Menopause Lifestyle

Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS ,also known as premenstrual tension (PMT)) affects about 80% of women, with 10% having severe PMS that has a significant effect on their day to day lives.

What is PMS?

PMS is used to describe a range of symptoms that occur in women after ovulation and usually ends when menstruation starts.

What causes PMS?

The cause of PMS is not well understood. There are several theories which look at:

• changes in sex hormone levels
• changes in brain chemicals that affect mood

Symptoms of PMS

Symptoms of PMS may vary from month to month and in some months may be more severe than others.

PMS and sore breasts and nipples

One of the most common symptoms you may experience as a result of PMS is sore breasts and nipples. Excessive water stored in the body leads to bloating which is the main cause of sore breasts after ovulation. Accummulation of water in the breast tissues leads to stretching of the skin and puts the other tissues under tension which accounts for the soreness.

Other physical symptoms of PMS

Other physical symptoms of PMS include:

• weight gain
• tiredness
• sleep disturbances (sleeping too much or too little)
• changes in appetite (food cravings and overeating)

PMS and mood swings

Mood swings are a common symptom of PMS. Other mood related PMS symptoms include:

• anger
• irritability
• anxiety
• crying spells

How do I know I have PMS

PMS symptoms are so varied that it’s sometimes difficult to know for sure that you have PMS. There are no tests to tell you whether you have PMS or not. The best way is to keep a menstrual diary over a few months. Here you can write down what symptoms you have and when you have them. If symptoms start around the middle of your cycle and end when you menstruate, then you probably have PMS. From the time you menstruate until around the middle of your cycle, you should not have any symptoms. If you have symptoms throughout the whole of your cycle, there are 2 possibilities:

• you don’t have PMS
• you have PMS but you may have another condition in addition

Other health problems that may behave like PMS include:

• depression
• chronic fatigue
• irritable bowel syndrome
• cyclic water retention

By Ada on July 26th, 2007

Categories: health issues
Tags: (PMT), brain_chemicals, excessive_water, food_cravings, health issues, menstrual_diary, mood_swings, mood_symptoms, overeating, ovulation, pms_symptoms, premenstrual_tension, pre_menstrual_syndrome, severe_pms, sex_hormone_levels, sleep_disturbances, sore_breasts