PMS Blues
By Elizabeth Morgan
Many women experience emotional changes that make them
feel low during the days before their periods. In some women, these
changes may be mild and transient, disappearing with the onset of a
period. In other women, emotional symptoms may be severe enough to
interfere with normal activities. Common symptoms are depression,
anxiety, irritability and aggression, resulting in what is sometimes
called the “PMS blues”.
When emotional or physical symptoms of PMS are severe,
this condition is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. PMDD
occurs in two to ten percent of all women of reproductive age in the
United States. Women with PMDD may have feelings of hopelessness and
guilt and a sense of being overwhelmed. Many women with PMDD report
feeling very tense and become suddenly sad or are overly sensitive to
other people. These symptoms may cause them to withdraw from normal
social interaction and can seriously interfere with normal activities
and relationships at home and at work.
Many of the emotional symptoms of PMS experienced by
women are thought to stem from the brain’s reduced ability to utilize a
chemical called serotonin during the premenstrual phase. Serotonin has
a mood-enhancing effect. Therefore, the mainstay of treating more
severe emotional symptoms is a group of drugs called selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. These drugs act by improving
the brain s ability to utilize serotonin, thereby stabilizing a
woman’s mood.
Some emotional symptoms are worsened by the effect of
physical symptoms of PMS. A woman may experience pain and tiredness and
not feel up to sticking to her normal exercise routine. Exercise
releases natural mood-elevating and pain-relieving compounds called
endorphins; less exercise means lower endorphin levels. Weight gain,
bloating, and insomnia may worsen anxiety during PMS. Therefore,
management of these physical symptoms through exercise, diet, and
medication can help reduce emotional symptoms. ###
PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.
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