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A berry good way to banish the pre-menstrual syndrome blues
Pre-menstrual syndrome is an emotional rollercoaster and it's not an easy ride for any of us.
According to the latest research, 84 per cent of women wrestle with the physical and emotional trauma of PMS every month – with half of that number admitting to starting a fight or argument as a result.
In total, sufferers spend an estimated two years of their lives struggling with a complex combination of psychological symptoms, including irritability, aggression, tension, anxiety and depression.
Add the physical changes – fluid retention, breast tenderness, headaches, bloating and weight increase – and it's no surprise that many women dread "that time of the month".
The exact cause of PMS is unknown, but it seems to be related to the fluctuating levels of hormones, including oestrogen and progesterone, that occur just before a period. Doctors still don't know why some women are more affected than others.
Michael Dooley, consultant gynaecologist and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says PMS is a huge problem.
"It's the only condition I know of where it's not the symptoms people are complaining of, but the time relationship of those symptoms," he says.
"You can have the depression, anxiety and loss of confidence before your period. But you can also get other symptoms like pre-menstrual migraine, pre-menstrual asthma, pre-menstrual epilepsy – conditions that may only be present just before a woman has a period."
A lack of understanding of the condition means some doctors are prescribing anti-depressants before other, less radical treatments, but Dooley says better diagnosis is needed.
"It's a disease I think a lot of people don't realise they have," he says.
"Younger women are being treated for depression, anxiety and irritability, but if only people had started thinking about PMS as a potential diagnosis and got them to do a diary, this would help. A good diagnosis is vital."
Dooley suggests sufferers keep a daily record of their five of their main symptoms – such as depression, irritability, bloatedness or breast tenderness. Work out a scoring system – nought, no symptoms; one, mild; two, moderate; and three, severe. Then score how you felt overall at the end of the day.
"I don't think it's unreasonable for women to ask their husband or partner how they thought they were and to get them involved." Dooley adds.
"At least a woman can then chart her symptoms and see if there's a time relationship with her period.
"Is she scoring high before her period and low after? It's not rocket science but at least it's giving them some quantifiable assessment of their symptoms."
Dooley says nutrition and lifestyle changes – like increasing exercise nad reducing alcohol and excessive coffee – can make a huge difference to PMS.
"Initially, I always recommend complementary therapies such as Vitamin B6, magnesium and isoflavones," he says.
"And then the possible role of the contraceptive pill, newer ones like Yasmin and Cilest are good at combating PMS.
"There are more elaborate hormonal treatments we can give, but they need to be done by a specialist in that area."
Linda Woolven, author of The Smart Woman's Guide to PMS and Pain-Free Periods, is a keen advocate of the herb, chaste tree berry (Agnus Castus).
"Chaste tree berry is the most important herb for normalizing and regulating the menstrual cycle," she says.
"It's not new, it was used by the ancient Greeks for all kinds of menstrual problems, including heavy periods, lack of periods, lack of ovulation and frequent, infrequent and irregular periods. Today, it's used for all the same reasons as well as treating PMS and the menopause. Pretty impressive for one little herb!
"Women with acne problems related to their periods should take note of this amazing herb," she says.
"I've seen women with very bad outbreaks prior to their periods achieve clearer skin after only three months of using chaste tree berry and following a healthy, cleansing diet."
PMS Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Association for Pre-menstrual Syndrome (NAPS), begins on Monday September 8.
“There are more elaborate hormonal treatments we can give, but they need to be done by a specialist in that area.”
Linda Woolven, author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to PMS and Pain-Free Periods, is a keen advocate of the herb, chaste tree berry (Agnus Castus).
“Chaste tree berry is the most important herb for normalizing and regulating the menstrual cycle,” she says.
“It’s not new, it was used by the ancient Greeks for all kinds of menstrual problems, including heavy periods, lack of periods, lack of ovulation and frequent, infrequent and irregular periods. Today, it’s used for all the same reasons as well as treating PMS and the menopause. Pretty impressive for one little herb!
“Women with acne problems related to their periods should take note of this amazing herb,” she says.
“I’ve seen women with very bad outbreaks prior to their periods achieve clearer skin after only three months of using chaste tree berry and following a healthy, cleansing diet.”
l PMS Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Association for Pre-menstrual Syndrome (NAPS), begins on Monday September 8.
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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