Premenstrual Stress: Menstruation Problems, Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

You are a very particular world, but generally there are certain characteristics that make you similar to other women. And if we mention the word “premenstrual” to you, you will immediately know what we mean.

Several studies have shown that if you have high levels of stress it is possible that you suffer from very pronounced and notorious premenstrual symptoms , since this emotional state worsens these manifestations.

But there are some techniques that will help you reduce your stress and therefore prevent the symptoms that it causes you to present in your body.

Symptoms of premenstrual stress

Let’s start by defining it, premenstrual syndrome also known by its acronym PMS is a set of both physical and psychological symptoms that are present approximately a week or days before menstruation and the most common is that women have at least one of all the symptoms that exist, which somehow alter their personal and social routine.

The most common of PMS are swollen breasts and pain in them, tiredness, weight gain , swelling in certain parts of the body such as hands, face and abdomen, acne or spots on the face, fluid retention, headache and in joints. Your appetite can vary a lot so you can feel uncontrollably want to eat (especially sweets) or, on the other hand, you can suffer from nausea.

Regarding the emotional symptoms, you can feel like a roller coaster with irritability, confusion, feelings of sadness and deep depression that are linked to crying spells, nerves, aggressiveness, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating and even sleeping and in some cases decreases sexual desire.

Remember that if you are under stress or pressure these symptoms will intensify considerably.

Causes

There is no exact explanation that can define why the symptoms of PMS occur, but studies propose that it is due to the body responding inadequately to the levels of ovarian hormones , disturbing and modifying serotonin and beta-endorphin, which are neurotransmitters. in charge of regulating the mood.

On the other hand, the variation in the levels of brain hormones and the response of each woman (during premenstrual syndrome) to estrogens and progesterone could be another cause, although not proven. The explanation for this is that water and sodium retention can occur in the body because there is a greater amount of estrogens in the body, this can lead to weight gain or body discomfort that can translate into pain.

Among other causes to be mentioned is the lack of vitamin B6 , low levels of calcium and magnesium, hypoglycemia, an incorrect diet can increase these symptoms, essential fatty acids and trace elements.

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What women does it affect?

This grouping of symptoms, which become visible before menstruation, is suffered by approximately 40% of women , although this figure may vary.

If you are of childbearing age, you are probably between 30% and 80% of women affected by PMS and although it is said that the symptoms intensify with age , adolescents also go through this stage. There are some risk factors to consider:

• If your family history or medical history indicates that you suffer from severe depression and mood disorders or postpartum depression.
• If your age is close to 30 years old.
• If you have at least one child.
• If you are near menopause.

This article is also important to go in and read it Menopause: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Is it possible to avoid premenstrual stress?

Remember that the higher your stress level (for whatever reason) the risk of PMS is much higher. Therefore, we recommend that you implement the following options:

Therapies to control premenstrual stress

One of the recommended therapies to relieve PMS caused by stress is biofeedback: which consists of an alternative therapy in which, with the help of a therapist or expert , the body’s impulses can be controlled, but voluntarily and fully consciously.

Taking into account elements such as brain waves, blood pressure, respiration, heart rate, among others such as constipation. These indicators are exposed in states of relaxation and also of tension. This technique is applied to reduce and treat stress, anxiety, urinary incontinence and insomnia.

We suggest you read : Do you suffer from Insomnia? Identify it and learn how to treat it

Exercise and PMS

On the other hand, it is proven that physical exercise allows the body to release all that accumulated stress that in turn damages PMS. Swimming, cycling, and hiking are among the most recommended . Always inclined to aerobic exercises, which are of low intensity , but long duration and between three to four times a week. Also the yoga and breathing exercises.

Among the many irrefutable benefits that can be obtained at a physiological and psychological level we can mention:

• There is a high positive relationship between physical fitness, well-being, and mental health.
• They considerably reduce stress states such as anxiety and mild to moderate depression. If depression is within the severe category, it is important to seek professional help to guide you through the process of what to do about it, but it is always advisable to complement any type of therapy with physical exercise.
• If you carry out a personalized routine that includes flexibility, strength, balance and coordination exercises, you will obtain safe results in reducing muscle tension and stabilizing some hormones such as cortisol (associated with stress levels).
• There is a theory that sports activate endorphins and your body will feel euphoric after exercising.

In short, exercise is considered a medicine and with positively better seen effects than the prescription of drugs that can harm the body.

This article interests you : Tips to have an Exercise Routine

When to call the doctor

If, given the options that we have presented before, your premenstrual symptoms do not diminish with personal care, it is necessary that you go or contact your trusted doctor.

As if you observe the presence of lumps that did not exist in the breast tissue , so they are unusual for your body and you also observe discharge from your nipples . And your levels of depression become uncontrollable and you feel like you can’t handle them.

