Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Menstrual cycle symptoms

Menstruation is a stage in a girl’s life that indicates that she is becoming sexually mature. It is characterized with a monthly cycle where a menstrual fluid is released following an elimination of a thickened lining of the uterine wall, in form of blood through the vagina. The menstrual cycle begins from the age of 9 to thirteen and lasts between 3 to 7 days depending on an individual. The cycle also varies from one cycle to the other. Some women have steady cycles that commence after 28 days from the last cycle while in others, it can commence earlier or after 28 days. This is attributed to the fact that there are certain factors that influence a woman’s menstrual cycle including:

-Hormonal changes
-Food
-Change of environment
-Stress and anxiety
-Exercises among other factors

Menstruation is additionally characterized with a number of symptoms and they vary from one individual to the other. During the menstrual cycle, one can have a headache, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea fatigue, bloating and sweating. Some women have painful periods and will feel unwell especially during the first days of the cycle. It is important to keep warm especially around the abdomen, exercise, relax and avoid caffeinated drinks to relieve these symptoms.

PMDD symptoms

During the last week of the menstrual cycle, a woman experiences PMDD symptoms. They can be severe or mild. The symptoms also improve when a period commences and they include:

Anxiety, insomnia, hypersomnia, headache, bloating and food craving
Panic attack and problems when concentrating
Mood swings and lack of interest in normal activities
During the menstrual cycle some women can also experience severe and extreme PMDD symptoms and will feel hopeless, have suicidal thoughts and sadness. It is however important to seek medical assistance when suffering from these symptoms because it is considered a biological condition.

PMS premenopausal symptom

Just before a menstruation cycle stops, a woman can have a PMS premenopausal symptom. Changes occur and are characterized with emotional and physical symptoms due to decreased functions of the ovaries. Additionally, any PMS premenopausal symptom can occur as a result of hormonal changes in the body. The symptom is often mistaken for other medical conditions and it is always important to seek medical advice so as to rule out other medical problems. It could be frequent urination, extreme sweating, muscle ache, vaginal dryness, a headache and hot flashes. Treatment of these symptoms includes the use birth control pills to balance hormone levels in the body.

The variety of pregnancy symptoms really impresses, as they are very individual for each woman. The definite sign of possible pregnancy is the absence of menstruations, but many women don’t experience this symptom during the early pregnancy stages. Most of such symptoms can be caused by other things, that is why the best way to define whether you pregnant or not is use the pregnancy test or consult a doctor.

If you are planning to conceive a child, you should prepare your organism for pregnancy period. You should find more about this aspect to be ready for successful pregnancy and childbirth. You should adjust your diet, habits and lifestyle in accordance with your future state, as well as study the physical activity exercises that may help to gain the best form for easy birth.

Signs That You Are Pregnant

Changes in Menstrual Cycle
It is the most popular pregnancy “side effect”. Most of women don’t experience periods during the menstruation, or menstruations become shorter and less intensive till the full stopping. Also the regularity of periods is changing slightly. You should remember that such changes are not 100% signs of pregnancy, as they can have another nature like rapid weight changes, stresses or hormone disbalance. It can also be a side effect of stopping the intake of hormonal drugs.

Implantation Bleeding
When the embryo is trying to attach itself to the uterus wall, the process can be accompanied with short period bleeding that usually starts in six – twelve days after the conception was made. Very often this bleeding is taken as a menstruation by mistake. Sometimes the process of embryo implanting causes menstruation-like spasms or cramping. To relief these symptoms, you can use a heating pad. In case you are pregnant it is better to avoid painkilling drugs.

Sickness and Vomiting
These are the most famous symptoms of pregnancy that can accompany you during the whole period. Usually the morning sickness starts in two – eight weeks since conception was made. Don’t think that it is only the morning ‘hello’ to pregnant women: the nausea can happen any time during the day and night. Also it can be a specific reaction on some food or fragrances. Some women do not experience it at all, most feel sickness during the first trimester. There is a possibility to regard nausea as a pregnancy side effect instead of its real cause like food poisoning or other disorders. Regular visits to a doctor will help to avoid such mistakes. By the way the doctor assistance will be also helpful to relief morning sickness effect. A doctor will prescribe some medicines or diet therapy allowed during the pregnancy.

Breasts Sensitivity and Swelling
Women breasts react to any hormonal changes in the organism very quickly, and pregnancy will also make an effect on them. In one – two weeks of pregnancy you may feel that your breasts became bigger in size and more sensitive to various irritants. You also may feel pain discomfort like during the PMS. Sometimes the color and size of nipple areolas also change. Remember that breasts swelling and tenderness can be also a side effect of other hormonal disbalance or taking some hormonal pills like birth control medicines. Even the intake of much coffee can cause the same symptoms.

Tiredness and Exhaustion
You can feel it soon after conception, but don’t take it as a definite pregnancy symptom. It can be caused by stresses, depression or heavy physical activity.

Changes in Attitude to Specific Tastes and Aromas
The nature of this symptom is still unknown for science, but it really happens in the vast majority of cases. Most likely it is also the effect of increased estrogen production. So don’t wonder if some fragrances or dishes that never made any discomfort to you may suddenly make you mad.

