Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a very common and in some cases debilitating condition that affects about one third of women. It is most common in the 30-40 year old age group. PMS is defined as a complex of symptoms that occur in the 7-14 days prior to menstruation. Typical symptoms include fatigue, breast pain, irritability, depression, mood swings, bloating, and food cravings.

Causes:
There are actually four different subgroups of PMS that are characterized by anxiety, cravings, depression, and water retention. Although each of these four types has a slightly different cause, they all share hormonal imbalances as the major contributing factor.

Key dietary modifications include reducing the intake of caffeine, dairy products, animal fats, sweets, and refined carbohydrates. Eliminating caffeine is especially important for those women that experience breast tenderness. In many cases eliminating coffee, tea, chocolate, and caffeine containing cola beverages will dramatically reduce the severity of the breast tenderness without making any other changes.

Treatment:
Fortunately there are a variety of dietary, nutritional, acupuncture and herbal treatments that can offer significant relief.

Call us for more information or appointments at (403) 295-8547.