How to deal with PMS?

Lifestyle changes

Several lifestyle factors seem to influence PMS symptoms:

  • Exercise

Try to be active for at least 30 minutes more often during the week. Even a daily walk around the neighborhood may ease gloomy, irritable, and anxious emotions.

  • Nutrition

Try not to give in to any PMS-related junk food cravings. Excess salt, fat, and sugar can have a negative impact on your mood. You don't have to eliminate them completely, but you should try to counteract them with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in order to keep you satisfied throughout the day and avoid blood sugar swings, which can put you in a bad mood.

  • Sleep

If menstruation is many weeks away, not getting enough sleep can ruin your mood. So get seven to eight hours of sleep each night, especially in the days or weeks leading up to menstruation.

  • Stress

Uncontrolled stress can worsen mood swings, so practice yoga, meditation, or deep breathing techniques to relax your body and mind.

Natural remedies

Some vitamins may help with mood fluctuations caused by premenstrual syndrome:

  • Vitamin B-6 
It can be found in the following foods:
    • Fish.
    • Chicken and turkey.
    • Fruit.
    • Fortified cereals.

Vitamin B-6 can be found in supplements such as PMS gummies, which decrease the onset and severity of symptoms of this problem.

  • Calcium
It can be found in various foods, among them:
    • Milk.
    • Yogurt.
    • Cheese.
    • Leafy green vegetables.
    • Enriched cereal and orange juice.

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What is PMS?

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the term used to describe the physical and emotional changes that occur each month in women, approximately one week before menstruation.

What causes PMS?

Although experts are unsure of the exact etiology of premenstrual syndrome, they believe that hormonal changes that take place during the second part of the menstrual cycle are a possible contributing factor.

About halfway through the cycle, ovulation occurs, so the body releases an egg at that time, which reduces estrogen and progesterone levels. A change in these hormone levels can cause both physical and emotional problems.

Serotonin levels are also affected by variations in estrogen and progesterone levels. This neurotransmitter helps control mood, sleep patterns, and hunger. Low serotonin levels are associated with PMS symptoms such as moodiness and irritability, as well as sleep difficulties and strange food cravings. One of the most frequent and severe symptoms of PMS is mood swings.

Symptoms

Typically, PMS symptoms begin a few days before bleeding starts and end during your period.

Some symptoms are:

  • Bloating, swollen ankles, and acne.
  • Clumsiness or poor coordination.
  • Food cravings and weight gain.
  • Diarrhea and/or indigestion. 

Also, you may feel discomfort throughout your body, such as back pain, swelling, breast pain, headaches, migraines, and abdominal pain.

In addition, you may notice that you are more agitated, anxious, or depressed, and you may have trouble falling asleep and experience mood swings.

Why do you struggle to sleep during PMS?

The majority of the time, you have restful sleep and get your recommended 7 to 10 hours of sleep, but every month, two to three days prior to your period, you get severe insomnia and wake up every hour or so. It can be annoying tossing and turning for an hour before you eventually fall asleep again, or to remain up all night and only manage to sleep until 7 in the morning.

Fear not—pms and insomnia is a frequent and natural occurrence. According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, 16% of women report missing one or more days of work in the previous month owing to sleep-related issues, while 33% of women claim that their sleep is disrupted during their menstrual periods.

Each stage of the menstrual cycle has a different impact on sleep, claims Michael Breus, PhD. In order to control the menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone levels rise and decrease. These fluctuations can have an impact on a woman's ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, as well as the quantity and quality of her sleep.

We suggest you do the following to solve these problems and improve your overall health:

  • Exercise more: Exercise can help promote restful sleep, as it secretes the growth hormone needed for cell repair and regeneration.
  • Avoid drinking: as it can worsen the effects of alcohol, because progesterone is at its highest level during the luteal phase of ovulation (or any other type of depressant). So drinking alcohol at night can keep you awake and lead to restless sleep.
  • Keep a sleep diary: to monitor the quality of your sleep. You should write down on a calendar any mornings when you have trouble falling asleep, have trouble staying asleep, wake up early, or feel tired and sleepy during the day. To find out how your menstrual cycle influences your sleep, do this and check the results with a menstrual tracking program.

Menopause

Menopausal symptoms may not bother some women at all, and they may even feel relieved when they are no longer concerned about having painful periods or getting pregnant. Other women may have hot flashes, insomnia, sex pain, moodiness and irritability, depression, or a combination of these symptoms during the menopausal transition. Some people may choose to discuss medication or lifestyle modifications with their doctor in order to treat their symptoms.

Knowledge of the menopause transition

Twelve months following her last period, a woman begins the menopause. Menopausal transition or perimenopause refers to the years preceding that time when women may experience changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms.

Menopausal transition often starts between the ages of 45 and 55. Although it can continue up to fourteen years, it typically lasts seven years. Depending on lifestyle factors including smoking, age at onset, and race and ethnicity, the duration may change. Thus, the production of the two ovarian hormones, progesterone and estrogen, varies significantly throughout perimenopause.

In addition, each woman is affected by the menopausal transition differently and in different ways. Women may gain weight more rapidly due to changes in fat cells and in the way the body uses energy. Body structure and composition, physical function, or bone or heart health may be altered.