Yikes! Its that time of the Month Again (Premenstrual Syndrome)
If there was something such as the “Queen Of PMS” I would most likely own that title every year back to back. Premenstrual syndrome can be very annoying and stressful. The most annoying part is that it creeps up on, you would not know that you are cranky or have lost appetite till a day or two later when you decide to sit down and think about how your day went and realize yikes! it’s PMS again. Premenstrual syndrome is a series of symptoms you experience prior to starting your period and it continues until the end of your period.
What causes PMS?
I wish I knew the cause too, there is no known cause, it is believed to be due to cyclic changes in hormones, the signs and symptoms of PMS change with hormonal fluctuations and disappear with pregnancy or menopause
Chemical changes in the brain, fluctuations of serotonin (a brain chemical neurotransmitter) that is thought to play a crucial role in mood states could also trigger PMS, an insufficient amount of serotonin may contribute to premenstrual depression as well as fatigue, food cravings, and sleep problems. Some women have severe PMS leaving them with undiagnosed depression.
How Do You Know You Are Experiencing PMS?
PMS comes with different signs and symptoms both physical and Emotional, you can experience one or more at the same time, Like me, I never have the same symptom every month.
Physical symptoms
– Joint or muscle pain.
– Headache
– Fatigue
– Weight gain due to fluid retention.
– Abdominal bloating.
– Breast tenderness.
– Constipation or diarrhea.
Emotional or behavioral symptoms
– Tension o anxiety.
– Depressed Mood.
– Crying spells.
– Mood swings or irritability or anger.
– Appetite changes.
– Food cravings
– Social withdrawal
– Poor concentration.
How To Manage PMS
Treatment usually involves the use antidepressants, hormonal contraceptives, diuretics and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) but this would be recommended to use after you have been diagnosed by a doctor. There are however simple ways to help relieve the symptoms and some have helped me with reliving my PMS.
– Keep a record to identify triggers and helps to identify symptoms.
– If you are the type that gets easily bloated like me, eat smaller more frequent meals to reduce bloating and the sensation of fullness. sometimes I end up using an Antacid to reduce the discomfort with the bloating.
– Salt increases fluid retention in the body so limit salt and salty foods to reduce bloating and fluid retention.
– Choose foods rich in calcium, go for dairy products. If you cannot tolerate dairy products supplements can also do the trick. During this period milk is my best friend, I would always find a way to take milk.
– Avoid alcohol and caffeine during this period.
– Incorporate exercise into your regular routine. Exercise improves overall mood a lot.
– Reduce stress. Try Yoga or if you can get a massage, yoga helped me a lot
– Get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water I get dehydrated a lot during this period so I always take lots of it. I think I am half asleep most times so I try to get as much sleep as I can as well.
-Then Pay attention to your body and do what works for you just to make yourself as comfortable as possible.
I hope this helps someone. Sharing excites me please share your experience with PMS with me would love to see your comments in the comments section.