Every woman experiences specific symptoms in her body just before and during her menstrual periods. Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) need not be the same for all women. It can be different for different women and even different for the same woman in other months. Apart from hormones, various factors, including stress, can have a strong impact on a woman’s PMS symptoms. Stress can also affect the menstrual cycle’s length and ovulation and even intensify the perception of pain during a woman’s menstrual period.
PMS – Premenstrual Syndrome refers to both physical and emotional symptoms women experience during their menstrual cycle every month. Most of these symptoms are felt just a week or two before the menstrual period starts.
PMS symptoms usually occur during the luteal phase (second half of the cycle). Most of them will slowly subside soon after the period starts. Some women may experience some symptoms for longer or even during their period.
Common PMS symptoms include mood swings, change in appetite, tender breasts, acne, weight gain, constipation, irritability, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and changes in sleep patterns. Some women can feel all these symptoms, and some may feel none. It varies from woman to woman and from cycle to cycle as well.
The exact reason behind PMS is still very unclear. However, based on studies and reports, many doctors believe this could be due to the changing hormone levels. Some common factors that could be affecting your PMS symptoms are:
1. Hormones – The two sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone keep changing throughout the menstrual cycle. The changes in these levels can trigger various PMS symptoms.
2. Serotonin – Serotonin is an important chemical in the brain. Changes in serotonin levels due to stress, lack of proper nutrition, insufficient sleep, hormonal changes, and lack of sunlight can worsen mood swings and other symptoms during PMS.
3. Diet – Lack of adequate nutrition or foods rich in trans fats can be detrimental to both physical and mental health. Sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol, and junk foods can worsen PMS symptoms.
4. Sleep – Lack of sufficient undisturbed sleep every night can create stress and imbalance in the body. Poor quality of sleep can worsen PMS symptoms.
5. Stress – Stress and PMS symptoms are closely connected. An increase in stress can affect blood flow to the uterus, cause an imbalance in the hormones, and trigger many PMS symptoms. An increase in the intensity of PMS symptoms can cause further stress.
6. Habits – Smoking and regular consumption of alcohol can affect a person’s overall health, including PMS symptoms. It can disrupt the blood circulation, causing a hormonal imbalance or mood swings.
7. Others – A few other factors like age and pregnancy history can also affect your PMS symptoms and stress levels. Women of childbearing age – between 20 and late 30s tend to feel more stress and anxiety before their menstrual period. Similarly, some PMS symptoms can be felt stronger by women who have never given birth before.
Stress management need not be complicated. Seeking professional help to help you manage stress and maintain your mental well-being is not wrong, but not everyone will need it. Here are some simple yet effective tips for stress relief for PMS:
Simple, regular exercises to keep the blood circulating can help manage hormonal imbalances. Exercising can also help release the feel-good hormone, improving overall mood and appetite. Exercise can also help keep the joints healthy and reduce fluid retention and swelling, which are common PMS symptoms.
Eating a well-balanced meal on time can aid in the body’s optimal functioning. When the body receives all nutrients, it can help reduce the hormonal imbalance caused by deficiencies. A diet containing more whole foods, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds is always better than packaged and processed foods that are high in sugar and salt. Excess intake of both sugar and salt can cause a lot of hormonal fluctuations and affect overall health.
Following a routine – going to bed and eating your meal around the same time every day can help balance the hormones. When the body has no routine, it can go into fight or flight mode and increase stress levels. When the body does not get its nutrition and rest on time, it can start retaining food, leading to unnecessary bloating, weight gain, and digestion issues.
Avoiding stress altogether is not feasible. Undertake activities that can help you reduce stress and calm down. Activities like yoga, meditation, art, listening to music, or even going for a walk alone can help reduce stress. Be mindful of your stress triggers and try to combat them in a healthy manner.
When your body does not get sufficient sleep, the stress hormones will increase. If going to bed at the same time every night or getting a solid 8 hours of sleep every night is not feasible, try to get small naps as and when possible. Listen to your body and sleep an extra few hours when you feel fatigued. When the body is too tired, the mood swings and other PMS symptoms can be worse.
If you cannot manage your stress on your own or feel the stress is affecting your everyday life, it is advisable to seek professional help. Counselors can not only help you identify your stress triggers but can also help you find healthy ways to keep them under control. Seeking professional help is nothing to be ashamed of. It is similar to going to the doctor for a physical health condition.
Regular stress may not have much impact on one’s menstrual cycle, but it can impact PMS symptoms. It can not only make PMS symptoms worse, but it can affect one’s fertility, too. Extreme or chronic stress and depression can affect a woman’s PMS symptoms as well as fertility. Being proactive and managing stress without letting it take control of your activities and feelings can help manage PMS symptoms better.
The progesterone levels increase when the body is stressed, leading to a hormonal imbalance. Stress can also increase the release of cortisol – the stress hormone, thus affecting the body's overall hormonal balance and PMS.
Stress management techniques can help reduce stress, which can reduce the cortisol and progesterone levels in the blood. It can also help you calm down and promote the secretion of feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin, which can help reduce the intensity of PMS symptoms.
Yes. Lifestyle changes like regular exercise, eating a well-balanced meal, following a routine, and getting sufficient sleep can help reduce stress and promote health. It can also help stabilise your menstrual cycle, which is a big influence on PMS.