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PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME –

11 Ways to Ease the Discomforts
You've heard the joke before. A woman flies off the handle at work or at home and everyone around her chimes in
with, "It must be that time of the month again." The joke, of course, misses the point that women, at times,
actually do get upset by their demanding husbands, whiny kids, and stressful jobs. For some women, however,
the joke holds more truth than they'd like to believe. For these women, "that time of the month" really is a period of
emotional imbalance, anger, depression, and anxiety. Situations that they normally cope well with suddenly
become insurmountable. And the energy and health they enjoy most of the time give way to fatigue, itchiness, and
weight gain almost overnight. These women have what is known as premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, a condition
that has no known cause and no complete cure. But research into the topic has brought about several theories as
to what may make some women more vulnerable to PMS. "The two most widely held theories, neither of which
has huge support, include an ovarian hormone imbalance of either estrogen or progesterone and a brain hormone
change or deficiency. Whatever the cause, the symptoms can include anxiety, irritability, mood swings, and
anger; indeed, these symptoms occur in more than 80 percent of women who suffer from PMS. Other symptoms
may include sugar cravings, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, shakiness, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, and
overall swelling. Much less common are depression, memory loss, and feelings of isolation. The symptoms, and
their severity, vary from woman to woman. "Symptoms are definitely cyclic, and that is one of the main criteria for
diagnosing this condition. And the symptoms generally disappear with the onset of the woman's period,. "It's often
the emotional symptoms that bring people in to the doctor,". As for what you can do to relieve the discomfort of
PMS, there are several home remedies. The home remedies probably work as well as, or better than, the medical
remedies available.
Here's what you can try:
» Maintain a well-balanced diet.
Include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, starches, raw seeds and nuts, fish, poultry, and whole grains. .

» Go easy on sugar
Your cravings for sugar may be strong during this time, but giving in to the sugar craving may make you feel even
worse and can intensify your feelings of irritability and anxiety. To make fending off your sugar cravings a little
easier, try keeping healthy snacks readily available and keeping sugary foods out of the house--or at least out of
your reach. If you can't give up the sweets completely, try eating only small amounts at a time, and opt for things
like fruits or apple juice that can help satisfy your sugar craving and provide nutrients.

» Eat small, frequent meals
You don't want to go long periods without food because that can potentially intensify your premenstrual symptoms
as well.

» Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol will only make you feel more depressed and fatigued. Alcohol also depletes the body's stores of B
vitamins and minerals and disrupts carbohydrate metabolism. It also disrupts the liver's ability to metabolize
hormones, which can lead to higher-than-normal estrogen levels. So if you need to be holding a beverage at that
party, try a nonalcoholic cocktail, such as mineral water with a twist of lime or lemon or a dash of bitters.
Ashwini Homoeopathic Clinic. B-3/29/03, Sect-15, Opp Vijaya Bank, Vashi Navi-Mumbai, Maharashtra. Pin code : 400 705. Phone: +91-22-27651935. Email: [email protected] Clinic timings: Mon to Sat 10 to 12.30 Morning and Evening 6 to 9.30 pm. Sunday closed. » Cut down on caffeinated beverages.
These include coffee, tea, and colas. Caffeine can intensify anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. It may also
increase breast tenderness.
» Cut the fat
Eating too much dietary fat can interfere with liver efficiency. And some beef contains small amounts of synthetic
estrogens. Too much protein can also increase the body's demand for minerals. Opt for smaller servings of lean
meats, fish or seafood, beans, peas, seeds, and nuts. Use more whole grains, rice, vegetables, and fruits to fill out
your meals.

» Put down the salt shaker.
Table salt and high-sodium foods such as bouillon, commercial salad dressings, catsup, and hot dogs can worsen
fluid retention, bloating, and breast tenderness.

» Practice stress management.
"Learning to control and reduce your level of stress has a great effect on reducing the symptoms of PMS,” Try
joining a stress-management or stress-reduction program; learning biofeedback techniques; meditating;
exercising; or doing anything that helps you to relax and cope with stress.

» Try not to plan big events during your PMS time.
"I don't like to encourage my patients to plan their lives around their menstrual cycle, but if they have the option of
planning a big social event at some time other than their PMS time, it would help them out to do so,” "The
increased stress of the event will only make the PMS symptoms worse,”. Exercise aerobically.” Besides being a
great stress reducer, aerobic exercise triggers the release of endorphins (the natural brain opiates) and produces
a 'runner's high,'". "Good forms of aerobic exercise include running, stair-stepping, bicycling, or taking an aerobics
class,”. "The social environment of a health club can also make you feel better by encouraging you to interact with
other people," he adds. He also goes on to say that increasing the pelvic circulation can help to rid the body of
some of the bloating associated with PMS. Try to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes at least three times a week. If you
are too fatigued to exercise during the actual PMS period, don't. Doing so the rest of the month should help in
itself.

» Talk it over.
Try to explain to your loved ones and close friends the reason for your erratic behavior. "One of the biggest
stresses on a woman during this time is family. And it's not only the stress of feeling bad when she flies off the
handle at someone, but also of having to apologize for her behavior later on,". Enlisting the aid of your family and
close friends by asking them to understand what the problem is and to realize that when you lash out at them you
are not as in control as you would like to be. "If your child is really acting out and yelling at you for something
during your PMS time, you might remind him that this is not the best time for him to be getting you angry.
Hopefully, he'll see this as his cue to go outside and play,” "You have to walk a fine line, though, and not begin
using PMS as an excuse to be nasty to people,” If the emotional symptoms are causing problems in your
relationships, consider getting some counseling from a mental-health professional. Ask your physician to refer you
to someone.
Homoeopathy has excellent remedies for PMS.
Constitutional treatment helps in maintaining the normal balances of hormones in your body hence eliminating
PMS. With Homoeopathic medicines mind control improves, your ability to cope with stress also improves
significantly.
Commonly used homeopathic medicines for treatment of PMS are:-
1. Kaliphos 6x: - helps in controlling irritability, sleeplessness and anxiety before menses. 2. Sepia 30:- Indicated in females who had abortions leading to PMS. 3. Nux vom 30:-Indicated in workaholics, who do not get proper sleep and are used to stimulants like coffee, 4. Calc carb 30:-Indicated in obese ladies who suffer from breast heaviness and insecurity before menses. Ashwini Homoeopathic Clinic. B-3/29/03, Sect-15, Opp Vijaya Bank, Vashi Navi-Mumbai, Maharashtra. Pin code : 400 705. Phone: +91-22-27651935. Email: [email protected] Clinic timings: Mon to Sat 10 to 12.30 Morning and Evening 6 to 9.30 pm. Sunday closed. Ashwini Homoeopathic Clinic. B-3/29/03, Sect-15, Opp Vijaya Bank, Vashi Navi-Mumbai, Maharashtra. Pin code : 400 705. Phone: +91-22-27651935. Email: [email protected] Clinic timings: Mon to Sat 10 to 12.30 Morning and Evening 6 to 9.30 pm. Sunday closed.

Source: http://ahc.org.in/PREMENSTRUAL%20SYNDROME.pdf