Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome is a phenomenon experienced by millions and millions of women every month, just before their menstruation cycle begins. The occurrence rate of this problem is as high as nearly eight out of every ten woman experience symptoms of PMS.

The symptoms experienced by different women are so varied that even doctors fail to make the correct diagnosis most of the time. And that is one reason most medical professionals, show a bit of reluctance and unwillingness to treat this problem.

Essentially, PMS refers to a critical situation, with overpowering and unbearable symptoms, which women face a little ahead of the start of their menstrual cycle. Once the menstruation cycle begins, things start getting better as most symptoms recede.

While as we said that the symptoms may vary drastically, and the list of symptoms stretches even beyond hundred including both physical and emotional symptoms, a few of the common ones are excessive hunger, mood swings, water retention in the body, irrational thinking, headache, nausea, sinking feeling, convulsions, obsessive behavior, extreme sensitivity, incessant weeping sessions and there are many more.

Medical professionals and researchers have reasoned out various theories for this premenstrual syndrome. One such theory attributes the symptoms to the overproduction of estrogen hormones and a shortage of progesterone hormone. And there is another which holds the inability of the metabolic system to process fatty acids as the cause for premenstrual syndrome.

On your personal front, there are a few measures that you can take to subdue the symptoms of the PMS, like the first one is to keep your weight under control, since women who are overweight normally experience stronger symptoms of Premenstrual syndrome.

Also high in take of sugar is believed to shoot up the symptoms, so it could help to cut down your sugar intake a little before your period begins. Even regular exercise has some effect on suppressing the symptoms, so the next time you are affected by Premenstrual syndrome try taking some walk instead of lying in your bed to relieve the symptoms.

To understand your symptoms you will have to be a little observant, take a calendar and put down your symptoms as and when they appear before your period begins. And only when you have observed yourself well for two to three months, does it make sense to visit your physician for a proper diagnosis, because you need to be clear about your symptoms and only then can your doctor help you.