The condition that is abbreviated as PMS among the people actually means premenstrual syndrome that is, premenstrual syndrome. Women often encounter this situation in themselves or the people around them, so they are actually very familiar with this issue.
What is Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS)?
Premenstrual syndrome; It is a condition that manifests itself with symptoms such as swelling in the breasts of women in the period just before menstruation, gas in the abdomen, fatigue, weight gain, low energy, headache, depressed mood, tension and restlessness, and affects the quality of life. It can start to be seen about 10 days before menstruation starts, and even it is seen to be intensified just before menstruation and ends a few days before or with menstruation.
This situation is frequently encountered in menstruating women, and its rate is up to 12% according to studies. However, it may not cause the same complaints in every woman, or while the severity of one complaint is high, it may be less or not seen in the other. These complaints vary from person to person. The reason for this is the physical and mental differences of people.
Sometimes the complaints are so severe that they can affect the daily life of the person.
The fact that the complaints are severe enough to affect daily life clinically or socially indicates a progression towards a psychiatric disorder. This psychiatric disorder is called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder or Late Luteal Phase Disorder.
What are the Causes of Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS)?
The exact cause of this condition is not known, but it is thought that the hormonal changes that occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle cause this condition. The main reason here is not the level of hormones, but the sudden fluctuations in hormone levels. Some systems in women can overreact to these sudden fluctuations in hormone levels, resulting in PMS.
- Low mineral levels (such as magnesium, zinc),
- Insufficient vitamin levels (especially vitamins A and B),
- Sudden fluctuations in hormone levels,
- Keeping water in the body excessively
- V� �Imbalance in the amount of chemicals that have important functions in the body can be counted as
- Psychosomatic problems.
What are the Symptoms of Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS)?
If this syndrome is severe in a person, it can affect the whole body, that is, all organs. This causes many symptoms of the affected organs. PMS symptoms can sometimes be very mild. These people usually do not need to see a doctor. The most common symptoms are:
- Headaches, sometimes even migraine attacks,
- Depression,
- Insomnia,
- Difficulty concentrating
- Palpitations
- Severe joint pains
- Nausea or vomiting
- Some Getting angry very easily at things,
- Increased tendency to commit crimes,
- Suicidal state,
- Emotional vulnerability,
- Swelling and pain in the whole body, primarily in the abdomen and breasts,
- Low energy, that is, weakness,
- Constipation,
- Increased or decreased appetite,
- Weight gain,
- Increased sensitivity to sounds or smells,
- Oiling of the skin and resulting acne formation,
- Hot flashes,
- Inclination to sleep excessively,
- It is the desire to cry.
How is Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS) Diagnosed?
There are some symptoms before menstruation and therefore Being diagnosed with PMS for every woman who consults a doctor may lead the person to wrong treatment methods. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful when diagnosing this condition. However, it is useful to make this diagnosis in patients who show some symptoms. It is important to pay attention to certain conditions in order to diagnose PMS. These conditions:
- Some symptoms pointing to PMS should be seen regularly in the person and the severity of these symptoms should increase in the period close to menstruation.
- After the menstrual period, these symptoms should disappear within 3 days at the latest.
- Symptoms should be monitored for 2-3 months and observed in 3 consecutive menstrual cycles during this period. Check for loops.
This syndrome, which negatively affects the social life of the person, may cause a decrease in the self-confidence of the person.
How to Treat Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS)?
Since the cause of this condition is not known exactly, there is no proven treatment that is effective in every woman. In the treatment of PMS, many methods are used to suppress its symptoms. The main goals of treatment are to suppress ovulation and to prevent or reduce sudden fluctuations in hormone levels in the blood. When choosing the treatment method, it is important to treat the most severe symptom.
- Methods of Medication: In cases where mental symptoms are dominant, the person should be referred to a mental health and diseases specialist and he/she should be allowed to decide on the appropriate treatment. In cases where physical symptoms are dominant, the person should consult a gynecologist and obstetrician. The classification of symptoms as mental and physical is important in this respect. Thus, the person can get the right treatment from the right specialist and in the right way.
- Birth control pills: The primary use of these drugs is in cases of menstrual irregularity and in cases where menstrual pains are too much. However, it is necessary to be very careful in the use of these drugs because these drugs exacerbate the negative effects of PMS in some women.
- Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs: It is useful to start using these drugs as soon as the symptoms begin. It is necessary to stop on the 3rd day after the start of menstrual bleeding. In this form of use, it can be beneficial for some physical symptoms of PMS as well as severe menstrual cramps.
- GnRH analogs: These drugs are known as hormone drugs. These drugs work by temporarily blocking the functions of the ovaries. Thanks to this mechanism of action e lowers blood levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in women to the levels found in a woman in menopause. These drugs must be used under the supervision of a doctor. Otherwise, it may cause serious side effects. Long-term use is not recommended because it can cause serious problems such as osteoporosis, but if it is necessary to use it, it is useful to take estrogen hormone with it to prevent these side effects.
- Removal of the Uterus: If all methods have been tried and failed in the treatment of PMS, this method should be resorted to last. In this method, the uterus is surgically removed along with the ovaries. However, this method is rarely used today, because thanks to the development of science, other treatment methods are often effective in PMS, with the availability of more effective drugs.
- Nutrition: The person diagnosed with PMS should also pay attention to their diet because some foods can aggravate PMS symptoms. It is useful to limit the use of caffeine as it causes headache and breast tenderness. Hypersensitivity to alcohol develops, especially in the second period of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, alcohol should not be used. Nicotine, which is also found in cigarettes, stimulates the release of water-retaining hormones in the body. For this reason, it is recommended to reduce or even quit smoking if possible.
- Exercise: Regular exercise makes PMS symptoms less severe. Exercising causes the release of endorphins in the brain, and endorphin is a hormone also known as the happiness hormone, a derivative of morphine. This substance has the effect of helping the body relax. For this reason, it is recommended that people diagnosed with PMS exercise regularly. It is sufficient to exercise at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes.
- Reducing stress: Relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga are recommended for stress reduction. The most important step that can be taken to reduce stress is to be conscious and willing.
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