The Real PMS

Most women who are menstruating feel uncomfortable during the time the blood flows but those who suffer from PMS have symptoms only during the time when her egg has released and up to the time the flow of blood begins. These symptoms occur like clockwork every month and she can count of the pattern of symptoms to occur until the time she goes through menopause. The label given to these symptoms is, premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Doctors recognize these symptoms as REAL PMS and not just imaginary excuses to act cranky or eat a lot of chocolate. Doctors can actually identify PMS symptoms and give a diagnosis of premenstrual syndrome based on the symptoms and on how the symptoms affect the woman’s life.

The symptoms can vary from woman to woman and even the same woman can have various symptoms from month to month. The symptoms may be the same from month to month but vary in the intensity from month to month.

Doctors can have a difficult time diagnosing PMS because the symptoms can mimic other diseases and conditions so often when diagnosing a woman, a doctor has to rule out other diseases and conditions before saying that she has PMS.

Other conditions and diseases that have similar symptoms as PMS include anemia, eating disorders, diabetes, alcohol abuse, hypothyroidism, side effects from oral contraceptive usage, dysmenorrhea, chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, and also autoimmune disorders.

PMS symptoms include psychological symptoms such as mood changes in which the woman cries for no apparent reason, may become depressed, anxiety-filled, anger, sad or irritable. She may have changes in her ability to function mentally such as not being able to concentrate on the task at hand, or not being able to remember things. She may experience changes in sex drive either an increased or decreased libido. She may have physical PMS symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, or upset stomach; she may experience fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and a headache or back pain. She may experience more acne than usual, breast tenderness or breast swelling, abdominal cramping or bloating, weight gain, food cravings especially for carbohydrates, or chocolate.

Scientists still do not have a definite cause for PMS but do know that it seems to be connected to the fluctuations in hormones during the menstrual cycle. Nutrition and psychological factors may also play a role in the symptoms or intensity of the symptoms a woman experiences. Some researchers believe that there may be a genetic link to why some women experience PMS and others do not.

Believe it or not PMS is real and the women who experience PMS symptoms are having symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It is important for women and those who live with them to understand that her symptoms are real and PMS is real so that she can get treatment and find relief from her symptoms.