
Pimples and acne often appear or worsen during this time. Doctors are not sure if this is due to hormone levels, water retention or other causes. Prescribed remedies include antibiotics and hormone therapy, such as birth control pills. Traditional Chinese medicine takes the stance that skin problems come from toxins in the liver and other organs.
Slight disturbances in thinking and emotional balance, such as inability to concentrate, difficulty making decisions, feelings of guilt or alienation, and unpredictable (and sometimes drastic) mood swings are also recognized as common PMS symptoms.
What are the Causes of PMS?
No one knows exactly what causes PMS. The belief is that fluctuations in the hormones estrogen and progesterone are key factors.
Estrogen is known to cause water retention, which is probably the underlying cause of weight gain, bloating and breast tenderness.
In addition, women with PMS seem to metabolize progesterone in a different manner than women who do not experience PMS symptoms. This leads to decreased production of an anti-anxiety neurosteroid called allopregnanolone.
These hormonal and metabolic changes that occur in a woman's body to regulate the function of the uterus, lead to the symptoms associated with PMS.
