PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome

Most men think it’s nonsense and often ridicule it. There are even women who dismiss it as unimportant. The vast majority of society doesn’t even take it seriously. It is dismissed as an excuse for women to misbehave. As if it makes women who suffer from it happy. A large majority of women suffer from it every month and it turns their lives completely upside down. PMS, really no fun.

Symptoms

We know the most well-known complaints: irritability, depression, aggressiveness and hypersensitivity. It turns out that there can be about 150 other symptoms that can make life very difficult for the woman during that period. And not only do the women themselves suffer from it, but the people they live with do too, of course. PMS can cause women to go completely crazy. Crockery is thrown around the house and women have been found running naked across the street, ranting and raving. Some call the helpline because they want to put an end to it. There is even a case where a normally mild-mannered woman suddenly stabbed someone to death because she happened to have a knife in her hand when a wrong comment was made during PMS. Isn’t it time we all started taking this seriously? That we at least become aware that it is not nonsense. Perhaps we can even support rather than ridicule the women who suffer terribly from it.

Witches

Ninety percent of women who have their period suffer from PMS to a greater or lesser extent. Complaints related to PMS that last longer than seven days and are so bad that you cannot function normally are no longer called PMS. Then you probably suffer from PMDD ( Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder ). It is estimated that thirty percent of women who suffer from PMS also suffer from PMDD. PMS is a problem that should not be underestimated. Some women have horrible dark thoughts and are full of pure self-loathing. They are also very aggressive, so aggressive that they can hardly believe it themselves. They would like to give anyone who crosses their path a few blows and certain things that get in their way definitely get a beating. As soon as menstruation occurs, the complaints are over and they are back to their normal selves. It seems as if in the period leading up to their period they are a completely different person, violent and aggressive.

Recognition

Many women rightly feel that PMS is not taken seriously by society. After all, deviant behavior is not tolerated by society. There are therefore very few employers who see PMS as a valid reason for absenteeism due to illness. Even if women, due to PMS, consider themselves unable to take an exam at that moment, this is not accepted. The British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists even states that there are few doctors who know how to deal with a mild form of PMS. Most doctors think that it is a purely physiological process and that it is therefore normal for women to have some degree of PMS. Which in simple terms means that you cannot combat symptoms of a normal part of the monthly cycle. So little is known about the fact that there are also women who have been wrongly diagnosed with PMS. The manuals list the following symptoms:

  • Weight gain
  • Moisture accumulation
  • Sensitive breasts
  • Headache
  • Swollen ankles and feet
  • Acne
  • Low energy
  • Palpitations
  • Dizziness
  • Insomnia
  • Diarrhea
  • Binge eating
  • muscle strain

These symptoms should occur in the run-up to menstruation and disappear shortly after menstruation begins. If these symptoms do not go away after your period, you probably have another problem. Always consult a doctor if in doubt.

Grow out of it

Unfortunately, PMS is not something you can grow out of. In fact, symptoms may get worse as you get older. The complaints usually get worse between the ages of 30 and 40. In the period preceding menopause (perimenopause), the complaints may be at their peak and then you will also have to deal with the problems of perimenopause. If you have children, the complaints can get worse after each birth. The hormones undergo enormous fluctuations during pregnancy, but after giving birth the hormones have to endure some things again. Research shows that the risk of a severe form of PMS increases due to motherhood. PMS can be hereditary, but it can also worsen existing health complaints, such as asthma, back pain, migraine and rheumatism. It is clear that the physical symptoms of PMS are not life-threatening. Yet it is no fun having to deal with physical and mental complaints every month.

Nutrients

Most women crave chocolate in the period before menstruation. In fact, it turns out that eighty percent of women with PMS have an irresistible craving for chocolate. It can happen that six bars are eaten in one day. However, chocolate has little or no nutrients, but it often replaces normal food. As a result, the body cannot absorb enough nutrients, but because the woman with PMS is unable to think normally, she cannot change this. Although the manuals only mention a few symptoms, there are many more. This also includes greasy hair and the feeling that you are going to get the flu. You may also suffer from bad breath, paranoia, agoraphobia, palpitations, sensitivity to light and sound, unquenchable thirst and trembling.

Finally

If you have any complaints, go to your doctor and ask what can be done about it. You may be deficient in certain vitamins, but it may just as well be that the doctor has completely different things in mind for you. In any case, it is always advisable to visit your doctor if you have any complaints.

read more

  • PMS the hormone fluctuations
  • PMS, healthy eating and losing weight
  • PMS, nutritional tips during the menstrual period
  • Diet and lose weight during PMS