| PMS - Premenstrual Syndrome |
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disorder that affects many women during the one to two weeks before menstruation begins. Symptoms may include: abdominal bloating, acne, anxiety, backache, breast swelling and tenderness, cramps, depression, food cravings, fainting spells, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, joint pain, nervousness, skin eruptions, water retention, and personality changes such as drastic mood swings, angry outbursts, violence, and even thoughts of suicide. While there are no exact statistics, it is estimated that as many as 70 - 75% of all women experience some premenstrual symptoms at one time or another. About 5% of women have symptoms so severe as to be incapacitating, and 30 - 40% report symptoms severe enough to interfere with their everyday lives. For many years, PMS was dismissed as a just a psychological problem, and some women were even diagnosed as being mentally ill. We now know that there is a real physically based problem. One of the causes of PMS is hormonal imbalance where excessive levels of estrogen and reduced levels of progesterone. Hormonal fluctuations lead to fluid retention, affecting circulation, reducing the amount of oxygen reaching the woman's uterus, ovaries, and brain. Eating red meat and dairy products may cause or contribute to such a hormonal imbalance. Unstable blood sugar levels are an important factor as well. PMS has also been linked to food allergies, changes in carbohydrate metabolism, and hypoglycemia. Diet is an important contributing factor. Other suspected causes of PMS symptoms include erratic levels of beta-endorphin (a narcotic-like substance produced by the human body), vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies, and depression. |
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