Have you ever had cramps a few days before your period started? Or maybe you have mood swings you feel irritable or angry prior to your period.
These are different symptoms that we can have as a result of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). According to the Mayo Clinic it is estimated that 75 percent of women experience PMS symptoms about a week before their period begins.
These symptoms are variable and often resolve when menstruation begins. PMS is hard to define because there are so many different symptoms that can show up for women.
Every women’s PMS can be very personal and very different, generally falling into emotional or physical symptoms.
Emotional symptoms may be crying spells, depressed mood or mood swings, social withdrawal poor concentration, changes in appetite or food craving, tension, anxiety, irritability or anger.
Examples of physical symptoms include cramps, tender breasts, fatigue, fluid retention weight gain, joint, muscle or back pain, headaches, acne, constipation or diarrhea and abdominal bloating.
Do you know what contributes to your PMS symptoms? Factors that create the symptoms related to PMS are chemical changes or behavior habits.
Chemical changes can include hormone fluctuations and often change during pregnancy or menopause. Chemical changes in the brain could result from undiagnosed depression or changes in neurotransmitters in the brain.
Behaviors like poor stress management or poor eating habits can trigger PMS symptoms.
While you might not be able to influence the chemical changes you do have control over the behavioral habits that impact your PMS.
Wouldn’t you want to make an impact on your PMS symptoms just by changing your behavioral habits? You can, by being more aware of the foods you are eating and creating stress management
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Sources:
"Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premenstrual-syndrome/DS00134
"Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Symptoms: Physical and Emotional." Women's Health Center: Information on Women's Wellness, Nutrition, Fitness, Intimate Questions, and Weight Loss. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.
http://women.webmd.com/pms/premenstrual-syndrome-pms-symptoms
Reviewed March 6, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith