PRE-MENSTRUAL SYNDROME

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a combination of symptoms that many women get about a week or two before their period. It has a wide variety of signs and symptoms, including mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and depression. It's estimated that as many as 3 of every 4 menstruating women have experienced some form of premenstrual syndrome.

Symptoms tend to recur in a predictable pattern. But the physical and emotional changes you experience with premenstrual syndrome may vary from just slightly noticeable all the way to intense.

Still, you don't have to let these problems control your life.

Treatments and lifestyle adjustments can help you reduce or manage the signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Symptoms

The list of potential signs and symptoms for premenstrual syndrome is long, but most women only experience a few of these problems.

Causes

Exactly what causes premenstrual syndrome is unknown, but several factors may contribute to the condition:

Cyclic changes in hormones

igns and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome change with hormonal fluctuations and disappear with pregnancy and menopause.

Chemical changes in the brain.

Fluctuations of serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that's thought to play a crucial role in mood states, could trigger PMS symptoms. Insufficient amounts of serotonin may contribute to premenstrual depression, as well as to fatigue, food cravings and sleep problems.

Depression

Some women with severe premenstrual syndrome have undiagnosed depression, though depression alone does not cause all of the symptoms

Diagnosis

There are no unique physical findings or lab tests to positively diagnose premenstrual syndrome.

To help establish a premenstrual pattern, doctor may have you record your signs and symptoms on a calendar or in a diary for at least two menstrual cycles. Note the day that you first notice PMS symptoms, as well as the day they disappear. Also be sure to mark the days your period starts and ends.

Certain conditions may mimic PMS, including chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid disorders and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Your health care provider may order tests, such as a thyroid function test or mood screening tests to help provide a clear diagnosis.

Treatment

For many women, lifestyle changes can help relieve symptoms.

Homeopathic medicines are described to relate to symptoms in many systems of the body, both physical and psychological. Thus it is possible to find, for instance, a medicine for headaches before menses, a distended abdomen before menses and great tearfulness before periods which responds to being comforted.