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
