Menstruation is a sign of fertility as well as health in women. When a girl attains biological maturity at puberty, these monthly cycles become a normal and regular part of their lives.
With each cycle, women go through emotional, physical, and even cognitive changes.
These include tenderness of breasts, bloating, feeling fatigued, difficulty concentration, poor decision making, etc.
These come with significant mood change a week or ten days prior to the period and this phenomenon is popularly known as the Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).
In approximately 5 per cent of the population, PMS is so intense that it may make them dysfunctional in that time.
The individual may become severely decapacitated, and the PMS may turn into Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).
Symptoms of PMDD
According to the Diagnosed Statistical Manual, fifth edition (DSM-V), women with PMDD are likely to be at least depressed, anxious, or angry before their menstruation and these moods disappear as soon as the bleeding starts. Along with this, they experience at least five or more of the following symptoms:
- Mood swings
- Hopelessness
- Increased conflict with people due to anger
- Anxiety or irritability
- Changes in sleep
- Inability to concentrate
- Impaired decision making
- Fatigue
- Changed appetite
- Sense of loss of control
- Decreased sexual activity
- Physical changes such as hot flashes, tender breasts, etc.
If you feel like you are someone who meets the criteria of PMDD, you must first see your gynaecologist and later maintain a mood diary for a couple of months which will help the physician as well as you understand these changes effectively.
Causes and treatment of PMDD
It has been observed that some women are genetically predisposed to PMDD. Data reveals that women suffering from PMDD have faulty networking in their brains and lack emotional regulation. Currently, the treatment for PMDD follows a holistic approach. These include changes in lifestyle such as limited consumption of sugary as well as salty diet, increased physical activity, use of birth control pills or antidepressants.
Research also suggests that women with PMDD are highly receptive to the hormonal changes in their body, this, in turn, impacts the serotonin receptors because gonadotrophic hormones interact with these receptors regularly. Studies have also estimated that women can lose up to three years of quality lives while experiencing signs of PMDD. Hence, timely screening and treatment for PMDD are imperative.
