How to Cope With PMS Symptoms

Premenstrual Syndrome, or PMS, is a group of physical, emotional and physiological symptoms that are connected to a woman’s menstrual cycle. The symptoms usually appear two weeks prior a woman’s menstruation and vary from woman to woman. PMS symptoms can greatly interfere with a woman’s day-to-day activities and while PMS symptoms are predictable, women can experience them all throughout the year for many years. Women who experience PMS symptoms are also at a higher risk of clinical depression.

Women need not be victims of their own PMS symptoms, and there are different ways to cope with them.

PMS Symptoms

PMS Symptoms are not the same for everyone, with varying intensity. Here are the common PMS symptoms:

• Breast tenderness or breast swelling
• Abdominal bloating
• Insomnia
• Stress or anxiety
• Abdominal cramps
• Joint or muscle pain
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Acne
• Lowered body resistance

How to Cope

Women may have little knowledge on how to control their PMS symptoms, but there are some known steps they can take to minimize their effects. Here are some suggestions:

1. Your Diet

Studies show that your diet have a major influence on how your body will react when PMS settles in. Generally speaking, a healthy lifestyle and diet will help you cope and ease the PMS symptoms.

Avoid food and drinks that contain caffeine such as chocolates and coffee. Caffeine can aggravate your breast tenderness further. You should also avoid food rich in sugar and sodium.

Increasing your intake of fibrous food, calcium supplements (1200 mg a day) and vitamin E, D and vitamin B6 can also help you cope with the symptoms from within.

Spread out your meal times. Instead of eating three square meals a day, distribute them in smaller portions all throughout the day. This will help you digest easier and can lessen abdominal cramps.

Drinking lots of water and natural diuretics like tea can also help cope with water retention, one of PMS’ symptoms.

2. Be Good to Yourself

Getting adequate rest is especially important during your PMS spells when your body is undergoing a lot of stress. However, if insomnia is one of your PMS symptoms, you can make up for the sleep you’ve lost by taking cat naps all throughout the day.

Exercise is also important when coping with PMS symptoms by relieving some of your pain and relaxing your muscles. The rush of endorphins should also be a big help!

Learn breathing exercises such as yoga and tai chi. Focusing your energies and releasing the bad vibes help lessen the PMS symptoms.

If all else fails, try the ultimate relaxation technique: an orgasm. Having an orgasm floods your body with pleasure, relaxation and a sense of well-being.

3. Find and Give Support

The emotional symptoms of PMS can be potentially devastating to women. If you find yourself having mood swings, bouts of severe depression and lack of energy to do anything, it may be time to seek help. Talk to family and friends, join support groups, seek professional therapy. Counseling can help you realize that you are not your PMS symptoms, and that only you have control over your own life.

4. Hormonal Intervention

Medical intervention for PMS symptoms usually come in the form of hormone treatments. Birth control pills and contraceptive patches are the most common treatment to help manage your hormones and lessen the symptoms.

Other treatments include selective serotonin uptake indicator (SSRI) and progesterone. Your doctor will help you narrow down the treatment best for you.