Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

The modern medicine defines premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as one of the most multi-symptomatic disorders that impact women’s physical and mental health during the time before periods. This can be a few hours or a few days, up to weeks before menstruation starts.
One of the most popular PMS symptoms is excessive liquid retention that is the consequence of disorder in urinary system, when urine formation is decreased.

As a result of excessive liquid storage women can experience swelling and weight gain. Furthermore, it can increase the breast tenderness. The rapid weight gain can cause various heart and vascular disorders due to increased weight load.

If you experience such a problem as fluid retention, consult a doctor who will prescribe you the correct diuretic for increasing the urine formation. If you have experience in taking these meds, you can use over-the-counter pills that suit your organism. Also urinary disorders during PMS can be alleviated by the changes of lifestyle, diet, normalized vitamin balance.

According to various studies, vitamin B6 seems to be the most important for PMS character. Its deficiency can cause various symptoms. But, extra doses of B6 are not digested, they are removed from the body with urine.

If vitamins intake, improved lifestyle and diet rules have no relieving effect on PMS symptoms, it is recommended to consult a doctor for qualified assistance and therapy. He will define the initial reason of symptoms and prescribe correct medication for its removal.

Essential oils are volatile oils – highly concentrated substances that are extracted from aromatic plants. They have been used since ancient times, and their continued popularity is based on the wide range of their culinary and medicinal uses.

Almost 700 different types of plants can produce useful essential oils that can be found on the market. Actually, the choice can be even overwhelming, as well as the prices, because extraction of an ounce of essential oil requires many pounds of raw material. So in order not to find yourself bewildered, follow next steps when buying essential oils.

First of all, think about the purpose you are looking an essential oil for. Different oils are used for different purposes, so you have to determine what sort of oils will best satisfy your demand. You can find the information in the Internet, or from your knowledgeable friend, natural foods grocer or a herbalist. After you determined your needs, you might find out that there’s more than one sort of oil that suits you. And even if you do not have a determined reason for choosing the particular oil, you can decide on their prices – since prices for essential oils vary widely, there’s no need to pay extra.

Then you should think of some alternatives to essential oil. There are quite a lot of them, actually. They can be hydrosols, absolutes or fragrance oils – they all may perform the service you are looking for, while being often cheaper as compared to essential oils. The first type of oil product (hydrosol or water essence) is in fact the byproduct of distillation (like in rose water, for example). During the distillation of plants, the vapor then condenses into hydrosols and essential oils that are later separated. In other words, a hydrosol is an essential oil but diluted in water, often containing some other side organic compounds. If dilution does not affect the result, hydrosols can often be used instead of essential oils in some methods of aromatherapy. As for the next product, absolute, it’s actually highly concentrated essential oils extracted with solvents. This usually happens with oil for which steam distillation is not very practical, like flowers. Absolutes can even be more expensive than essential oils, because they can often be diluted more and used for the same purposes.

The last oil product is fragrance oil, also known as floral water. It is usually synthetic compound having a scent similar to that of essential oils. Although they are cheaper than essential oils, fragrance oils are not actually suitable for therapeutic uses. In addition to those three kinds of products, you can also buy essential oils diluted in such carrier oil as grapeseed oil or almond. These may even be a better choice, especially if you want to apply the oil onto your skin.

Next, determine the price. Once you decided on the product, find out what is the best price for it. You may check out online and locally, but keep in mind the quantities and dilutions that can be compared at the same level. Keep the list of the prices you found and you will most likely find the general price at a certain level.

Then study the information about the oil you want to buy. The more you know about it, the better value you will get from it. For example, essential oils may vary in quality, as they may be made with different parts of the plants: like lavender oil, which can be made with lavender stalks and flowers or just with the flowers. The quality is better for the latter, of course. The same can be learned for the extraction methods (water distilled is often worse than steam distilled), time of harvest or place of origin. Everything matters.

