When a condition has entered our everyday language, and as a verb no less — “Sorry, I’m PMSing” — there’s probably a bit of misinformation out there about it. Such is often the case with premenstrual syndrome, which affects between 3% and 8% of people who menstruate.
To shed some light on PMS, the team of women’s health specialists here at Capital Women’s Care wants to take a deeper dive into this condition.
In the following, we explore what constitutes clinical PMS, some of the more common signs, and how we can help with this serious quality-of-life issue.
The average age at which girls start their periods is 12.4, and from that point until they reach menopause, they should have regular periods every 21-18 days. Under normal circumstances, few women enjoy the monthly arrival of their periods, especially since 90% of menstruating women report unwelcome side effects like cramping and bloating.
While these side effects are perfectly normal, some girls and women experience symptoms before their periods arrive, which is why we use the word premenstrual. These are symptoms that can develop a few days, or even a week or two, before the bleeding begins, turning periods into much longer and more disruptive events each cycle.
The timing of PMS can vary. For example, you may start out with normal periods and then PMS starts later in your reproductive years. Or, you might experience PMS right out of the gate, but then it goes away in your 20s or 30s.
No matter what age the issue develops, clinical PMS can have a major impact on your overall wellness and quality of life.
Whenever we use the term syndrome, it means that there’s usually a wide range of symptoms and no two people have the exact same set. This is true for PMS, which can include the following symptoms:
Again, these symptoms come on before your periods, sometimes by as much as two weeks, and often last through your period.
For an unfortunate few, these symptoms can be what we classify as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which affects around 2% of menstruating women.
The cause of PMS is unknown, which means there’s no cure for the condition, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to help relieve your symptoms.
Depending on which symptoms are having the most impact on your life, we can try a combination of any number of the following:
With each of our patients who have PMS, we design a tailored treatment plan to address their unique set of symptoms.
As well, it’s worth mentioning that all of these symptoms should go away after menopause, and we’re here to help smooth the way forward to this natural exit from PMS.
For expert diagnosis and care of your PMS, we invite you to call one of our offices in Frederick, Urbana, or Mount Airy, Maryland, at 301-663-6171. Or, you can request an appointment using our online form.
