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.
1Migraines
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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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2Mood Swings
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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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