PMS syndrome, this big word that everybody ear nowadays, and nobody understand. Myself, my friends, my relatives and more and more women report that they experience : moodiness, depression, sadness and some other discomforts in a period of 10 days to 1 week prior the menstruation. So I’ve wanted to understand :
Is there more and more women touched by PMS syndrome or we just simply talk more about it ?
I have dig deeper into sciences and went to interview Hati, S. Malinova, who’s a perinatal psychology counsellor and a doula, specialized in women’s health. And Also former member of our program Belle Maternity, for motherhood support.
Today about 75% of women experience some discomfort and may be quite suffering from headaches, cramps, tender breasts or other symptoms. Many find ways of coping with this.However, 20-40% of women are troubled by their premenstrual symptoms which may be physical, behavioral or emotional in nature. PMS may be diagnosed.
So Hati, could you remind us what is PMS syndrome ?
It goes for PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME and defines a state of physical and emotional symptoms that many women get after ovulation and before the start of their menstrual period. These symptoms can be more severe or more mild from one woman to another. But it has been discovered that women are most likely to experience it on average in their 30,s than in their twenties.
I feel like nowadays more and more women experience it. Is there a growing number of women experiencing PMS ?
PMS Is like most hormonal syndrome very cyclic and unstable; We refer that three in four women get PMS symptoms at some point in their lifetime. Also it can be severe at a certain time, then goes away or fades with time, or get worse. We also recall 5% that have more severe syndrome form of PMS called PMDD ( premenstrual dysphoric disorder)
PMS is often reinforced when women have :
- High level of stress
- Family history of depression
- Personal history of depression, or postpartum depression
- In Time of hormonal change.
Also nowadays there’s more and more people who have poor healthy habits and bad life hygiene, lots of stress and very sedentary in their work, that is can explain a growing number of women touched by PMS.
What are the symptoms ?
SYMPTOMS Are various and diverse, and can depends from one woman to another, but we listed some of the most common ones :
- Swollen or tender breasts
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Bloating or a gassy feeling
- Headaches
But the ones that women suffer the most from are the emotional roller coaster:
- Irritability or hostile behavior
- Feeling tired
- Appetite changes or food cravings
- Depression, feelings of sadness, or crying spells
- Mood swings
What are the solutions ?
Women have a range of things to be beneficial in decreasing the effect of PMS symptoms.
Taking time for yourself is an important step. Reducing feelings of unwelcome stress is particularly important during the premenstrual phase. Clarifying the number of days in your cycle and when bleeding is likely to occur allows you to become aware of times you need to pay particular attention to yourself.
Examples of self-care are:
- getting enough sleep, rest and relaxation
- doing some exercise
- eating a healthy diet
- Practicing Yoga, Pilates, mindfulness
- enjoying time with a partner, family or friends
Supplements are often considered by women suffering PMS, usually herbal, vitamin or mineral. Talk to your healthcare provider before beginning to take supplements.
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