What is PMS? It's a conglomeration of symptoms that affect women, primarily during the week before their menstrual periods.
Several times each week, the average American man or woman hears and reads about PMS. Frequent media attention has now made PMS a household word. I even ran across a cartoon showing one moppet whispering to his playmate (with an irate mother in the background):
"Don't worry, Mama's PMS is making her grouchy."
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| What Is The Cause Of A Yeast Infection |
PMS is "for real." No doubt about it. Because most of the patients during the past decade are women, I'm especially interested in the subject.
You've probably experienced it yourself, since 90% of all women deal with the aches, pains and emotional stress of PMS at some point in their lifetimes. More than a third of all women struggle with PMS for years. National health statistics show that 30-40% of women have serious enough to interfere with their everyday lives, and a smaller percentage are incapacitated by PMS from time to time.
SYMPTOMS
Here's a grim laundry list of symptoms:
- abdominal bloating
- acne
- anxiety
- backache
- breast swelling and tenderness
- cramps
- depression
- food cravings
- fainting spells
- fatigue
- headaches
- insomnia
- altered sex drive
- swelling of fingers and ankles
- personality changes including: mood swing, outbursts of anger, thoughts of suitcide
PMS begins during the luteal phase of menstruation, the phase right after ovulation, which can last as long as 14 days before the menstrual period begins. It usually disappears as soon as the menstrual flow ends.
It can be caused by stress, genetics, age, the number of children a woman has had, alcohol sugar and caffeine intake, other dietary factors, lack of exercise, hypothyroidism and depression.
There is scientific evidence that women who exercise regularly are less affected by mood swings and depression and have fewer of the other annoying symptoms of PMS than sedentary women.
TREATMENT
Proper nutrition is also an important element in beating PMS. Not only do high sugar, alcohol and caffeine consumption practically guarantee you will suffer from PMS, general good nutrition is one of the most important factors. One study showed women most likely to suffer from PMS eat 62% more refined carbohydrates, 75% more refined sugar, 79% more dairy products, 78% more sodium, 53% less iron, 77% less manganese and 53% less zinc than those who practiced the Standard American Diet. Research has shown many women with severe PMS are likely to be deficient in B vitamins and magnesium. And a fascinating study from Columbia University showed that 1,200 mg of calcium supplementation for three months relieved 50% of the symptoms of PMS.
There is also evidence that evening primrose oil, taken with flaxseed oil or fish oil for a full complement of essential fatty adds, will help relieve symptoms.
Mini doses of natural progesterone (not progestin) have also proven helpful in relieving PMS symptoms for some women.
THE YEAST
PMS is frequently included among the myriad troubles women with candida yeast-related problems experience.
If the sugar and refined carbohydrate figures above are ringing any bells with you, you're right: There is an element of candida yeast overgrowth in many women with PMS.
Some researchers suggest the candida may trigger PMS symptoms by activating an autoimmune response to sex hormones such as estrogen. The cyclic rise and fall of these hormones could be an explanation for the flare-ups and then calming down of candida symptoms.
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| What Is The Cause Of A Yeast Infection |
In my own practice during the 1980s, I saw dozens of women with Yeast-related health problems. Most of these patients experienced fatigue, headaches, irritability, bloating and depression - especially the week before their periods.
I found that an antifungal therapy and the anti-yeast diet helped many of them. To find out more, you can check out What Is The Cause Of A Yeast Infection.