Have you ever had a moment where you’re like, “Why am I so moody?” Or “I’ve slept eight hours but still feel super tired.” You then go, “Oh, I’m getting my period.” You then check your period app and go right on time. Perhaps this is the most consistent thing in your life, your period. But, unfortunately, so are the terrible PMS symptoms that come with it. So let’s look at how to treat PMS symptoms making the most consistent thing in your life not painful at all.
What is PMS?
Women in their childbearing years usually menstruate each month, but not all women experience PMS. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, many women experience mental and physical changes and discomfort in the days leading up to menstruation.
If this happens every month like clockwork and impairs the woman’s everyday life, then it’s considered premenstrual syndrome or PMS. Of course, you can have your period without experiencing PMS, but the impact takes a mighty toll on women who do.
What are Common PMS Symptoms?
Women experience all kinds of PMS symptoms at various strengths and times in their life. It’s estimated that over 90% of women experience PMS. However, 30-40% of women with PMS have it so severe that daily life is impossible. The symptoms can be broken down into two types: emotional and physical.
Emotional symptoms include the following:
- Depression and anxiety
- Feeling angry
- Crying spells
- Irritability
- Brain fog
- Sleep issues
- Social withdrawal
-
Sexual dysfunction
While emotional symptoms are pretty standard, PMS is more widely associated with the following physical symptoms, including:
- Bloating
- Weight gain
- Breast tenderness
- Aches and pains
- Fatigue
- Food cravings (appetite and thirst changes)
- Skin breakouts
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain
- Digestive problems
-
Weight gain
Women report feeling PMS symptoms 1-2 weeks before the period begins. Usually, the symptoms subside once the bleeding starts or within four days.
How to Treat PMS Symptoms
Finding the best treatment for your PMS can be difficult sometimes. Usually, women can take a pain reliever like ibuprofen or Tylenol to reduce the pain and inflammation. But that’s only a short fix and won’t stop the symptoms from returning month after month.
Get Some Exercise
While rolling around on the couch in agony may seem like the only movement you can do, exercise can alleviate PMS. Aerobic exercise elevates your heart rate and can help not only with the physical symptoms of PMS but the emotional ones as well. Aerobic exercise can help with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other PMS-related symptoms.
Dietary Changes
PMS causes thirst and food cravings like feasting on a gallon of ice cream or a package of Oreos. But these kinds of snacks are full of saturated fats and sugar. Making better dietary choices throughout the month to help prevent PMS is better. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber helps battle PMS. For example, foods with whole grains, giant leafy vegetables, or calcium-rich choices like yogurt.
Relaxation Methods
Training your mind and body to relax can have life-long health benefits and ease PMS symptoms. You can try breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga. 15-30 minutes per day can significantly impact your mental and physical health.
PMS Supplements
Taking a supplement can help with PMS symptoms. Your body may be missing essential vitamins or hormones that can help bring everything back into balance. Below are some common PMS supplements that can help you live pain-free.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral found in bones, tissues, and fluids throughout the body. Unfortunately, most people in the United States don’t get enough magnesium in their diet and could benefit from supplementing. Magnesium helps with bone health, cardiovascular health, and other critical bodily functions. It can also help with inflammation and stress. Both are
common symptoms of PMS.
Vitamin D Cream
Calcium can help ease PMS symptoms, and vitamin D cream helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin, comes from the body taking UV B radiation from sunlight and converting it to vitamin D3. But prolonged periods in the sun may not be possible and can lead to skin cancer or sunburn, so a vitamin D cream is the best choice.
Progesterone
Progesterone is a female hormone that regulates a woman’s cycle and fertility. After ovulation, an egg travels down the fallopian tubes to meet a sperm. Progesterone levels rise in expectation, but when no fertilization occurs, and progesterone lowers again. At this point, a woman has her period. Progesterone creams can alleviate symptoms associated with PMS because your body doesn’t react to the reduced levels.
Vitamin B6
B vitamins are a group of eight vitamins that help with a myriad of bodily functions. Some functions include converting energy from food, making healthy blood cells, and revitalizing skin. The B vitamins include the following:
- Vitamin B-1 (thiamin)
- Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B-3 (Niacin)
- Vitamin B-5 (pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin B-6
- Vitamin B-7 (biotin)
- Vitamin B-9 (folate)
-
Vitamin B-12
B vitamins come in easy-to-apply creams with maximum daily doses. You apply them to your skin, and your body converts the vitamin into calcium, transporting it to awaiting receptors.
What Other Conditions Mimic PMS?
Sometimes PMS can be confused with other issues that have similar symptoms. One of these is perimenopause. Perimenopause is the period right up to menopause. Menopause is a transition or a significant change in a woman’s life when she can no longer have children.
Hormonal changes and aging are directly related to this condition. Unless, of course, there is a medical reason for going through menopause.
Menopause is caused by a drastic drop in estrogen. The lack of estrogen results in feeling bloated, having headache pains, feeling moody, and so on. The similarities between PMS and menopause are almost the same. The significant difference is that menopausal symptoms can go day after day, whereas PMS symptoms occur 1-2 weeks before having a period. Interestingly, the treatment can be the same as hormone therapy.
PMS symptoms can make life awful for women. So much so that daily life can become unbearable. You can treat PMS symptoms with diet and exercise changes and vitamins and hormones.
