Wednesday, April 19, 2017

The Period And PMS



I am an extremely sensitive and emotional person. My emotions can very in a fraction of seconds that may land people into thinking what's up with her! Spoiler alert! If you ask me, "Is it that time of the month?" I would punch you right in the face. Well, stereotypes aside. Recently I read a piece about ignorance on the human female body. So I think I should shed some light on a small sect of the same issue. Let us talk about things related to periods and the "perks" of having the ability to make babies in your womb. If you are a woman you would most certainly be interested in knowing what is going on in your body. If you are a man well you probably live in a world you share with women so educate yourself.

PMS is one of those buzz words that everyone is pretty much aware of. It stands for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. It is a big misconception the PMS is during the period, It is not true. As the name suggests, it is the set of symptoms that occur roughly two weeks before a woman starts menstruating and stops at the time of menstruation. (If the symptoms don't stop it may be some other issue). Medically, a condition is categorized as Syndrome when the symptoms vary from person to person. So every woman has her own set of combination and intensity of these symptoms. For some women, the PMS symptoms are very severe it starts to interfere with their normal daily life. This category of PMS is called PMDD (Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder). 75% of women do experience PMS to some extent and 8% get PMDD. Whether you need medical help or not, really depends on your symptoms and the effects it is causing your everyday life. You may find more information here.



When I started my period, during adolescence, I never paid attention to the symptoms. Adolescence was already too much to deal with. The thing that really got on my nerves was the CRAMPS! The detestable evil menstrual cramps. I got this medicine prescribed to me that would assuage the pain and put me to sleep. So no help if I had an exam to write while dealing with cramps. As I grew older I became more familiar with my body and the patterns of my menstrual cycle became more predictable. With Smartphones and menstruation tracking apps, I can now get a notification and can be ready for what may come.

There are basically three kinds of symptoms related to PMS. Namely Behavioral, Emotional and Physical.

Behavioral Symptoms: This basically deal with food cravings. I personally crave for carbs and chocolates. So a pizza with some chocolate truffle cake is perfect!



Emotional Symptoms: Extreme mood swings. The most versatile combination of all the emotions that you can think off occur. I find myself more sensitive than usual. People around me may find me fluctuating from happy to irritable and angry. This specifically hits the hardest if you are already dealing with anxiety and depression. It becomes the most vulnerable phase as it adds on to the usual consistent depression.

Physical Symptoms: This includes a number of things, Such as a backache, headache, insomnia, hypersomnia, upset stomach, bloating, tenderness in breasts, acne, nausea and muscle pain. The combination of these symptoms varies with person to person. 



So, why is it happening? We don't know exactly what causes it. However, the main reason attributed to PMS is hormonal mainly estrogen and progesterone. The level of hormones starts to crash right before the beginning of the period. This rapid change in the hormonal level leads to instability. Some women are more sensitive to the variation of hormones than others.

This variation in the hormones also affects the neurotransmitter in brains such as dopamine and serotonin. The level drops low and makes one feel depressed. As these neurotransmitters are related to depression and anxiety. Thus, someone who already struggles with depression may get to experience a heavy brunt of it. 

The good news is, it disappears with the start of the period. If it does not subside it may not be just the PMS. As someone who experiences this and started to notice the pattern, I get the sense of satisfaction when I acknowledge the start of my period. Alas, It feels like the dark clouds have lifted and the storm has passed and I get to see the sun shining! Hallelujah! For I survived it and didn't even kill anyone. The younger me would have never thought I would be anticipating and hoping for the cramps to begin because PMSing sucks! 


If you are a woman, do you experience active PMS or PMDD? If you are a man. you may be experiencing 'passive' PMS from your female friends and family? Also, cut them some slack! Be understanding and bring over a pizza or some chocolates. Feel Free to leave your thoughts in the comment section. 

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24 comments:

  1. I've got two sisters and they both handled PMS differently. One got extremely grumpy. Food was a must

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Each person have a different sensitivity to the hormonal fluctuations.
      Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  2. I am post-menopausal, but I had a terrible time with my periods. I can only imagine I had PMDD but didn't know it. When I was in my 40's, I had a uterine ablation done and it was a miracle. If I'd known about the procedure earlier, I would have done it, even though it was a little painful. It stopped the periods and stopped the PMS and lasted years. It was still working when I started menopause and I think it helped there, too. Other than some night sweats, I had no other symptoms and did not need hormone replacement.

