An Overview of PMS Is it "that time of the month" again? You know what time.
Women are quiet about it while men are mortified at the subject.
Yes, the topic is menstruation and the ailment is Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) also known as Premenstrual Tension (PMT).
It is truly a lucky (or persuasive) woman who can convince her significant other to go out to the store and buy sanitary napkins or tampons for her.
But PMS is truly no laughing matter.
Let's face it.
Bleeding once a month can't be an attractive proposition for anyone, especially when it happens over 350 times in your lifetime! In fact, PMS is quite a serious health concern.
A host of health concerns surround menstruation and PMS, including bloating, cramps, irritability, body aches, fatigue, emotional episodes, depression, breast tenderness, stress, anxiety, headaches, difficulty concentrating, joint and muscle pain, crying spells, mood swings, appetite changes, insomnia, fatigue, acne, anti-social conduct, worsening of skin and respiratory allergies, seizure disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma and eye problems.
There are over 150 side effects that can affect women in connection with menstruation and many are attributable to PMS.
Studies have revealed that more than 70% of American females have experienced PMS at least once in their lives.
There is no decisive etiology as to why women develop PMS, and there is no agreed-upon method of treatment for PMS.
Statistics also reflect that 60% of American women are sleep-deprived and sleep-deprivation is another symptom of PMS.
But is PMS an inherited trait in families? Several clinical studies have been undertaken on this topic.
In one study in 1995, the researchers investigated the genetic and environmental factors affecting PMS.
Their conclusion was that while there is a genetic trait affecting personalities, no conclusions could be drawn indicating that PMS is inherited.
However, there have also been clinical twin studies that infer that there is a genetic link causing PMS.
Another twin study conducted in 1993 studied 157 identical twins and 143 non-identical twins resulting in a finding that there are several genes which can be linked to PMS.
In another study, statistics suggested that both premenstrual and menstrual symptoms were independent of one another but both were thought to have genetic origins independent of neurotic symptoms.
Genes that predispose women to premenstrual symptoms appear to be distinct from those that predispose to neurotic symptoms.
In a 1996 study, the authors concluded that PMS conditions may be resistant to treatment because PMS has so many different symptoms that it is difficult to affect PMS as a whole and that the causes were likely to be of genetic origin.
They advised caution in placing too much faith on the results of the study.
Additional research and testing is clearly needed before society can pin genetics as a cause of PMS.
Eumenorrhea is a term used to describe normal, regular menstruation.
This condition usually lasts between 3 to 5 days (less frequently it can last from 2 to 7 days).
Blood loss should be about 35 milliliters but can range from 10 to 80 mL.
An enzyme referred to as plasmin can be found in the endometrium and inhibits the blood from clotting.
Blood loss can lead to iron deficiencies in women.
Menstruation is usually (although not always) an indicator of whether a woman is pregnant or not.
Bleeding very little is referred to as hypomenorrhea.
Hypermenorrhea or menorrhagia is the sudden heavy flow of more than 80 mL and this condition can be an indicator of health problems such as uterine abnormalities, cancer, leimyoma, or other disorders and diseases.
Note: Statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA, and should not be considered as professional medical advice.