What is PMS?
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a disorder brought on by hormonal changes in a woman’s body that takes place approximately two weeks before the beginning of her menstrual period. These hormonal changes are responsible for a group of physical and emotional symptoms in a woman.
Some studies indicate that a majority of menstruating women have at least one PMS symptom as part of their monthly menstrual cycle. Most of these women have symptoms that are fairly mild and do not need treatment, but a sizable number require treatment with the use of medications. These medications will help a woman suffering from PMS to control any behavioral or mood swings. The symptoms usually gradually decrease in severity and go away all together after a woman’s period starts until her next menstrual period. Monthly periods stop during menopause, bringing an end to PMS symptoms.
There are many, many symptoms that can be linked to PMS. Some women will cry inconsolably, where others will scream and be in distress. There are women who will state that they feel “out of character” and unable to control themselves, although the most common symptoms are an increase in fatigue and headaches.
The physical, as well as emotional symptoms can include aches and pains, headaches, fatigue, bloating, cramping, constipation, and/or weight gain. Emotionally, a woman may have feelings of depression, panic, anxiety, irritability, and/or a lack of interest in sexual activity.
Additional symptoms could include nausea, diarrhea, tender breasts, sleeping too much or sleeping too little, cravings for a particular type of food, dizziness, heart palpitations, skin disturbances, such as acne, or a dry or greasy texture to their hair. These symptoms could appear with each and every menstrual cycle or may not appear for a few periods.
The exact causes of PMS are not known. It is linked to the changing hormones during a woman’s menstrual cycle. Some women are affected more than others by this change in their hormone levels. Stress and emotional problems do not seem to cause PMS, but they may make symptoms worse. Some researchers suspect that PMS is caused by chemical changes in a woman’s brain. The hormonal changes are believed to involve the sex hormones estrogen and
progesterone. These two hormones help prepare a woman’s body for conception and pregnancy and regulate her monthly menstrual cycle.
There are some steps that a woman can take to help herself during this disruptive time such as to eat several, small, healthy meals each day, and take a multivitamin every day to make up for any nutrient deficiencies in the diet. Other activities that will help with lessening PMS symptoms are exercise and stress reduction.
Medications are sometimes used to treat severe cases of PMS. These medications would include psychotropic drugs. Diagnosing PMS is sometimes difficult and is usually done based solely on the symptoms. Most likely a doctor will ask her patient to keep a diary of her PMS symptoms during her menstrual cycle to help with coming to a proper diagnose of the condition.
Many women have symptoms that are associated with PMS before and during their menstrual cycle. However, PMS is not a real problem unless the symptoms interfere with a woman’s daily living activities.
If any symptoms brought on by a woman’s menstrual cycle is so severe that they disrupt the woman’s daily life, it is important that the woman seek immediate advice and guidance from her physician in order to maintain her physical and mental health.