After that, find out more about your real oil choices. As you are now an informed purchaser, you can ask the sellers questions. Also it will be good to study the bottles carefully (in case you shop online you have to scrutinize descriptions). The main purpose of this step is to get a clear idea of the real product. Smell different oils to be able to compare the scents. Ask how the plants were harvested, where they’re originated from and so on. The manufacturers of the oils you chose are also worth checking. The information can be got from everywhere – the retailers, your friends or the Internet. But don’t forget that the information you find will be valuable only if got from a reputable source.

Finally, note how the essential oils are stored. They should always be stored either in stainless steel container or a dark glass bottle. Those not stored in these are suspect. Besides, oils should be far from direct sunlight or excessive heat. If you are shopping locally, you have an excellent opportunity to see how the oils are kept. However, reputable companies can be trusted to keep oils duly.

Loss of sexual desire is one of the most harmful symptoms of menopause, as it touches not only the physiological sphere, but has a great impact on relationship. Loss of libido is a common menopause ‘side effect’ that covers about 20 – 40 % or all women at the period of menopause. It is important to understand that such changes usually have complex reasons, like hormonal imbalance, psychological disorders and age-related changes.

If you want to manage with loss of libido, as well as other menopause symptoms, you should study the causes and potential remedies of this disorder. By understanding its origin you will be able to find appropriate solution to remove the source of the problem and return to a stable healthy lifestyle.

Loss of Libido in Details
Loss of libido is a complex disorder that relies on various psychological, physical and hormonal reasons. It has highly individual character, different for each woman.

Traditionally the term ‘libido’ is associated with sexual desire, describing the level of person’s sexual activity. In medical sense loss of libido is a disorder displaying in reduce of interest to sexual activity, lack of desire to have sex.

Women experiencing libido loss admit that they become less sensitive to sexual caress, they are not aroused or it takes too long to get aroused during sexual contact. Also they have no energy for sex, they lose the feeling of their own sexuality. When having sex, women with loss of libido experience vaginal dryness and painful feelings during intercourse.

Some women during menopause become unable to achieve orgasm or even arouse enough for sex. These symptoms are also associated with loss of libido, although such women didn’t lose the physiological ability to have sex. These symptoms mostly caused by hormonal imbalance and psychological problems.

Reasons of Loss of Libido
Loss of libido is one of menopause symptoms that occur mostly because of hormonal changes in female organism. Besides endocrine disorders, libido is very sensitive to various psychological problems, like stresses and conflicts, especially if they are caused by sexual partner.

Hormonal Aspects of Loss of Libido
As was said before, hormones are the root source of libido changes in female body. The imbalance of three main hormones levels can reduce the desire to have sex and ability to get sexual satisfaction.

Estrogen
Estrogen is a female hormone responsible for female sexual sensitivity and influencing on the process of vaginal lubrication output. It influences greatly on the normal state of vaginal tissue.

During menopause, female body produces less natural estrogen. As a result, it causes various unwanted symptoms like night sweats, vaginal dryness, irregular menstruation, and of course it has much impact on libido.

Progesterone
Progesterone hormone is acting in female organism in pair with estrogen. Any imbalance between these two hormones leads to various health problems, like irregular menstruation, lack of energy, constant tiredness. All these effects may cause loss of libido.

Androgens/ Testosterone
Androgens are naturally produced in less concentration within the age-related changes. The balance between estrogen and estrogen hormones (like testosterone) is very important to female organism, as only the normal levels of all hormones provide stable operation of reproductive, immune and circulatory systems. Less testosterone in female body can also mean the decreased sexual desires and discomfort during the sex.

Besides hormonal reasons, there are some other causes of loss of libido that also deserve attention if you want to get rid of this problem. There is a list of potential non-hormonal reasons of loss of libido.

What Else May Cause Loss of Libido?

For better convenience alternative causes are divided into three groups: physical, emotional and relational.

Physical causes include the following:
-Various pains during the sex

-Sexual dysfunction

-Using medicines with side-effect of decreased libido

-Surgery (hysterectomy)

-Vaginal dryness

-Diabetes and other chronic diseases

-Heart disorders

-Anemia

Emotional reasons usually include this:

-Stresses, depression

-Tiredness

-Changes self-appraisal due to weight problems and other visual changes

-Age concerns

-Conflicts

-Feel of anxiety and other psychological disorders

Relational reasons touch the following spheres:
-Conflicts with sexual partner

-The changes in intimate relationship

-Partings

-Changes in social status

-Other life changes

-Lack of communication with partner

-Changing the sexual partner or divorcing

-As a rule a combination of these causes may lead to loss of libido and problems in sexual sphere.

