PMS Symptoms

PMS symptoms are a result of premenstrual syndrome which is due to fluctuating hormones during the monthly menstrual cycle.

Some common PMS symptoms may include:

Cramps
Headaches
Migraines
Mood swings
Irritability
Bloating
Water Retention
Breast Tenderness
Cravings
Weight Gain
Nausea
Constipation
Fatigue

Severe PMS can also cause:

Anxiety
Insomnia
Depression

One of the most severe kinds is PMDD PMS, which stands for Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder. This can cause far more serious mood swings. It is thought to happen to approximately 10-percent of women at one time or another.

PMS affects as much as 80% of women and can cause a variety of symptoms, which vary in severity.

Mood Swings and Other Emotional Symptoms of PMS

There are several tell-tale symptoms that are associated with PMS. Here are some of them:

· Crying: While dealing with PMS, you are more likely to deal with seemingly unwarranted tears and upset. You may not even feel sad or truly upset when these tears come on. Much as with the emotional fluctuations of pregnancy, this symptom is brought on by the sensitivity and emotional mood swings that hormones cause in the body.

· Irritability: Even some of the least bothersome things can set you off when you are feeling this level of irritation. Such reactions are brought on by the high level of tension you are likely to be experiencing, making every form of frustration far more distracting and upsetting than you would normally find them to be. You could be excessively argumentative, lashing out at others with little or no basis for your aggression.

· Depression: Major fluctuations of emotion often occur during PMS; however in this case, the emotions can be far more affecting and focus on dark and upsetting feelings. A woman who deals with these thoughts can be just as seriously affected as a person dealing with clinical depression. Bouts of self-doubt and self-criticism are often experienced.

Physical Symptoms of PMS

· Aches and Headaches: Many women experience migraines during this period and their severity varies as much as any other PMS symptoms. Generally the severity dissipates as the menstrual cycle nears. There can also be achy muscles as well as back and joint pain associated with PMS and the migraines that come with it.

· Fatigue: Often PMS can bring on bouts of insomnia or a general sense of fatigue throughout the day. This leaves the sufferer feeling groggy, unable to concentrate and often irritable, exacerbating any other symptoms that come with PMS. Along with these feelings you may also deal with periods of abnormally long sleep, lethargy and dizziness.

· Bloating: Many of us are aware of the abdominal swelling that can come with our cycles but this can also refer to bloating in the hands and legs at this time. A result of fluctuations in the fluid and electrolyte system, it can be uncomfortable and sometimes even painful to the sufferer.

· Breast Tenderness: Pain and tenderness around the nipples, areola and breast are common with PMS and is a result of the swelling and water retention that happen in the hormonal cycle. Why does this swelling hurt? Along with the breast tissue the nerves in them are being pressed on and stretched setting off the pain reaction.

· Appetites and Food Cravings: During PMS, there are also changes in your appetite. This can mean anything from an increased desire to eat including food cravings to a major decrease in appetite which can be accompanied by nausea. Food cravings are generally linked to an increased desire to eat sweet or salty foods while a decreased desire to eat can lead to anything from simply not feeling the desire to eat to pronounced nausea at the idea of doing so.

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