The syndrome varies in severity and in symptoms from woman to woman and from month to month.
According to the American College of Obstetricians Gynecologists, at least 85 percent of women with regular menstrual cycles have at least one PMS symptom.
Symptoms of PMS:
There are more than 150 recognized PMS symptoms but the causes of PMS remain unclear. The most common signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include:
- Acne
- Back pain
- Bloated abdomen
- Changes in appetite, including cravings for certain foods
- Constipation
- Crying spells
- Depression
- Fast heartbeat
- Feeling irritable, tense or anxious
- Feeling tired
- Headache
- Hot flashes
- Joint pain
- Mood swings
- Not feeling as interested in sex
- Tender and swollen breasts
- Trouble concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
- Swollen hands or feet
- Wanting to be alone
- Weight gain
What risk factors are associated with PMS?
A number of factors may put a woman at higher risk for PMS:
- Increasing age
- Family history
- Stress
- History of depression
- High caffeine intake
- Diet
Treatment for PMS:
Changes in diet and exercise are usually recommended first. Eat a well-balanced diet and avoid salty and sweet foods during the week before your period. Follow a high-fiber, low-far diet. Eat small meals but frequently.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Regular aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling may help relieve PMS symptoms.
Homeopathic medicines for PMS:
Homeopathy offers an effective treatment for PMS for those women who still experience symptoms after boosting their nutritional support, making dietary changes and improving exercise habits. Homeopathic medicines trigger a natural restoration of hormonal balance and lack side effects.
The most common homeopathic medicines for PMS include the following:
- Lachesis - Severe PMS; immediate relief from PMS symptoms when bleeding starts. Can`t tolerate tight collars, turtle necks, tight clothes. Sensation of a lump in the throat. Left-sided headache. Hot flashes with redness of the face. Very talkative, can be jealous and possessive. Often used in women with PMS between 40 and 50.
- Folliculinum - PMS with bloating, swollen, painful breasts and headache or migraine. Menstrual cycle is shorter than 28 days; heavy flow.
- Pulsatilla - Mood swings before periods, weeps easily. An aversion to being alone, needs consolation. Late and scanty periods. Intermittent menstrual flow that stops at night. Often used in girls and young women.
- Lac caninum - Headache or migraine with pain alternating sides; tender and swollen breasts. Sore throat that starts and ends with menstruation. Early periods with heavy flow. Irritable, absent-minded.
- Natrum muriaticum - A craving for salty foods; weight gain before periods due to water retention; PMS with headaches (worse by sun), herpes or acne. Reserved, sad, wants to be alone, aversion to consolation.
- Sepia - Heaviness in lower abdomen. Low sexual drive. Chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, recurrent yeast infections and urinary tract infections. Herpes or acne flare-ups before periods(Natrum muriaticum). Feels estranged from family, indifferent, irritability. Fatigue after periods.
Vasilka Yurukova, MD is a leading medical and integrative practitioner who specializes and trains in homeopathy. In addition to offering a homeopathic and natural alternative healing approach, Dr.Yurukova offers root cause analysis of health issues, as well as individualized nutritional and digestive advice, and lifestyle changes.