Therapy for Fighting The Loss of Libido
There is variety of available approaches for loss of libido treatment. Usually the choice of remedies is made according to the cause of the problem. If it is a psychological problem, you should take care of your emotions and try to normalize your state by relaxation practice, psychologist consultations, changing the lifestyle.

Correct your diet to exclude possible food impact on your libido, orient your ration to soy products, protein-comprising foods, magnesium sources like leafy greens, buckwheat etc. Also it will be useful to include liver, oysters, red meat and other products that contain zync.
Physical activity is also helpful for both physical and emotional causes of loss of libido. It is recommended to use aerobics, yoga practices, Kegel exercises to maintain your vaginal tone. Stretching is also helpful for improving body shape and tone.

Most of menopausal problems of loss of libido is directly connected with hormone changes that should be removed by using natural herbs that will help to adjust endocrine system to a normal state. The hormone problems can be solved by other therapies like chemical drugs or surgery, if they become too severe and don’t react on homeopathic treatment.

Menopause is called “premature” if it happens at or before the age of 40. For some women, it happens naturally. This could be due to family history of prema-ture menopause. For other women, it is brought on by medical means, such as:

• Medical treatments, such as surgery to remove the ovaries

• Cancer treatments, such as chemo-therapy or radiation to the pelvic area that damage the ovaries — although menopause does not always occur

For women who want to have children, premature menopause can be a source of great distress.

Women who still want to become pregnant can talk with their doctors about other ways of having children, such as donor egg programs or adoption. Having premature menopause puts a woman at more risk for osteoporosis later in her life.

If you have premature menopause, talk to your doctor about whether MHT might be an option for you. We don’t know for sure how MHT might affect younger women. But some researchers think that for these younger women, the risks of MHT use are likely to be smaller and the benefits greater than those in older women who begin MHT at or beyond the typical age of menopause.

Following the American Cancer Society’s guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer improves the chances that breast cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage and treated successfully. Therefore, it is important for women to take an active role in early detection. Your physician can provide information for the proper schedule of checkups and symptoms to watch for. This advice will be based on a woman’s age, medical history and other factors.

Symptoms …What to look for

Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. In fact, when it first develops, breast cancer may cause no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that women should watch for:

• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.

• A change in the size or shape of the breast.

• A discharge from the nipple.

• A change in the color or feel of the breast, areola or nipple (dimpled, puckered or scaly).

A woman should see her doctor if she notices any of these changes. Most often, they are not cancer, but only a doctor can tell for sure. Breast exams save lives!

There are four important early detection procedures:

• Clinical Breast Exam

• Breast Self-exam

• Mammogram

• Digital Mammogram

Clinical Breast Exam (CBE)

A breast exam by a physician or nurse is typically a part of a routine annual check up for all women. During a CBE, a health professional will carefully inspect and palpate (feel) a woman’s breasts and under her arms to check for lumps or other unusual changes while she is lying down.

A clinical breast exam is not a substitute for regular mammography for women over 40 years of
age.

Self-examination Techniques

By regularly examining her own breasts, a woman is likely to notice any changes that occur. The best time for breast self-examination (BSE) is about a week after your period ends, when your breasts are not tender or swollen. If you are not having regular periods, do BSE on the same day every month.

For monthly breast exams use the fingerpads of your three middle fingers to feel your breast.
Always use your left hand for your right breast and your right hand for your left breast.

Three Methods

Use one of the following methods consistently each time you examine yourself:

1. Circular motion in an oval pattern.

2. Vertical motion in a rectangular pattern.

3. Wedge motion in an oval pattern.

Check for any lumps, hard knots, swelling, dimpling, or thickening. Observe for abnormal change of size, shape, color or discharge.