Frequent Micturition
This symptom takes place within the six weeks after the child was conceived. It is natural process when the amount of various liquids in the organism increases during the pregnancy period, so don’t worry about frequent visits to the toilet. Also the baby grows inside you and less and less place is left for your bladder, so it can hold less liquid and needs more often liberation.

Enlargement of Abdomen
The feelings during the first pregnancy period is almost the same like when the periods start: you feel bloated. As the child growth your abdomen will grow respectively.

Appetite Raising
You need to eat more as there is someone else inside who also need to get all necessary nutrients. The organism should be strong and full of vitamins, that’s why you are eating more during the pregnancy..
Raised Basal Temperature
If you measure your basal temperature regularly, and there is a constant raise during 18 days or more, it seems that you are pregnant.

Testing

You can surely find out if you are pregnant or by using special pregnancy test or consulting a doctor. Most of home tests give no guarantees for definitely trustworthy results. If it has shown that you are not pregnant, but you experience various pregnancy symptoms, you should see a doctor to diagnose the reasons.

The variety of pregnancy symptoms really impresses, as they are very individual for each woman. The definite sign of possible pregnancy is the absence of menstruations, but many women don’t experience this symptom during the early pregnancy stages. Most of such symptoms can be caused by other things, that is why the best way to define whether you pregnant or not is use the pregnancy test or consult a doctor.

If you are planning to conceive a child, you should prepare your organism for pregnancy period. You should find more about this aspect to be ready for successful pregnancy and childbirth. You should adjust your diet, habits and lifestyle in accordance with your future state, as well as study the physical activity exercises that may help to gain the best form for easy birth.

Signs That You Are Pregnant

Changes in Menstrual Cycle
It is the most popular pregnancy “side effect”. Most of women don’t experience periods during the menstruation, or menstruations become shorter and less intensive till the full stopping. Also the regularity of periods is changing slightly. You should remember that such changes are not 100% signs of pregnancy, as they can have another nature like rapid weight changes, stresses or hormone disbalance. It can also be a side effect of stopping the intake of hormonal drugs.

Implantation Bleeding
When the embryo is trying to attach itself to the uterus wall, the process can be accompanied with short period bleeding that usually starts in six – twelve days after the conception was made. Very often this bleeding is taken as a menstruation by mistake. Sometimes the process of embryo implanting causes menstruation-like spasms or cramping. To relief these symptoms, you can use a heating pad. In case you are pregnant it is better to avoid painkilling drugs.

Sickness and Vomiting
These are the most famous symptoms of pregnancy that can accompany you during the whole period. Usually the morning sickness starts in two – eight weeks since conception was made. Don’t think that it is only the morning ‘hello’ to pregnant women: the nausea can happen any time during the day and night. Also it can be a specific reaction on some food or fragrances. Some women do not experience it at all, most feel sickness during the first trimester. There is a possibility to regard nausea as a pregnancy side effect instead of its real cause like food poisoning or other disorders. Regular visits to a doctor will help to avoid such mistakes. By the way the doctor assistance will be also helpful to relief morning sickness effect. A doctor will prescribe some medicines or diet therapy allowed during the pregnancy.

Breasts Sensitivity and Swelling
Women breasts react to any hormonal changes in the organism very quickly, and pregnancy will also make an effect on them. In one – two weeks of pregnancy you may feel that your breasts became bigger in size and more sensitive to various irritants. You also may feel pain discomfort like during the PMS. Sometimes the color and size of nipple areolas also change. Remember that breasts swelling and tenderness can be also a side effect of other hormonal disbalance or taking some hormonal pills like birth control medicines. Even the intake of much coffee can cause the same symptoms.

Tiredness and Exhaustion
You can feel it soon after conception, but don’t take it as a definite pregnancy symptom. It can be caused by stresses, depression or heavy physical activity.

Changes in Attitude to Specific Tastes and Aromas
The nature of this symptom is still unknown for science, but it really happens in the vast majority of cases. Most likely it is also the effect of increased estrogen production. So don’t wonder if some fragrances or dishes that never made any discomfort to you may suddenly make you mad.

Frequent Micturition
This symptom takes place within the six weeks after the child was conceived. It is natural process when the amount of various liquids in the organism increases during the pregnancy period, so don’t worry about frequent visits to the toilet. Also the baby grows inside you and less and less place is left for your bladder, so it can hold less liquid and needs more often liberation.

Enlargement of Abdomen
The feelings during the first pregnancy period is almost the same like when the periods start: you feel bloated. As the child growth your abdomen will grow respectively.

Appetite Raising
You need to eat more as there is someone else inside who also need to get all necessary nutrients. The organism should be strong and full of vitamins, that’s why you are eating more during the pregnancy..

Raised Basal Temperature
If you measure your basal temperature regularly, and there is a constant raise during 18 days or more, it seems that you are pregnant.

Testing
You can surely find out if you are pregnant or by using special pregnancy test or consulting a doctor. Most of home tests give no guarantees for definitely trustworthy results. If it has shown that you are not pregnant, but you experience various pregnancy symptoms, you should see a doctor to diagnose the reasons.