Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

About three fourth of women at childbearing age feel discomfort during premenstrual period caused by various symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. In 10 percent of cases premenstrual syndrome (PMS) reveals in much more serious form called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

The difference between PMS and PMDD is in the strength of symptoms. Being more severe, PMDD has bigger influence on women’s daily activities and psychological state. As a rule, the symptoms of PMDD reveal themselves in the last week of menstrual cycle and disappear in a few days after menstruation starts. The typical symptoms include:

1 – Depression, continual nervousness or sadness

2 – Shifts of mood with often wing-dings

3 – Heightened irritation and furiousness

4 – Apathy and loss of interest to usual day-to-day activities

5 – Pain in joints, muscular ache, headache and other flu-like symptoms

6 – Breasts hypersensitivity

7 – Tiredness and sleepiness

8 – Slumber disorders – insomnia or sleeping too much, problems with falling asleep

9 – Surfeit, constant feel of hunger or loss of appetite

The reasons of PMDD are not found yet. Most of scientists note big resemblance between PMDD and major depression. But PMDD also affects women without major depression history.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is healed by decreasing or preventing the impact of its sympthoms. The main drugs used for this are:

1 – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are able to relieve breast sensitivity and cramping. Advil, Mortin and other medicines of this group are usually taken before or at the beginning of menstrual period.

2 – Antidepressants including serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are able to ease emotional discomfort and problems with slumber.

3 – Oral contraceptives can be used to neutralize the main cause of PMDD. They stop ovulation that lead to hormonal stability.

4 – Nutritional supplements like calcium, magnesium and vitamin B-6 reduce various problems caused by PMDD. Taking them regularly helps to normalize physical and emotional state.

5 – Herbal remedies can be used to reduce emotional symptoms of PMDD and headaches, as well as improve sleep. L-tryptophan and chastberry are clinically studied remedies.

6 – Diet and regular physical exercises. They both effectively reduce premenstrual symptoms, as well as recondition the whole organism. Reducing caffeine intake may decrease anxiety and emotional instability. Carbohydrates are able to improve mood.

It is important to consult a doctor when feeling the aforementioned symptoms. Only a qualified medic can determine the origin of symptoms, if it is PMDD or other disorder. If the reason is PMDD, a doctor will prescribe specific treatment for your symptoms that will help to minimize the impact of PMDD.

PMS (pre menstrual syndrome) is a well known syndrome connected with women menstrual cycle. It usually starts from 2 days to 2 weeks to the menses. Actually it’s characterized with several symptoms among which the most well-known are anxiety, headaches, pains in breast, mood changes, appetite changes and overweighting.

Doctors have no single idea whether this syndrome is connected with hormonal changes in the body or not, but it’s a well-known fact that in this period the level of serotonin in the body lowers. Serotonin is the very hormone to correspond for the appetite, sleep habits, mood swings and so on. So, during pms period this level becomes lower. As a result, mood changes, insomnia, appetite changes like overeating, aches and spasms. In this period a woman can feel depressed and a bit under the weather. What is more, in some cases there are feelings of loneness, anxiety and tearfulness.

One should remember that at this period many chronicle disease can exacerbate (most common is asthms). In this case, a woman should consult the doctor to get the treatment as some symptoms like headaches, muscle spasms can be quite painful and they need relief. Without some medicines a woman can really suffer from pms symptoms.

At this period there is sometimes so-called pms depression, which is not a really terrible disease, but, nevertheless makes some troubles and discomfort for daily activity. One shouldn’t mix up neurosis and typical depression with pms depression. At first sight one can think that they are very alike as the symptoms are quite similar, but it’s not true! Really, at initial examination a woman can enumerate all the symptoms similar to neurosis, but their nature is in essence different.

As pms depression is connected with the menstrual cycle, as ordinary depression is connected with stress, bad body condition and other causes and reasons. To indicate exactly pms depression a woman should report all the changes in the body for two a three menstrual cycles. First of all it’s made for a woman to find the very pms period as the similar changes in the body and mood indicates the starting and the finishing point of pms. Secondly, it’s made for a doctor to understand whether these symptoms are connected with the pms depression or with neurosis or exacerbation. Surely, pms depression doesn’t last for a month or two. In this case a woman should consult a doctor.

There are some medicines, herbal tablets and physical exercises to relive the pain or to ease the spasms. But, surely, they should be prescribed by the doctor. Some easy exercises are possible to find in the internet as they just ease the pain. But in case of worsening, there should be prescribed medicines. PMS depression are treated clinically quite rare as the basic treatment are some antidepressants. Pms depression and catastrophic symptoms are treated individually.

So, pms is special period of menstrual symptoms which is characterized with wood swings, increasing of tearfulness level, anxiety, some physical symptoms but mostly connected with the level of serotonin in the blood. Many of pms symptoms as the whole condition of the body during this period is quite individual. If there are some changes in the pms symptoms or pms period, a woman should consult a doctor. Another thing is these symptoms and condition shouldn’t be mixed up with pregnancy symptoms.