    It's not recommended for anyone who plans having children, but the procedure is a 4 minute miracle otherwise.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! The Passage

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I am sorry to here you had to go through that. I sometimes think I may be having PMDD, but I haven't got an official diagnosis yet. I feel extreme depression and it is difficult deal with ...
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  3. Totally relatable - I tend to have a lot of junk food craving and not just any junk food, but specific food items. Also, I have this thing of being a total 'Bi*ch'!!!



    Chaoticsoulzzz

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    1. I absolutely understand, Ashmita. It can be frustrating to deal with life with the crashing hormonal balance.
      Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  4. I am also sensitive. During PMS, it is beyond ridiculous. Just feels like everything someone says is against me, even though a week prior, it would have been fine.

    Emily | My Life In Ecuador

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    1. I understand... I feel the relative relief in my mental state the moment I start my period. It's almost like I am glad to bleed!
      Thanks for stopping by. :)

      Delete
  5. Thank goodness I am past this monthly cycle as I had a dreadful time of it. Menopause was even worse but thankfully I am over that too. Junk food was my coping mechanism and isolation was my strategy to safeguard the family and others from my debilitating mood swings.

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    1. I try to not respond to people while I know I am PMSing, but more than often I break down. It is like my mind makes a mountain out of a molehill... Ugh!
      Thanks for visiting. :)

      Delete
  6. can so relate to it.. i am sure my kids wonder what happens to mommy every once i a while! love the menstrual island cartoon
    LadyInRead @ MyRandRSpace - Day 19 & Poppin-P

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks! :)
      Absolutely! That could be hard for children to understand ...
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  7. This is penned so perfectly.
    I used to get sever cramps on my back and thighs but thankfully its gone
    And yes, i crave for icecreams and pizza or anything cheesy :-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I am glad you liked the write up.
      Cheese! I love anything Cheesy too, with or without PMS :)
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  8. I seem to be in that small percentage of women that don't have any real discernible signs of PMS. No cramps, no pain or discomfort, no cravings for food etc. I'm naturally a very emotional person, so it would be hard to say for sure whether my emotions were impacted by PMS or if it's just me being normal me 🙂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are lucky in that context, happy to know you didn't have to go through PMS or Cramps. :)
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  9. Apps and trackers have really helped me to clue in on what may be PMS and what isn't. I've recently found that I don't sleep well just prior to my period? And I get super hungry (beyond just cravings). But like you said, then my period hits and I'm exhausted (probably from not sleeping just prior) and can't eat anything (because I ate EVERYTHING in the days before). It's ridiculous. But it's nice to know what is normal for me and my body. :)


    With Love,
    Mandy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Relatable! I just lay on my bed spiraling down a dark pit of depression ... Sometimes it occurs to me and I check my app and I have answers to my woes. :)
      Thanks for stopping by, Mandy. :)

      Delete
  10. Can't say have suffered from any PMS or PMDD, occasional cramps when I was in my teens as the system settled down otherwise mostly plain sailing, thankfully, as those days no-one talked much about these subjects...have had other issues, but that's nothing to do with PMS.


    Best wishes,
    Nilanjana.
    Madly-in-Verse

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    1. That is good to know that you didn't suffer from PMS. Yes, indeed, times have changed and talking about things spreads more awareness. I am happy that we do talk about this. It is absolutely natural to talk about as women do get periods hushing it down was a barrier in health concerns.
      Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  11. PMS varies with me from month to month. Generally it intensifies what I'm already feeling, so if I'm happy then I'm ecstatic, if I'm sad I get depressed. Cramps have been a problem since my teen years though they were better when I was on the pill. Now I'm perimenopausal, and as I'm not having kids looking forward to menopause. I didn't know they were apps to track your menstrual cycle. I'll have to get one, so when menopause does start, I'll be able to keep track of what is going on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Little variation do happen with me as well...
      Apps are awesome I have been using them for years.
      Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  12. I have experienced some passive stress of PMS, yet I restrain from asking. Mainly because I like my face. Jokes apart, I do understand that it could be quite hard emotionally.
    I hope I am supportive.

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    1. I extent my support to you for the passive stress you experience.
      Thanks!

      Delete