Whether PMS symptoms are mild or more intense in nature, there is no reason why women should have to “put up with” them for a few days every single month. Regardless of their intensity, PMS symptoms can really disrupt a woman’s normal routine. Fatigue, cramping, bloating, irritability, anxiety, breast tenderness, and aches are all indicative of PMS, in addition to food cravings, mood swings, weight gain, and difficult concentrating. Roughly 85% of women experience a variety of these symptoms prior to and/or during menstruation, with 2-10% experiencing symptoms that are categorized as “severe”. In order to help beat PMS symptoms, we recommend that you try out these five steps:
- Exercise – thorough, long stretching and mild exercise is essential to starting the release of endorphins that can reduce cramping and achy muscles. Exercise also releases dopamine, which is the body’s natural source of pleasure.
- Increase your intake of milk and spinach – milk and spinach may sound like an odd combination, but they both have nutritional properties that can help relieve PMS. A recent study found that women who drink additional servings of milk (low fat or skim) had a 46% lower risk of PMS’s more painful symptoms. Spinach is a great idea because it has a high amount of iron and magnetism and is especially helpful throughout menstruation because iron and magnetism are depleted during this time.
- Try sleeping on your back – sleeping on your back can help relieve PMS symptoms in that this position helps take pressure and weight off of the uterus – which can decrease pain.
- Hydrate – maintaining a solid intake of water each day is an excellent step to keeping up energy levels during menstruation. Staying hydrated is one of the best tricks in the book toward battling fatigue.
- Watch out for salt – PMS is a time when many women find that they are struggling to fit into their normal clothes due to bloating. In order to help reduce these symptoms, it’s important that women decrease the amount of salt they consume.
Here are some bonus steps women can take to help relieve PMS symptoms:
If you find that these helpful tips and tricks aren’t relieving your PMS symptoms, or if you would characterize your symptoms as “severe”, please contact a care provider at PGOMG in order to discuss your symptoms and PMS treatment options.
