Cycle knowledge · 5 min read
What is PMS?
Do mood swings, food cravings, water retention or blemished skin before your period sound familiar? These complaints are wide-ranging and can be summed up under the term premenstrual syndrome, or PMS for short. We'd like to give you a brief overview of what triggers it and what can help.
Around 20-40% of all menstruating people experience more pronounced symptoms. For 3-8%, the psychological effects in particular are so severe that they significantly impact everyday life. The complaints are varied, ranging from mood swings and difficulty concentrating to back, joint, muscle or head aches. Of course, it differs from person to person, and not everyone experiences the intensity of the symptoms in the same way.
What triggers PMS?
The causes of premenstrual syndrome have not yet been fully explained. Experts assume that the hormonal fluctuations during the cycle play a central role. While hormone levels are not necessarily altered in those affected, some people react particularly sensitively to the breakdown products of progesterone, also known as the corpus luteum hormone.
This hormone is produced mainly in the second half of the cycle, before the period begins, and an interaction with certain messenger substances in the brain, including serotonin, is suspected. Serotonin, for example, has a major influence on your mood. A lack of magnesium and calcium, as well as family predisposition and environmental factors, also play a role in the development of PMS.
When does PMS start?
Many menstruating people regularly suffer from these complaints from a few days up to two weeks before their period. Once the period starts and a new cycle begins, the symptoms normally subside and have completely disappeared by the end of menstruation at the latest. After the next ovulation, the problems can then reappear. However, the complaints are not the same for every menstruating person or in every cycle. Their intensity can also vary and change over the years. At the latest with the final period during menopause, PMS symptoms disappear completely.
Do I have PMS? The symptoms
To find out whether you suffer from PMS yourself, or whether it is a condition with similar symptoms – such as depression, a thyroid disorder or irritable bowel syndrome – it helps to keep a diary for at least two to three months. There you can document your complaints and note anything unusual. You can then discuss this with your doctor if needed.
The most common symptoms include lower abdominal pain, breast tenderness, tiredness, listlessness, mood swings, mild irritability and skin problems. Headaches or back pain as well as digestive issues and sleep disturbances can also occur. Food cravings, trouble sleeping and water retention are reported just as frequently.
PMS types: find out which type you are
PMS-A | Anxiety | Symptoms: mood swings, anxiety, nervousness & restlessness, irritability, aggression, anger
PMS-C | Craving | Symptoms: food cravings (especially for sweets), increased appetite, tiredness, migraine
PMS-D | Depression | Symptoms: low mood, listlessness, insomnia
PMS-H | Hyperhydration | Symptoms: water retention, breast tenderness, weight gain
PMS-T | Total Overall Symptoms | Symptoms: a mix of the symptoms listed above
PMS-O | Other | Symptoms: the main symptoms cannot be assigned to any of the groups above
What helps against PMS?
Premenstrual syndrome has not yet been fully researched, so there are only a few meaningful studies. Menstruating people often try out different methods to get their symptoms under control. These range from meditation, relaxation exercises and acupuncture to changing their diet (less alcohol, coffee and salty foods). Many also turn to dietary supplements such as calcium and vitamin B6.
Those with more severe symptoms often take medication as well. Please always consult your doctor first.
Unfortunately, there is no cure-all that works best for everyone affected by premenstrual syndrome. In any case, it is important to listen to your own body and give it what it needs. Many people take things a little easier during PMS and keep their diary free. What definitely helps is understanding and support from your partner, friends or family. Simply find out what does you good.
By the way, in our guide article "Cycle food: how nutrition influences your period" you'll find more useful information and tips on how the right diet can boost your wellbeing.
About the author
Selina Macher is a midwife and breastfeeding consultant. Alongside her main profession, she is also on hand to advise SELENACARE customers. She takes care of special enquiries and helps out with her specialist knowledge.
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