Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) 

• refers to physical and emotional symptoms that occur in the one to two weeks before a woman's period. 

Common symptoms of PMS:

• Irritability and angry outbursts
• Bloating and periodic weight gain
• Breast tenderness
• Cyclic Cramps
• Sleep disturbances
• Blood sugar shifts
• Cravings
• Headaches
• Loss of sexual desire
• Anxiety and moodiness

PMS is characterized by several symptoms, that can be classified into physical signs, emotional signs and psychological signs

 some of the most common behavioral and emotional symptoms for premenstrual syndrome:

• Social withdrawal
• Changes in appetite, food cravings or even aversions
• Crying bouts and spells
• Increase in tension and anxiety
• Lack of concentration
• Trouble falling asleep, fitful sleep or other sleep-related disorders
• Intense irritability or even outright anger
• Depression and mood swings

The physical signs and symptoms for premenstrual syndrome could actually cause you more trouble and could also be the factors that affect your day-to-day activities and can trigger of the behavioral symptoms.


some of the most common physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome:

• Digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea
• Tenderness in the breasts
• Weight gain because of fluid retention by the body
• Severe headaches
• Outbreaks of acne
• Bloating in the abdominal area
• Extreme weakness, tiredness or fatigue
• Pain in the joints and muscles

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• While there are several signs and symptoms associated with PMS, it is very rare for a woman to experience more than a few of them. This does not mean that it is impossible for a woman to go all through these symptoms every month.
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The symptoms of PMDD are a lot more severe and intense.
If you do notice any of the symptoms mentioned below then it is possible that you suffer from PMDD:

1. Getting irritated, anxious or all worked up over the smallest thing
2. Low self-esteem, often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness
3. Alternating between severe depression and anger

It is best for you to consult a doctor in case you have not been very successful in controlling the symptoms or if they are affecting your day to day life.

The root causes of PMS are:

• High estrogen-to-progesterone ratio
• Abnormal neurotransmitter response ( occurring in the brain)
• Disrupted sodium metabolism (causing fluid retention and bloating) often caused by stress
• Stress (causing increased cortisol)
• Carbohydrate metabolism
• Nutritional deficiencies

The exact causes for premenstrual syndrome are still not clear, but it is believed that there are several factors that could trigger it off. 


Given below are some of the possible factors that could lead to PMS:
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• 1. Poor Dietary Habits:
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• It is believed that women who suffer from deficiencies of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are more likely to experience PMS symptoms. 
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• You could also be more prone to PMS if you have the tendency to consume foods excessively high in salt, which leads to water retention. 
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• The consumption of alcohol, coffee and aerated drinks can also lead to mood swings, fluctuations in energy levels and other symptoms.
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•  2. Depression: Many women who suffer from PMS have actually been diagnosed with chronic depression. However, this problem is not likely to cause many of the other PMS symptoms.

       3. Hormonal Changes: 

• Women go through hormonal changes regularly, due to different reasons. At times a woman can also suffer from hormonal imbalance, which leads to PMS

• High amounts of stress can lead to increased cortisol. This in turn affects progesterone levels and/or insulin production, which leads to increased mood swings, anxiety, and food cravings.
• 4. Stress:  
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• some amount of stress is absolutely normal. 
• However, in case you are under a tremendous amount of stress, because of any reason, you could be more prone to PMS related problems.
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• 5. Brain Chemical Changes: 
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• A neurotransmitter or brain chemical known as serotonin plays a very important role in your overall mood, emotional state and overall behavior. 
• Fluctuations in serotonin levels is one of the factors that triggers of PMS symptoms.
•  In case the level of serotonin is lower than what it should be, you may experience depression, sleeping problems, food cravings, weakness, tiredness and other adverse PMS symptoms

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