I am a 27-year-old woman and have a regular menstrual cycle. But I still suffer from extreme mood swings and irritability just before my periods are about to begin. Is this PMS? Why do women suffer from this and what can I do to reduce the intensity of the symptoms?
PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome is a group of symptoms that occur just before a woman has her periods. While in some women these symptoms may occur about a week before the onset of their periods, in others it might start about two weeks earlier.
Some of the most common symptoms a woman experiences include irritability, mood swings, depression, anxiety, bloating, craving for certain foods, fatigue and a lack of focus. That being said, the symptoms are not same for all women and it depends on a number of factors, such as genetics and hormonal changes that take place.
Why does it happen?
While the exact reason for the emotional turmoil a woman faces during this time has not been zeroed in on, experts believe that this could be due to the sudden drop in the hormones oestrogen and progestrone that occurs just before a woman’s periods. This drop not only affects how you feel but has also been found to interfere with the production of seretonin — an essential chemical in your brain. The lack of seretonin in your brain has been associated with depression, irritability and cravings — all of which lead to the mood swings you experience as you go through PMS.
Here’s what you can do to help relieve these symptoms
- Get some exercise: Exercising has a number of health benefits and can help with the symptoms of PMS too. According to some studies, women who exercised regularly found that the symptoms of PMS they suffered from, were far lesser than normal. This is because when you exercise your body not only releases seretonin and other happy hormones but also increases blood flow to your uterus and helps beat pain — all in all, making you feel better.
- Increase the amount of fluids you drink: Drinking electrolyte-rich fluids is essential to stay healthy and beat the symptoms of PMS. Water and other liquids like fresh fruit juices, coconut water and lemon juice help replenish your body’s lost electrolytes and beat the symptoms of PMS.
- Load up on the essentials: While the exact mechanism of how vitamins and minerals can help reduce the symptoms of PMS are not yet known, several studies have found that loading up on the essential vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, can help beat irritability and mood swings. Apart from that, micronutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B and E help beat depression, improves digestive function, and increases your serotonin levels. Also, vitamin B helps elevate your mood and makes you feel happy.
- Go easy on salt and sugar: An excess of refined sugar during PMS is thought to increase your feeling of lethargy and exhaustion, and it makes you feel hungry all the time. Therefore give those salt and sugar rich foods a miss and stick to healthy foods instead. If you are craving something salty, try having some salad with lemon, rock salt or pepper dressing to help beat the need for salt. And if you are craving something sweet, try a little bit of jaggery or gur. Its iron content helps keep anaemia at bay without piling on the calories.
- Give caffeine, soft drinks and alcohol a miss: Coffee and other caffeinated drinks tend to affect your mood as it is known to increase anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia. Apart from that, alcohol is a known depressant and drinking before your periods can worsen the symptoms of PMS.
- Take a chill pill: Keeping your stress levels as low as possible before and during the time that you suffer from the symptoms of PMS is one of the best ways to reign in the anger and irritability. Not only does stress make your symptoms worse but it can also lead to depression. If you lead a very stressful life, try relaxation techniques like deep breathing and yoga.
If all of the other tips and trick fail, visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis of the cause.
Image source: Getty Images
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