Natural treatments to control premenstrual stress

We leave you a wide variety of home and natural remedies that you can prepare to alleviate the annoying symptoms:

• Remedy 1: in a frying pan, sauté an onion, chopped into pieces with a tablespoon of sesame oil . Cover the onions with water, let it rest for 10 minutes and add two cups of shelled corn and let it act for an additional 10 minutes. After this you can already consume it.
• Remedy 2: Sitz baths are a good option. Do it for three minutes with hot water and then one minute with cold water.
• Remedy 3: there is a plant called Dong Guai that has natural phytoestrogens and these allow a regulation of female hormones to occur. It was commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat menstrual discomfort and PMS.
• Remedy 4: make an infusion with raspberry leaves and 3 cups of water. Drink twice a day if necessary.
• Remedy 5: take five horse chestnuts, boil for 10 minutes in half a liter of water, let it rest for 15 minutes and consume.
• Remedy 6: blend a carrot , a beet and spinach and watercress leaves with water. Drink a glass of this drink to reduce bloating.
• Remedy 7: you can take a shower in a bathtub if when filling it you add 4 drops of chamomile oil, 2 of coriander oil, 3 of cypress oil and 2 of patchouli oil to the water . Take advantage of immersing yourself, relaxing and enjoying yourself for a long time. This will lower your stress ratings.
• Remedy 8: bring a cup of water to boil and when it is very hot add a tablespoon of chasteberry flowers and fruits. Strain and take recommended 10 days before the menstruation comes. The active principles of this plant that we mention balance the levels of estrogens and progesterone so it will improve the symptoms of PMS and have sedative, but very mild effects.
• Remedy 9: prepare an infusion with a teaspoon of passionflower and drink three times daily, a few days before your menstruation. This plant is widely recognized for helping to improve the symptoms of stress produced by various situations of daily life and additionally it also helps against muscle spasms.
• Remedy 10: if you like cherries, a few days before the start of your period you can eat 10 units a day and you will see the benefits.
• Remedy 11: you can mix calendula, sage, yarrow, lemon balm, feverfew and St. John’s wort, but in equal parts. Take 1 tablespoon of this mixture and add it to a 1 cup of hot water supplementing with evening primrose oil .
• Remedy 12: if you have a bath, add 4 drops of chamomile oil , 2 of coriander oil, 3 of cypress and 2 drops of patchouli oil to the warm water . Bathe for 15 minutes or as long as you think necessary.

The diet you eat before and during those days is essential to relieve discomfort and feel healthier. It is recommended to consume vegetables, cereals, fruits (such as pineapple) and legumes. Especially pumpkin and wheat germ help reduce discomfort thanks to the magnesium they contain. On the other hand, you can get vitamin B6 through pain-inhibiting nuts and bananas .

Among other nutritional supplements that are sure to improve your mood, you can add dandelion that you can consume in your salads, horse chestnut, green asparagus and chamomile tea.

We have already mentioned all the foods that are highly recommended to improve PMS, now we will tell you what you have to avoid at all costs to increase your discomfort:

• The great power that caffeine has in the body significantly increases symptoms, avoid consuming coffee on those days.
• Try not to consume empty calories, here we include soft drinks that do not have any nutritional power.
• Moderate the consumption of dairy- based foods , preferably skimmed, this is because lactose does not allow the correct absorption of magnesium. So do not exceed your intake to more than two servings a day.
• The animal fat must avoid as it has prostaglandins this chemical agent is directly related to pain and inflammation, as well as producing severe migraines.
• Excess refined sugar , although highly desired during these days, will bring you opposite consequences such as increased tiredness, depression and fatigue, because the pancreas releases a large amount of insulin as it reacts to these large amounts of sugar.
• If possible, avoid salt intake for at least 10 days before your period.
• The alcoholic beverages will give you anxiety sugary foods, as well as cause headaches.

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Anxiety and premenstrual stress, are they the same?

These terms are closely related as anxiety is caused by high levels of stress.

One of the reasons why anxiety increases in women is due to the late arrival of menstruation, the greater your worry and stress, the more anxiety increases. To control this you can exercise, apply relaxation techniques or yoga. Do activities that you like and relax, listening to music, going for a walk in a park or the beach or visiting your friends is always a good option.

If despite this you continue to suffer from this problem, it is advisable to attend with your gynecologist to clear up any doubts or assumptions that you have in your mind.

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How does premenstrual stress affect the menstruation process?

As we have mentioned, this combination is not very positive. It’s important to remember that when your mood is upset for any reason, your body is too, including hormones.

These hormones together with the nervous system are the fundamental elements in the menstrual cycle; If you are nervous and distressed, you will be irritable and this will directly affect your regular cycle , so it will not last the expected 28 days, it will be shorter, more abundant (or less), it will simply change every month.

On the other hand, you can present amenorrhea , which is the complete absence of menstruation. Increases abdominal pain, PMS symptoms, increased heart rate, among many alterations that will make you feel uncomfortable.