Premenstrual syndrome is a condition related to a woman's menstrual cycle that results in physical and emotional symptoms for many. Some lifestyle changes, including changes in diet and exercise, can ease the discomfort of premenstrual syndrome. Vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, and over-the-counter or prescription medications also provide relief for many.
What is Premenstrual Syndrome?
Many women experience physical and emotional changes during the period of time prior to their menstrual period. Premenstrual syndrome is a condition where a woman experiences physical discomfort, psychological distress, or emotional and behavioral changes between ovulation and menstruation during each of her monthly cycles. A wide variety of symptoms of premenstrual syndrome have been reported.
Note: The term PMS is an abbreviation for premenstrual syndrome, but is also frequently used to refer to general premenstrual symptoms not considered severe or frequent enough to be premenstrual syndrome.
Common Premenstrual Symptoms:
Keeping a record of your symptoms will help you recognize and identify a pattern and its' relationship to PMS. It is recommended that you record your symptoms for several months. Being aware of your symptoms is crucial in determining the steps to take in order to find relief.
Premenstrual syndrome can affect mood in a variety of ways, often causing anxiety, depression, irritability, hostility, aggression, or mood swings.
Physical symptoms include breast tenderness/swelling, backaches, water retention, fatigue, food cravings/thirst, weight gain, and joint pain.
Other premenstrual syndrome symptoms include heightened sensitivity to sound and smell, constipation, diarrhea, and dizziness.
There are also many additional symptoms that vary widely between individuals.
How Can Premenstrual Symptoms Be Treated?
Some lifestyle changes, including changes in diet and exercise, can ease the discomfort of premenstrual syndrome. Vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, and over-the-counter or prescription medications also provide relief for many. Some solutions for premenstrual symptoms are simple treatments that can be done at home, while others require consulting a physician. Consulting a physician will help you pinpoint your symptoms and the lifestyle changes or vitamins, supplements, and medications that will best relieve them. Below are some suggestions to take into consideration.
Diet and PMS
Although direct links between premenstrual symptoms and diet are sometimes speculative, it is clear that a balanced diet, minus unhealthy habits, contributes to overall good health and milder premenstrual symptoms.
Eating a balanced diet consisting of low-fat and nutrient rich foods is a natural way to combat symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Avoid caffeine consumption. The energizing effects of caffeine contribute to anxiety, irritability, and insomnia. Caffeine also increases mood swings and breast tenderness/swelling. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, which causes a more rapid loss of vitamins and nutrients. Reducing your caffeine intake, especially during the two weeks before menstruation, will reduce these negative side effects and result in a pleasanter premenstrual experience.
Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption. Your body’s natural processes may be disrupted by nicotine and alcohol consumption. It may make it difficult for your body to maintain consistent hormone levels. Additionally, Alcohol and nicotine can also influence mood, increasing feelings of depression and anxiety. Alcohol may deplete your body of necessary B vitamins and magnesium.
Limit refined sugar and salt in your diet. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can aggravate premenstrual symptoms by influencing mood and energy levels. Sugar also contributes to anxiety, moodiness, and fatigue. Sugar can also influence hormone levels and amplify symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Limiting your salt intake is also important because salt contributes to water retention, breast swelling/tenderness, and weight gain.
Exercise, Rest, and PMS
Regular exercise reduces feelings of stress and depression to effectively improve mood. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which act as mood boosters. Gradually increasing your physical activity to thirty minutes of aerobic activity four or five times weekly is often recommended.
Practicing relaxation techniques, such as yoga and meditation, also reduces stress and improves mood. Regularly practicing relaxation techniques will result in more pleasant premenstrual experiences by removing factors, like excess tension, that frequently aggravate premenstrual syndrome.
Getting an adequate amount of sleep will improve mood and promote good health.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbal Supplements.
Keep in mind that some vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements are not recommended for everyone. For example, don quai is not recommended for pregnant women, women taking blood thinners, women who usually experience an extremely heavy menstrual flow, or for use during menstruation. Consulting with a doctor or qualified herbalist is recommended before starting on a vitamin, mineral, and/or herbal supplement regime. Below are just a few of the vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements that have been linked to the reduction of discomfort during premenstrual syndrome. Some of these links between supplements and premenstrual relief have not been officially verified.
Calcium, complex B vitamins, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin E, vitamin A or beta-carotene, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and zinc are all vitamins whose deficiency can elevate the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Each vitamin can have specific health benefits. For example:
B vitamins keep estrogen levels from rising too high and causing water retention, insomnia, mood swings, migraine headaches, moodiness, or breast tenderness/swelling. In addition, B vitamins can aid in metabolism, decrease inflammation, and reduce sugar cravings.
Calcium may improve mood, discourage water retention and reduce pain.
Like calcium, magnesium may reduce pain and improve mood. Consuming the right amount of magnesium will also reduce the risk of inflammation and water retention.
Vitamin E is known for reducing breast tenderness, and has a variety of other possible benefits including improved mood, reduced cravings and weight gain, and reduced fatigue and insomnia.
Evening primrose oil is an herb used to reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Evening primrose oil has been said to reduce breast pain, irritability, and depression. It may also reduce heavy and prolonged bleeding.
Don quai contains vitamins E and A, B12, and iron, and theoretically works to regulate the menstrual cycle. Don quai balances hormones, prevents muscle spasms, reduces blood clotting, and relieves headaches and overall bodily weakness.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter medications, including anti-inflammatory drugs, can provide pain relief. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen often provides relief for painful cramps.
Prescription Medications
Some women find that taking birth control pills alleviates symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Birth control pills can relieve discomfort by decreasing the menstrual flow. In decreasing the menstrual flow, birth control pills can also minimize painful cramping. Although birth control pills can relieve some physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, birth control pills are not recognized as improving symptoms related to mood. In addition, the effects of birth control pills can vary widely and actually worsen symptoms in some individuals.
Progesterone supplements have been tried as an experimental treatment. It was proposed that they could safely balance hormone levels in order to relieve premenstrual syndrome. However, this treatment has been proven largely ineffectual and has the potential to worsen symptoms.
Additional hormone treatments are available as prescribed by a physician.
Antidepressant and antianxiety drugs may help some women by targeting specific mood symptoms.