Pre-menstrual Syndrome or PMS
• It is a combination of emotional, physical, psychological and mood disturbances.
• PMS occurs in the last half of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
• It occurs during the ten days prior to menses and vanishes either shortly before or shortly after the start of menstrual flow.
• The most common mood related symptoms are irritability, depression, crying, oversensitivity and mood swings with alternating sadness and anger.
• Specific emotional and physical symptom of PMS varies from women to women.
• Severe form of PMS is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is known as late luteal phase dysphoric disorder.
• The exact cause is unknown. It might be related to interaction between sex hormones and brain chemicals (neurotransmitters).
Physical symptoms during PMS
• Headache / Backache
• Bloating
• Abdominal cramps
• Constipation/ Diarrhea
• Swelling or tenderness in the breasts (mastalgia)
• Acne
• Joint or muscle pain.
• Fatigue
• Appetite changes with food craving.
• Changes in libido• Upset stomach
Mental Symptoms during PMS
• Irritability
• Tension
• Dysphoric (unhappiness)
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Difficulty in falling asleep (insomnia)
• Headache • Fatigue
• Mood swings or crying spells
• Increased emotional sensitivity
Risk Factors –
• lead stressful life
• Increasing age
• rarely doing exercise
• History of depression
• Sleep too little
• Family History
• High intake of caffeine, alcohol, salt, red meat, sugar items.
• Dietary factors (Low level of certain vitamins and minerals aremagnesium, Vit B6, manganese zinc, Vit E and Vit –D.
• Taking pain killers, oral contraceptives, drugs, diuretics, anti depressants too much leads to PMS because it suppresses ovarian function.
Diet Management
• Calcium supplementation (1200mg/day), Vitamin E (400IU/d) is useful to prevent from PMS.
• Regular exercise, healthy lifestyle, emotional support of family and friends help in PMS.
• Don’t skip breakfast or other meals.
• Take whole grains, fruits and vegetables in diet.
• Vitamin B6 helps in reducing PMS symptoms including bloating, cravings, tiredness and mood swings.
• Eat nuts, banana, yogurt, egg, sweet potato, eggs, whole grains, and beans in your diet.
• Increase potassium in your diet by eating fresh fruits, salads, and banana, orange.
• Drink plenty of water and have food which is rich in high water content like cucumber, carrot etc.
• Avoid taking too much sugar especially refined. Go for natural sources of sugar which is found in fruits.
• Vitamin E is rich in brown rice, asparagus, wheat germ oil, vegetable oil, nuts, seeds oily fish etc.
• Take magnesium in your diet .It can be found in seeds, nuts, brown rice, lentils etc.
• Include calcium and Vitamin D in your diet. Have some asparagus, broccoli, some beet greens, or any other calcium-rich veggies.
• Women use saffron for menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Good sources of thiamine and riboflavin (Vitamin-B) include:-
1) Red meat
2) Legumes (beans)
3).Milk
4).Enriched bread and rice
5) Oranges (thiamine)
6) Green leafy vegetables
We have a strong web presence all across the globe with patients in major countries like United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Canada, United Kingdom, most European countries, & even smaller counties like Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh and many more.
We have a very efficient team of doctors which includes the right combination of highly experienced doctors and the doctors of the new age.
Our main aim is to make the patient comfortable so that the case can be taken with ease and the patient be treated properly.
** The text on this website is sourced from websites like emedicine and/or other verified material by government agencies around the globe along with valuable inputs and additions by our team. The content of this page is proofread and updated by the team of doctors, every once in a while, to provide the most accurate information.
