Pre-Menstrual Syndrome is a result of the fluctuating levels of hormones, including testosterone and estrogen that occur in prep for childbirth, during the 2 weeks before it, around the time of childbirth.
In this stage girls suffer from various symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, swelling and pain of abdomen/breasts, restlessness, anxiety, depression, nervousness, decreased concentration and forgetfulness.
Because this is a syndrome that affects women of childbearing age, it can occur anytime between the 20s until 40s — and the symptoms get worse with age. For such women then, coping with daily life can become tedious, and adversely affect their work-life, household chores and especially their partners!
PMS is an actual medical condition, and thus there are ways to reduce the symptoms, if not heal them completely.
Exercise
Studies on exercise and PMS symptom relief have found that 110 minutes/week of swimming, 70 minutes/week of aerobic dancing, or 50 minutes/week of running contribute to symptom development.
It has also been demonstrated that rowing is the most effective of all exercises in reducing such ailments. Therefore, when your body sends a message that it’s the time of the month again, at this point you know what to do.
Diet
Cutting back on alcohol, salt and caffeine is usually recommended for lessening the effects of PMS symptoms. And for regular smokers, this is 1 time when one may wish to temporarily stop, or even permanently.
Studies have proven that PMSing girls crave carbohydrates and increased carbohydrate intake causes increased release of serotonin, which prompts feelings of improved mood.
However, simple sugars make the body produce excess insulin, so you ought to have more of complex carbs. For example, whole grain breads, whole wheat bagel, lentils and low fat cheese can be consumed rather than white bread or chocolate truffle!
Maintaining a menstrual diary
Recording the monthly menstrual cycle dates may prepare a woman to manage her symptoms emotionally. It can also assist in preparing ahead for, preventing or reducing, and coping better with such ailments.
Medicine and therapy
Women with severe PMS symptoms can suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), even though it is rare. In such cases, calcium, vitamin and magnesium supplements are suggested.
Birth control pills (estrogen-progestin) are widely prescribed for PMS, however recent studies have shown that birth control pills are not consistently effective for PMS. Even though they may improve certain symptoms for many women, other girls report that they have worse symptoms or they create mood problems.
Estrogen alone might provide some benefit for some women, but if taken without progestin, it raises the chance of esophageal cancer. Therefore, if any medication is to be resorted to, it is always advisable to consult your doctor than purchasing over-the-counter pills.
Massage therapy and bright light therapy also have turned out to be very helpful in reducing PMS effects.
PMS is consequently a trying time for women, and it can be as difficult for individuals around them, particularly their partners or spouses. Communication between partners is important regarding this issue, so as to make another person understand the horrible mood swings and irritability aren’t whims in their part — they are hormonally induced and thus uncontrollable.
PMS is a biological process, and therefore has to be dealt with as obviously as possible without resorting to anti-depressants and the likes. To look at it from a bright side, this type of syndrome is what makes a girl distinctive from men — her yearly cycle and thus her power to make life.