Standing in front of a mirror, look at both breasts while your arms are at your sides. While raising your arms slowly, look for swelling or changes in nipples or breasts. With your hands on your hips, flex your chest muscles and compare your breasts.

While in the shower, extend your right arm up and examine your right breast. Switch (extend left arm, examine left breast).

While reclined on your bed or floor on your back, place a pillow under your right shoulder so your right breast is flat. Examine your right breast with your right arm under your head. Switch (place pillow under left shoulder and examine left breast).

Mammography

A mammogram is a special x-ray. It is actually two x-rays of each breast, one taken from the top and one from the side. The breast must be compressed between two flat surfaces in order to obtain clear images. While this compression may be uncomfortable (not painful), it lasts for only a few seconds. In many cases, mammograms can detect breast tumors that are too small to be felt or cause symptoms. A mammogram may also show small deposits of calcium in the breast. A cluster of very tiny specks of calcium (called microcalcifications) may be an early sign of cancer.

Mammography should be done only by specially trained medical staff using equipment designed for taking x-rays of the breast. The x-ray images should be read and interpreted by a qualified radiologist. (See information about new digital mammography.)

To learn where you can get a mammogram, talk with your doctor or phone Boone Hospital Center scheduling to make an appointment (573-815-8150) or call the National Cancer Institute’s

Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER)

The Dr. Hugh Harris Breast Screening & Diagnostic Center performs mammograms in a comfortable, private setting staffed with highly qualified health professionals. Mammography screening remains the single most effective method to detect breast cancer in early stages. However, because no medical test is always 100% accurate, mammography is no exception. Therefore, it is important for women to have their breasts examined regularly by a doctor or nurse and perform BSE’s.

Information provided by the National Cancer Institute and NBCAM.

Breast pain and tenderness is a usual symptom that accompanies menopause period. It is caused by instable balance of hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. Breast pain can be experienced by women after menopause, but it is more common for women of pre- and perimenopausal periods.

Breast pain is very popular symptom among women of almost all ages. Statistic shows that about 70% of women experience pain in breast during the life time. 10% of women feel severe pains in breast that bring much discomfort in everyday life, relationships and professional activities.

The only way to prevent yourself from painful symptoms during menopause is to study the problem and understand its nature. This article is aimed to help women that struggle from breast pain.

Breast Pain in Details
Breast pain has many scientific names, like mammalgia, mazodynia or mastalgia. All these terms mean the same – increased breast tenderness, pains in breasts of different strength and discomfort due to abnormal feelings in mammary glands.

Breast pains can be cyclical (regular) or acyclic. The first type of pains is usually caused by hormonal changes, it is typical for women during menopause or before it. Acyclic breast pain has nothing with hormonal misbalance, and it is more common for postmenopausal period. Besides two aforementioned breast pain types there is a third kind of breast discomfort – extramammary pain that occurs outside the breast.

The breast pain display is different among women, it depends on individual characteristics of each woman. As a rule, breast pain symptoms include increased tenderness, painful feelings in the breasts area (one or both), swelling, and the feel of burning. Sometimes it is accompanied with breasts hardening.

What is the reason of Breast Pain?
The most widespread reason of breast pains is age-related hormonal changes during menopause. Such stages as pregnancy, menstruation and menopause cause the changes of estrogen and progesterone hormones level that influence on female organism causing various disorders. The result of such changes is breast pain.

Hormones are not the only reason for breast discomfort. Other less common reasons also can take place.

These are:

-Breast tumors and cyst

-Past breast surgeries

-Various traumas

-Emotional instability and stresses

-Breast size

-Birth control pills intake

-Mastitis

-Various medicines like antidepressants, hormone replacement therapy and heart medicines.

-Alcohol and drugs

Potential Diagnosis for Breast Pain
Breast pain is a symptom that should be discussed with a doctor, because it can be caused not only by menopause, which is the most common reason. Also it may be a symptom of other disorders, in rare cases it can indicate a cancer. To eliminate these potential diagnoses, consult a doctor. He also will help to find helpful treatment to relief pains and breast tenderness.

