Do you have Premenstrual Syndrome? Find out what it is and what it consists of, what symptoms it produces, what its causes are, how it is diagnosed and whether or not there is a medical treatment to help you.
Month after month, the symptoms associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle tend to be repeated month after month. In most cases, these related symptoms even interfere with some aspect of the woman’s life, and can become not only physical but also emotional.
However, not all women have the same type of alteration. Not surprisingly, the same woman may not always repeat the same symptoms.
What is premenstrual syndrome?
Formerly known by the name of premenstrual tension, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are the different physical and emotional changes that occur before menstruation, and that disappear with it.
They are a group of variable symptoms, which tend to occur before menstruation. It is estimated that around 40% of women suffer from it each month, although other statistics indicate that it affects between 30% and 80% of women of childbearing age. Of these, 10% present acute symptoms.
What are your causes?
Although the exact cause or causes that tend to cause the appearance of Premenstrual Syndrome are not yet known, the main medical theory puts the leading role in hormonal changes, stress (for example, in the case of women with a great emotional load) that can feel the woman and also the nutrition that follows each day.
On the one hand, we can mention the estrogen-progesterone imbalance, which causes greater fluid and sodium retention, generalized edema and, in turn, weight gain.
Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome
We can divide the symptoms into two sections: physical symptoms and emotional or psychic symptoms. Basically they are the following:
- Physical symptoms: ovarian pain, breast discomfort, cramps, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, and headache.
- Emotional or psychic symptoms: irritability, feeling of lethargy, hostility, depression and/or confusion.
How is it diagnosed?
When only one of these symptoms occurs during a minimum of 2 months of follow-up, the presence of PMS is diagnosed.
However, for the diagnosis of Premenstrual Dysphonic Disorder (in this case the emotional symptoms are more serious: serious symptoms of depression appear, in addition to irritability and tension) the presence of at least 5 of them during the same period of time is necessary.
Is there a medical treatment?
Although it is true that there is no specific medical treatment, the drugs currently used help control the symptoms suffered by women.
On the other hand, it is advisable to follow the following health habits:
- Follow a healthy lifestyle, based on the practice of physical exercise and a healthy and balanced diet. In food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables stand out.
- Sleep more than 7 hours a day, resting in the most comfortable way possible.
- Chamomile infusions help calm symptoms, due to their emollient and analgesic effects.
- Reduce the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, in addition to health.
- Avoid eating sugar.
- Practice relaxation regularly and meditate. It will help you avoid stress, which tends to make PMS worse.
