Premenstrual Syndrome - Symptoms, Treatment

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Premenstrual syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS, premenstrual tension syndrome) is a complex of symptoms caused by hormonal changes in a woman's body during a certain phase of the menstrual cycle. Signs of premenstrual syndrome appear within 2-10 days before the onset of menstruation, and go away on their own immediately after it starts, or a few days later. According to experts, premenstrual syndrome affects up to 80% of women of the most active age - from 20 to 40 years.

The opinions of doctors differ on whether to consider it a pathology, since all changes are usually reversible and go away on their own after a change in the phase of the menstrual cycle. However, taking into account the fact that the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome can cause significant suffering to a woman, it is believed that in the case of a pronounced clinical picture, premenstrual syndrome is a pathological condition and requires medical correction.

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome

The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome can be roughly divided into psycho-neurological and physical, although they are closely related. The physical signs of premenstrual syndrome include the following: the appearance of edema of the arms and legs, enlargement of the mammary glands, the appearance of pain and discomfort in the mammary glands, aggravated by touch, dyspeptic phenomena (bloating, nausea, in rare cases, vomiting, constipation or vice versa, frequent stools), headache. Blood pressure can sometimes rise significantly.

Psycho-neurological symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include mood swings, susceptibility to depression, outbursts of unmotivated aggression, insomnia, or vice versa, excessive drowsiness. The second name, the syndrome of premenstrual tension, well characterizes the signs of premenstrual syndrome in general: this is precisely the tension that has no objective grounds. The woman is tense, irritable, hypersensitive against a background of general physical ailment.

Depending on the predominance of certain symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, there are four types of it:

• Edematous form of premenstrual syndrome (signs of puffiness prevail, sweating increases);
• The neuropsychic form of premenstrual syndrome (the leading symptoms are depression or aggressiveness, as well as mood swings and hypersensitivity);
• Cephalgic form of premenstrual syndrome (the main symptom is severe migraine-type headache);
• Crisis form of premenstrual tension syndrome (increased blood pressure similar to hypertensive crisis, resulting in increased urination).

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome can vary in severity; moreover, they can manifest themselves differently in the same woman each time. However, a factor that makes it possible to distinguish premenstrual tension syndrome from other diseases is the dependence of the onset of symptoms on the menstrual cycle, namely, their appearance in the final phase of the cycle and disappearance after the onset of menstruation.

Diagnostics of the premenstrual syndrome

An experienced doctor makes the diagnosis of the disease on the basis of the characteristic signs of premenstrual syndrome and the establishment of a clear dependence of their manifestation on the final phase of the cycle. Nevertheless, with a detailed vivid clinical picture of premenstrual tension syndrome, endocrinological, neurological and gynecological examinations are performed, mainly in order to exclude more serious diseases, which at an early stage may have similar symptoms with premenstrual syndrome.

The following diagnostic measures are mandatory:

• Gynecological examination;
• A blood test that detects hormonal balance in the initial and final phases of the cycle;
• Keeping a diary of well-being for three cycles, which also has an organizational value and can be used to monitor the success of the treatment undertaken.

The rest of the studies are assigned depending on which symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are leading. So, in case of a cephalgic form, tomography of the skull, taking an electroencephalogram are recommended. With the neuropsychic form of the premenstrual tension syndrome, psychotherapeutic diagnostics is indicated. With edematous and crisis forms, it is necessary to study the cardiovascular system, etc.

Treatment of premenstrual syndrome

The mainstay of treatment for premenstrual syndrome is the normalization of lifestyle and nutrition. If you leave the lifestyle that led to the appearance of the pathology unchanged, then all measures for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome will have only a temporary effect.

First of all, you need to allocate at least 8 hours a day for sleep. The day should be organized as much as possible to keep stress to a minimum. One hour a day should be spent in the fresh air, and two to three days a week should be engaged in non-burdensome sports: yoga, Pilates, etc., since PMS, among other things, is caused by a lack of physical activity. Meals should be complete, at least three times a day, with a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and fruits. All stimulating drinks (strong tea, coffee, tonics), all types of fast food, smoked meats, canned food, heavy and fatty foods, and sugary carbonated drinks must be excluded from the diet. The basis of the diet for premenstrual syndrome should be plant foods and fermented milk products.

For the vast majority of patients, adherence to these measures is sufficient for the successful treatment of premenstrual syndrome. Usually, two to three months after bringing the usual lifestyle to a healthier one, the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome disappear without a trace, or become much less intense.

Drug treatment for premenstrual syndrome is prescribed when its manifestations are significant and clearly worsen the physical, psychological and social condition of the patient. Treatment of premenstrual syndrome in this case consists in hormonal correction, that is, taking synthetic analogs of female sex hormones. In parallel, sedatives (sedatives) are prescribed for a long course.

The rest of the treatment for premenstrual syndrome is symptomatic, that is, aimed at eliminating the leading symptoms. So, the edematous form of premenstrual syndrome requires the appointment of diuretics (drugs that increase urinary secretion and thereby eliminate edema), for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome in a cephalgic form, antispasmodic and analgesic drugs are prescribed, etc.

Medication for premenstrual syndrome can only be prescribed by a doctor after a thorough diagnosis, self-medication in this case is unacceptable and can lead to a sharp deterioration in the condition.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!