Sometimes it is impossible to set an exact diagnosis without additional tests available only at clinic. The detailed diagnostics gives the best changes for correct diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes a doctor can prescribe medications after a common physical examination and a few questions. Anyway, don’t use self-treatment, it is better to consult a professional.

Breast Pain Therapy
Currently a wide range of natural therapies are available for treating breast pains during menopausal period. Natural medicines are good for having no side effects, while some measures like diets or physical exercises, relaxation practices can significantly improve menopausal course.

The measures described above can significantly relief pains but they don’t remove the cause of brain pains, like hormonal imbalance. Natural therapies may help in this, by normalizing the level of hormones in female organism. They are safe and reliable methods of treatment that combined with self-care measures can bring successful results in fighting menopausal breast pains.

Most of medics recommend first try all these measures and only if they don’t bring expected pain relief, a patient can use chemical medications for stronger effect. Don’t use chemicals before trying natural therapy, as it is rather risky way of treatment that should be used only when there is no alternative.

For more effective results, you should change your lifestyle properly, start doing exercises, aerobics, and make some diet changes. All this is very helpful in combination with herbals and other therapies. Ask your doctor what is the most useful in your case.

Q: I experience unexpected and rapid mood changes before menstruation, a few days before it starts. Can I somehow control them to avoid troubles at work and home? Such emotional drops really affect my life and relations with colleagues and family.

A: It is typical display of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some psychiatrists call it Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), but it means pretty the same in your case.

Premenstrual syndrome is rather popular disorder experienced by more than 30% of woman worldwide. It reveals in various emotional and physical symptoms, and mood swings is one of the most typical symptoms. The problem is that PMS is not properly studied yet, the connection between PMS and emotional state is still unclear, so there is no definite treatment suitable for all. However a lot of patients find some therapies effective, such as taking magnesium mineral, calcium pills, St. John’s wort medicines or Prozac. These medicines have already shown its effectiveness and were clinically tested, that gives some guarantee for successful treatment. The rest of therapies mostly built on beliefs with no medical ground.

As for the vitamins and minerals, there are a few that can help:

-Vitamin E  for daily intake of 400-800 UI dose;

-Vitamin B6 – 50 mg daily or twice a day;

- for 1,000 – 1,500 mg daily;

-Zinc – 15-25 mg per day;

-Magnesium (325-750 mg daily according to doctor’s recommendations).

The herbs useful for treating PMS are flaxseed or borage oil, usually supplied in capsules. These oils give special fatty acids that can relief various pains and emotional PMS symptoms. Evening primrose oil is a popular treatment for increased breast tenderness. Chamomile or valerian root act as a sedative medicines that can remove aggressive mood or anxiety, but be careful and don’t take them at morning or daytime, as they reduce concentration. Dandelion leaves are effective for excess fluid excretion.

In Europe PMS is often treated by St. John’s wort (Hypericum) that already proved its effectiveness. The medical practice shows that the most helpful regime of its intake is 300 mg daily. From 10th cycle day till the periods start, increase the dose to 300 mg three times per day. Each cycle begins from the first day of menstruation. Sometimes it is enough to take less or increasing the dose only before ovulation (about 14th cycle day). It is individual in each case.

Remember that there are also non-medicine therapies that can help to reduce PMS symptoms. Exercises and diet are among such methods. Aerobics increases the output of endorphins and reliefs mood swings and depression, having positive effect on the whole organism. Replace simple carbohydrates (cookies or candies) by complex carbohydrates (vegetables), eat more frequently but by less dosing. You can use special “PMS Escape” drink with complex carbohydrates, but it more expensive than vegetables and grains. Try to limit alcohol intake, simple sugars or fattening foods also should be avoided.

If these measures don’t help, consult a doctor for finding another therapy including SSRI antidepressants. Some drugs like Zoloft or Prozac successfully treat PMS symptoms. They are ethical medications.

And don’t forget that PMS is not the only reason of mood swings. Some medical disorders like diabetes or endocrine system disorders, as well as psychiatric pathologies, may cause the same symptoms. If PMS therapy doesn’t help, it is better to see your doctor to find the actual reason and proper therapy.