What is PMS and how to overcome it?

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms that happen after your ovulation period and before the beginning of your next period. It revolves around mood swings, physical discomfort, and bodily changes due to female hormonal influences.

PMS affects a large number of women of childbearing age, with many women experiencing mood swings in the days preceding menstruation.

A severe PMS can be emotionally devastating. It interrupts their day-to-day life and sometimes may ruin their personal relationship. Fortunately,  PMS can be overcome with medicine, eating habits and lifestyle modification. These adjustments can help women to  control mood, their swings and other emotional issues.

PMS: A Period of Emotional Roller Coaster 

PMS mood swings can be volatile-from sobbing, angry outbursts, anxiety attacks, worrying, and back to a stable emotional state in a single day. A PMS can be difficult to live in if you have other mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety.

This emotional upheaval generally lasts for 2 weeks, from ovulation day to the beginning of menstrual cycle. The mood swing episodes end as soon as the menstruation begins.

The most common emotions typically in PMS symptoms as follows:

• Irritability
• Anger
• Depression
• Crying for no reasons
• Excessive worrying
• Oversensitivity
• Feeling nervous and anxious
• Alternating sadness and rage

Getting to the Root of PMS Mood Swings

Emotional and mood swings during PMS are related to hormonal changes throughout your menstrual cycle. Two main female hormones, estrogen and progesterone are at work towards the end of menstrual cycle.

The estrogen level rises after menstruation ends followed by a sudden drop prior to ovulation day. The progesterone and estrogen levels rise post-ovulation, which leads to thickening of the uterine wall.

After reaching their peaks, both progesterone and estrogen levels fall down, leading to the beginning of the menstruation cycle. The sudden drop of progesterone and estrogen linked to volatile moods that you experience during PMS.

The progesterone and estrogen hormonal levels  are related to other hormones in our body such as serotonin.  The drop in estrogen also causes a drop in serotonin level, which leads to unhappiness and depression.

The hormonal ups and downs are thought to be the source of mood swings and other physical PMS symptoms.

Severe PMS condition

A more severe PMS condition known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD affects between 3 and 8% of menstrual women. PMDD sufferers  experience serious depression episodes a week or two before their subsequent period.

Chronic depression and extreme irritation may contribute to PMDD. Symptoms of PMDD as follows:

• Extreme sadness with suicidal thoughts
• Panic attacks
• Crying for no reasons
• Constant anxiety
• Losing interest with activities or hobbies that used to enjoy
• Fatigue
• Low energy
• Always in anger and irritation
• Difficulties in concentrating
• Food cravings

These symptoms will disappear right after menstruation begins. If any of these symptoms persist, it may indicate underlying chronic mental health conditions.

How to treat mild and severe PMS symptoms?

Severe PMS symptoms may require medical intervention and drastic lifestyle modifications.  Some of the necessary modifications as follows:

Exercise. Physical activity can boost mood and alleviate depression. Endorphins, feel-good brain chemicals released during exercise, can help reverse the unhappy feelings related to PMS.

Doing exercise and workouts can boost energy and overcome various physical PMS symptoms, such as bloating stomach and cramps.

A less vigorous exercise such as aerobic dance, swimming, yoga and cycling are highly recommended to overcome PMS symptoms.

Small and frequent meals. Eating small meals throughout the day rather than two or three large meals can be helpful to alleviate your PMS symptoms.

A heavy meal, especially carbohydrates rich food, may cause sugar swings. This may worsen your PMS conditions.

To keep your blood sugar levels stable, eat six small meals every day.

Calcium supplements. Based on a 2009 double-blind scientific study of college women with PMS,  women who took 500 milligrams of calcium twice a day experienced less severe PMS symptoms such as depression and fatigue.

These findings may indicate calcium uptake can help to alleviate PMS signs, especially with mood disorders.

Avoid coffee, alcohol, and sugary foods. Avoiding coffee and other caffeinated beverages for two weeks before your period may improve your mood. This is because caffeine can trigger anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia.

You should cut down alcohol consumption as alcohol can be dehydrating. Furthermore, avoiding candy, soda, and other sugary foods, especially in the week before your period, may help relieve severe PMS symptoms by avoiding mood swings due to blood sugar fluctuations.

Stress management. Stress may worsen PMS symptoms. Therefore, you should control your stress level to minimize PMS severity.

Meditation, deep breathing, and yoga are some relaxation techniques to try. Individual or group therapy has also been found to be an effective PMS treatment for women suffering from severe mood swings and sudden emotional changes.

Consult with your doctor to find out the best treatment to overcome your PMS symptoms.