PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME / PMS
Premenstrual syndrome/PMS
Hormonal changes associated with menstrual cycle may result in mild subjective symptoms in most women, but these will not influence lifestyle or activity. However, extensive complaints may occur in the time around period, which may even restrict normal life.
The quite variable syndrome occurring in the days prior to the period is named in summary premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The term premenstrual indicates the time point of symptoms: they are most pronounced in the time before period, and will decrease at the onste of bleeding.
It should be differentiated from painful period (dysmenorrhea) when there are no symptoms during the days prior to the period, however, the period is associated with intense lower abdominal pain and cramps. (Although it has to be noted that they have a common origin, i.e. changes of the hormonal background – relative estrogen overweight!) Inconvenient associated signs on the days prior to the period have been known for long, the term premenstrual syndrome (PMS) itself comes from Katharina Dalton MD.
Among nutritional factors, carbohydrate metabolism disorder, vitamin deficiency, mainly decreased vitamin B6 level may be associated causal factors. Alcohol worsens the symptoms.
What are the likely symptoms?
The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are quite variable.
Physical symptoms include headache, dizziness, muscle and joint pain, and breast distension. Sleeplessness may also accour, just like sleepiness. Breast distension, swelling of the extremities, abdominal bloating and temporary weight gain may be associated with the effect of hormones produced in the second part of the cycle.
Psychic symptoms include irritability, tenseness, fatigue, depression. Emotional lability, groundless excessive emotional reactions are usual. In some women, premenstrual syndrome leads to barely noticeable mood change, in other cases the behaviour alters markedly, and sometimes these changes are really hardly tolerated by their environment, thus, premenstrual syndrome often becomes the origin of familiar or workplace conflicts. All this is true the other way round: in a not adequately functioning partnership the woman may “escape” into the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
HORMONAL EVALUATION IS REQUIRED IN EVERY CASE FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF AN ADEQUATE AND NOT NECESSARILY PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT
Prior to applied therapy, determination of progesterone/estrogen rate and, depending on the result, further gynecological and endocrinological hormone evaluation is elemental. The time point of hormone evaluation depends on the cycle of the given person, and it will never be determined based on the reference range seen on the laboratory report, whether a hormone normal or abnormal is, we always have to look at their proportion and the influence upon each other.
You may receive information about these methods and application possibilities in person – based on previous appointment (+36 70/23 89 689).
