PMS
Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself - Roseanne Barr
image by: Plantamed
HWN Suggests
What Do Men Know About PMS? Except to Duck?
It is said that women's periods are a lot like airline meals. We hate them, we complain about them, we dread them -- but just let the flight attendant try to skip you! Not all women have bad things to say about PMS but only the good thing anyone has to say about it is that it ends -- like surgery or senior year of high school.
Scientists study the human brain on OxyContin and Ecstasy but not on PMS which afflicts half of the world. Why can't science explain and fix:
PMS eating: "Treating" the feeling of being fat and bloated by...eating an eight ounce bag of baked potato chips? And doing it again, the next day?
PMS circadian derangement: A brain that's so sleepy, you…
Resources
Health Check: why women get PMS and why some are more affected
Women have been menstruating throughout history. So it’s curious the earliest documented record of what we now know to be premenstrual syndrome (PMS) appeared pretty late in the game. In 1931, psychoanalyst Karen Horney described increased tension, irritability, depression and anxiety in the week preceding menstruation in one of her patients. Now it’s generally accepted up to 80% of women in their reproductive years experience some PMS
Menstrual Cycles & Mental Health
Unfortunately, PMS is common. From bloating and headaches to bad skin and sensitive moods, a whopping 90% of us will experience at least one PMS symptom before our period. If that wasn’t enough, before our period, hormones can also amplify things like anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions we may already be trying to manage. Thanks, hormones! In this guide, Yoppie explores PMS, PMDD, uncovering the unique relationship between your period and your mental health to help you get on top of PMS for good!
PMS Is Not Just a Cliché
New research suggests the proof is in the brain.
Science is here to validate your PMS cravings
Have a hankering for carbs? There might be a good reason to indulge.
Yes, PMS IS Real — and So Is Our Tendency to Ignore Women’s Pain
To be fair, our understanding of PMS is glaringly imperfect. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that around 85 percent of women will experience at least one symptom of PMS over the course of their menstrual cycle, and yet scientists still don’t have a definitive list of those symptoms — or, for that matter, a concrete knowledge of what causes PMS in the first place.
Fighting Food Cravings and PMS
Is there any effective way to manage food cravings related to premenstrual syndrome?
Here's Why Women Get PMS, If You Believe This Scientist's Evolutionary Explanation
The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome may be distressingly familiar to many women, but why women get PMS in the first place has long been something of a mystery. Now one researcher offers a possible explanation, arguing in a new paper that PMS arose in women because it helped break up couples that failed to produce children -- thus boosting women's chances of having children with other partners.
Of course PMS is "real." The real question is why we don't have a cure.
A male writer called PMS a “cultural syndrome.” He completely missed the point.
Premenstrual mood disorder is a thing and you can blame your genes
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS, can be caused by a sex hormone-sensitive gene complex and the way the body responds to oestrogen and progesterone.
Scientists May Finally Have Found What Causes Severe PMS, or PMDD
New research has linked PMDD, often misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, to cellular behavior. Advocates hope this new research will make it easier to properly diagnose PMDD.
The Best Food For PMS: Beat PMS Symptoms By Eating These Foods
Here's what food to eat from morning to night to get all-natural relief from PMS mood swings, cramps, soreness -- and more.
What Women Say Works Best for PMS
Some of the most effective treatments for women with symptoms from Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), are also some of the simplest. CureTogether — a free resource owned by 23andMe that allows people to share information about their health and treatments — surveyed more than 1,000 women who reported having PMS who reported that interventions such as heat, Ibuprofen, massage, extra sleep, and even eating dark chocolate helped.
What Do Men Know About PMS? Except to Duck?
Even though men know nothing about PMS (except to duck), male health professionals are a wellspring of saccharine advice. Avoid salt, sugar, carbohydrates, alcohol and coffee they trill and "nibble on carrots and other low calorie snacks," pretending that low calorie snack isn't an oxymoron.
10 Ways To Get Rid Of Symptoms
While not every woman gets premenstrual syndrome -- the cramping, bloating and general crabbiness that can strike around period time -- about 85 percent of women report having at least one symptom each month. And even though there's no real "cure" for PMS, many treatments and lifestyle changes are available to help you cut down on the discomfort.
6 Strategies to Treat PMS Without Medication
If you suffer from PMS or PMDD, don't head for the pharmacy just yet. Check out these natural ways to treat your symptoms. You may find that one or more of them provide relief and keep you from the medicine cabinet.
National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome
NAPS is the only advocacy group in the world promoting the interests of PMS sufferers.
MayoClinic
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has a wide variety of symptoms, including mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and depression. It's estimated that as many as 3 of every 4 menstruating women have experienced some form of premenstrual syndrome.
MedicineNet
The most common mood-related symptoms are irritability, depression, crying, oversensitivity, and mood swings. The most common physical symptoms are fatigue, bloating, breast tenderness (mastalgia), acne, and appetite changes with food cravings.
MedlinePlus
Up to 3 out of every 4 women experience PMS symptoms during their childbearing years. PMS occurs more often in women: •Between their late 20s and late 40s •Who have had at least one child •With a personal or family history of major depression •With a history of postpartum depression or an affective mood disorder. The symptoms often get worse in a woman's late 30s and 40s as she approaches the transition to menopause.
NHS
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the name given to the physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms that can occur in the two weeks before a woman's monthly period. It is also known as premenstrual tension (PMT).
Patient
This is a condition which manifests with "distressing physical, behavioural and psychological symptoms, in the absence of organic or underlying psychiatric disease, which regularly recurs during the luteal phase of each menstrual (ovarian) cycle and which disappears or significantly regresses by the end of menstruation". The key characteristic is the timing of the symptoms...
Psychological History of Women
Robert Frank was the first to publish scientific studiesabout a condition he called “premenstrual tension” in 1931 (Figert, 2005). Frank recognized excess estrogen as the cause of this “medical” condition, which he described as hormonal in origin.
WomensHealth.gov
The causes of PMS are not clear, but several factors may be involved. Changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle seem to be an important cause. These changing hormone levels may affect some women more than others. Chemical changes in the brain may also be involved. Stress and emotional problems, such as depression, do not seem to cause PMS, but they may make it worse.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.