What exactly is Premenstrual Syndrome?
PMS is a collection of physical, behavioral, and emotional changes that occur during the premenstrual period and impact a person’s daily life . The following symptoms must be present in order for PMS to be diagnosed medically:
For at least three menstrual cycles, they are present throughout the five days preceding the onset of the period.
End within four days of when the menstruation begins.
Obstruct regular activities.
Your healthcare professional will examine the number, nature, and severity of your symptoms when making a clinical diagnosis of PMS. Approaching your premenstrual symptoms with this in mind will help you evaluate your personal experience. For PMS book your appointment with Dr. Chetna who is the top gynaecologist in gurgaon.
Myth #1: PMS affects all women and people who have menstrual cycles.
This myth stems from the widely held belief that any symptoms that occur before the period are directly tied to PMS. In reality, just because a woman has certain premenstrual symptoms does not guarantee she has PMS.
Premenstrual syndrome is a medical diagnostic (ICD-10-N94.3) that describes a group of symptoms that include both emotional and physical discomforts. While some persons may suffer mild to severe premenstrual symptoms, if they do not have a significant negative impact on a person’s life, this is not termed PMS (from a medical standpoint) .
The reported rates of PMS vary so greatly that estimating how many people suffer from it is practically impossible. This is most likely due to the fact that PMS is sometimes used as a catch-all word for feeling any premenstrual symptoms, rather than just the diagnosis of PMS.
Many people who use the term “PMS” to describe their menstrual experiences are referring to a collection of distinct symptoms rather than a medical diagnosis. A headache, for example, that occurs a few days before a person’s period may not have a significant negative influence on their day-to-day functioning, despite the fact that it is unpleasant. The headache is a mild premenstrual symptom in this situation. A recurring episode of despair, insomnia, or extreme exhaustion, on the other hand, may have a major influence on someone’s well-being and so fit the criteria for PMS or even premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Fact #1: Premenstrual symptoms are not the same as premenstrual syndrome.
Myth #2: The premenstrual period is mainly about mood swings.
Despite what culture, society, and the media may portray, science supports the notion that the premenstrual experience is not intrinsically terrible for everyone. It is more typical to talk about negative premenstrual experiences in culture and society, however this limits the real experience of the premenstrual phase because it includes good components as well.
Current research has mostly linked bad moods to biological reasons such as hormone changes. The majority of PMS research has deduced a linear relationship between biology and behaviour and has failed to depict the true experience of PMS within a socio-cultural framework.
Many PMS studies, according to researchers, contain significant methodological flaws. It was stated that in many studies, research participants were questioned about their mood but were only provided a choice of negative options to choose from. Researchers who solely examine negative moods may not truly reflect the experience of PMS patients.
Why is the concept of negative premenstrual mood so prevalent in the absence of convincing scientific evidence? It all comes down to how menstruation is perceived in different cultures. People who have been trained to expect a bad premenstrual experience are more likely to report issues, which contributes to negative views regarding the cycle.
PMS is not a one-size-fits-all experience; rather, each person’s experience is filtered via societal and cultural norms that influence how symptoms are processed. Book your appointment with a gynecologist in gurgaon near me.
Fact #2: Not everyone associates bad moods with the premenstrual experience.
Myth #3: Premenstrual mood swings are only the result of hormonal imbalances.
Hormones play an important role in a woman’s menstrual cycle, but they aren’t the primary cause of negative premenstrual moods. Menstrual cycle phase has less of an impact on mood than overall mental and physical health.
A recent study had participants track daily mood and health data for six months to evaluate a commonly held belief among researchers that the premenstrual phase is the root of gloomy, irritable moods, and mood swings. The study tracked both good and negative moods, collected data from all cycle phases (not just the premenstrual phase), and followed multiple menstrual cycles in a row.
The outcome was unexpected; the data did not support the hypothesis of a low mood premenstrual phase. Menstrual cycle phase was less important as a predictor of daily mood than social support, physical health, and perceived stress.
However, it is possible that hormones are the cause of premenstrual syndrome in certain women. Lower levels of estradiol in the premenstrual phase may result in lower serotonin levels and a depressed mood.
Fact #3: Your physical and emotional wellness influence your everyday mood more than your menstrual cycle.
What exactly is PMDD?
PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is a more recent addition to the medical vocabulary. PMDD, like PMS, is a diagnostic designation given when premenstrual symptoms are extremely severe, but it is a psychological diagnosis rather than a gynaecological one. A PMDD diagnosis necessitates the presence of at least five symptoms during the luteal phase that appear 5-7 days before menstruation and resolve within four days after menstruation (14).
Take note: the presence of PMDD is debatable. Some academics argue that defining severe PMS as a psychiatric condition sets a hazardous precedent, and that PMDD was invented to justify a new pharmaceutical market and is an example of over-medicalization of women’s reproductive biology. Whatever we call this extreme type of PMS, research estimates that it affects 2–8 percent of the population.
What exactly does premenstrual symptoms mean to you?
True PMS is a medical diagnosis made by a healthcare expert based on the quantity, nature, and severity of a woman’s premenstrual symptoms. A person might document and report the characteristics of their premenstrual symptom pattern in order to begin the PMS dialogue with a healthcare practitioner. Tracking your cycle on the Clue app will help you log how you feel emotionally and physically each day, which can help you determine your premenstrual symptoms pattern.
Even if you do not feel the need to discuss PMS with your healthcare professional, symptom monitoring is a beneficial tool. Getting to know your premenstrual symptom pattern can help you recognise where you are in your cycle, prepare ahead to avoid uncomfortable symptoms, discover triggers that worsen symptoms, and/or choose relief techniques.
While you’re keeping track of your symptoms, don’t forget to:
Every day, record data as you experience it. (Rather than remembering how you felt a few days ago, which can be inaccurate.)
Keep track of multiple (not just one) menstrual cycles. This will aid in the capture of cycle-to-cycle variation.
Track data throughout the entire cycle, not just the premenstrual phase. You won’t be able to compare and infer that one phase is different from another if you simply collect data in one phase.
Keep track of both positive and bad symptoms.
Give examples from your own life. Include notes about stress, skin problems, diet, relationships, and other relevant factors, as your cycle is only one of many elements that can affect you and your well-being.
How to Determine Whether You Have PMS
It’s time to analyse once you’ve tracked numerous cycles of data. Here are the fundamental steps:
Count back 14 days before each period to visualise your premenstrual phase. The time between ovulation and the onset of your period is known as your luteal phase. Clue will help you identify this phase.
Look for patterns: Do any symptoms appear on a regular basis during the premenstrual period? Or are they spread out over the course of your cycle? You might be startled to hear that the constipation or mood swings you believed only happened during your menstrual cycle occur throughout your cycle.
Assess severity: Are any of your symptoms severe enough to have an effect on your life? Absences from work or school may indicate a moderate/severe incidence of PMS. Schedule your appointment with Dr.Chetna Jain, who is the best gynecologist in Gurugram.
