Crying, crazy mood changes, craving for sweets and chocolate…PMS is usually associated with these things, but it is way more than that. PMS is short for premenstrual syndrome and it is a mix of symptoms that happen around 7 to 10 days before a woman gets her period.
“Oh it’s my hormones” – This is a classic explanation for when women are questioned about why they are being so crazy. And why? Well, because it is right! Most of the changes that are seeing in the body and mind during this period are due to changes in the hormone levels.
PMS can be a man’s worst nightmare because they don’t experience it, so all they see is a grumpy, sentimental and unreasonable woman just barking at them. So, this article might be very helpful for you to understand what your wife, daughter, sister, mom or friend is going through.
It’s not the women’s fault, it’s just nature.
Some women experience all the symptoms and other just a few of them, and here are the most common ones. There are a lot of studies around the symptoms of PMS and, although there are so many reasons for each one of the symptoms, most of them are theories. But here you will read the most common and accepted explanations for the rollercoaster that is having a period.
Migraines and other head pains are a very common symptom during the PMS, especially in women who already have a history of suffering from these conditions (in this case the pain can be way more intense).
This happens due to changes in the levels of the hormone estrogen in the circulation. Fluctuations in the levels of this hormone, for more or less, seem to be able to trigger migraines and head pains, but this usually happens when the levels drop.
The estrogen is responsible for maintaining the levels of serotonin (the so-called hormone of “well-being”). When the levels of estrogen drop, the levels of serotonin will drop as well and this dilates the vessels in the brain, which is known as a cause of migraines.
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These are probably one the most known symptoms. Partners and family members usually suffer with it along with the women during this phase: these mood swings can be translated in a very grumpy and sentimental behavior, which drives not only the woman but the people around crazy.
And why do they happen?
Well, it’s the damn hormones again. During the period, the levels of the hormone progesterone remain low. However, right before it (when the PMS occurs) the levels of this hormone in the blood circulation, and it is believed that this and some other chemical changes that happen during this period are responsible for the crazy mood swings that happen.
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Who needs silicone when you have your PMS? During the PMS, the breasts can get swollen and sore. This happens because during the PMS the body starts to retain water, which not only increases the size of them but also stretches the skin, which makes them very sensitive to the touch.
Once again we can blame a hormone for that, but this time it’s not only the estrogen, but the progesterone can also be blamed for this: high levels of these hormones induce the retention of fluids. Unfortunately, not only the breasts get bigger but the abdomen can also retain fluids, and this is an area where people usually don’t want bigger. It is also important to know that not only the hormones affect this retention of water, but the food habits can make it better or worse.
People who eat a lot of salt can experience even more swelling and studies also indicate that a substance that can be found in coffee can also increase the amount of fluid that is retained in the breasts (because it increases the blood circulation). So, it is better to stay away from that coffee and salty chips.
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Apart from the head pains already mentioned, women can experience other types of pain. An example of this is the menstrual cramps. The menstrual cramps occur in the abdominal region, close to where the uterus and the bladder are located.
The intensity of these cramps varies from woman to woman, but they can be very painful in some cases. In fact, it is advised that women who experience very painful menstrual cramps talk to their doctor about it, because it can be a sign of diseases such as endometriosis. The cause of menstrual cramps (in normal conditions)is the expelling of the egg that was not fecundated.
The menstruation happens when an egg was not fecundated by a sperm, so the body has to get rid of it somehow, and also get rid of the extra layer of tissue that grew in the uterus during the preparation for a possible pregnancy. When the body is trying to expel all this “extra material”, the uterus contracts and this leads to the abdominal pain known as the menstrual cramps.
These cramps are usually more intense in adolescents and younger women, because the uterus is still quite small and so it the exit of it. Because of that, the uterus has to do some extra effort to expel everything, and this causes a more intense pain.
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As if it wasn’t enough all the pain and emotional rollercoaster, there is another issue that can be quite inconvenient. A lot of women experience diarrhoea during their period, and this happens because of the higher blood flow in the genital area. It is recommended that women avoid some types of food during their period so that they won’t have any type of unexpected “issue”.
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Fatigue and tiredness are also sometimes associated with PMS and menstruation, but interestingly there is almost no evidence that the body actually uses more energy during this time.
So what’s going on? Are women just faking it? Of course not!
When we are not feeling well, we usually also don’t sleep well. So, what is believed is that all the other symptoms such as menstrual cramps, migraines and all the intestinal changes can have some kind of effect in the normal sleeping patterns, and the woman ends up not recharging the energies the way her body needs.
Also, body temperature changes affect the sleep cycle, and the oestrogen level changes that were mentioned before can change the body temperature. And, last but not least, all the craving for foods that are very caloric and rich in sugar affects the blood sugar levels, which also has an effect on the energy oscillations.
Hopefully, this article will make you understand better what happens to your body or to the body of the women around you, and next time it happens you will be less freaked out.
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