Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) affects a large percentage of women in some way. Teenagers in particular can find PMS particularly challenging, so it’s important to know the symptoms and how to deal with them.
Understanding PMS
PMS tends to occur between 5 and 11 days prior to a woman’s menstrual period.
Some of the symptoms of PMS include:
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling upset or down for no reason
- Crying for no reason
- Mood swings
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Finding it hard to sleep
- Food cravings
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Feeling bloated
- Sore or tender breasts
- Acne
- Muscle pain, often in the lower back.
Possible causes of PMS include:
- Changes in hormonal levels associated with the different stages of the menstrual cycle
- Changes in serotonin levels
- Depression, particularly if it is undiagnosed
- Stress
Alleviating PMS
- Over the counter painkillers to help with muscle pain and headaches
- Limiting salt intake to avoid bloating
- Do some gentle exercise to ease cramps and tire your teen out to ensure a better night’s sleep
- Limiting caffeine intake to reduce mood swings and sleep disruption
- Eat healthy small meals throughout the day to keep sugar levels normal
- Use a hot water bottle to relieve muscle pain
- Take the contraceptive pill to keep hormones stable
- Use products that contain salicylic acid to help with
- Test different styles of bras to reduce breast tenderness
- Steer clear of any unnecessary tension or stress.
