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PRE-MENSTRUAL
SYNDROME
This is commonly called
'pre-menstrual tension' but this name
does not include symptoms other than 'tension'
and neither name takes into consideration the
women who experience this at times other than
just before their periods begin.
It is clear that there are
physical and psychological factors which are
activated by changes in the level of hormones
during the menstrual cycle. The
physical and psychological factors which are
activated by changes in the level of hormones
during the menstrual cycle. The physical
symptoms include: headache, backache and other
general aches and pains, breast discomfort,
swelling, a general feeling of 'bloatedness',
weight gain and skin disorders.
For many women, it is the
mental symptoms which are hardest to bear sudden
changes in mood, tension, irritability,
depression or weepiness, poor concentration,
forgetfulness, clumsiness, lethargy.
All of these can vary in intensity in
different women and some suffer none or very few
of these. Sufferers can seem very 'difficult' to
others, but those with pre-menstrual syndrome
are not aware of this at the
time.
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All of this seems to be
caused by an imbalance in the hormones of the
woman's body - primarily oestrogen and
progesterone, both produced by the ovaries
- combined with other factors. Certain
psychological factors are relevant. To some
women, possibly as a result of early influences,
sexuality may seem wrong or unpleasant and thus
conflicts with increased sexual pressures. Girls
are often taught to regard menstruation as an
illness or disorder, rather than as the normal
process that it is.
In order to cope with pre
menstrual syndrome, it is always a good idea to
find out more about your body and, in
particular, about how your menstrual cycle
works. By keeping a record of your
cycle and your physical and mental changes
during it, you can usually begin to predict on
which days you will be feeling most affected by
pre-menstrual symptoms. By limiting your intake
of fluid and salt on those days, you can
somewhat reduce the 'bloated' feeling, and a
good balanced diet is just common
sense.
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If your symptoms are
servere and need more than self-help can offer,
you may require medical treatment. Your
doctor may prescribe a diuretic which will make
your kidneys excrete more water. Sometimes
taking birth-control pills helps, but much
depends on the type of pill and in some women
they make the problem, worse. Natural
progesterone and, more commonly. Progestogen
(artificially produced progesterone) are
sometimes prescribed, as are bromocriptine (a
drug which is closely involved in the production
of progesterone and the maintenance of water
balance) and pyridozine (vitamin B6), but these
and other drugs have their drawbacks and they
don't all work in the same way for everybody.
There is no sure fire cure
for pre menstrual syndrome, but it is
important that those women suffering from it
begin to understand what causes it, and are able
to receive responsible, knowledgeable and caring
advice from the medical
profession.
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