Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, has been a long misunderstood affliction. Affecting on average three out of every four women roughly two weeks before the onset of their monthly cycles, PMS can manifest itself in the forms of breast tenderness, irritability, fatigue, depression, low blood sugar (which causes food cravings), emotional oversensitivity and mood swings. There is currently no treatment for PMS, but therapy including natural hormone replacement shows promise.
What Causes PMS?
Experts have recently speculated that PMS is caused when the levels of the female hormone progesterone fall out of balance with estrogen, causing a domino effect in the balances of other chemicals in the brain such as serotonin, which is responsible for the regulation of blood sugar and mood, norepinephrine, which is also a mood regulator, gamma-aminobuyric acid (commonly referred to as GABA), which helps regulate feelings of tranquility and anxiety, and endorphins, widely known as the "feel good" chemical. The extent to which these chemicals are altered varies with the individual, which is why PMS seems to affect some women more than others.
How Can I Alleviate the Symptoms of PMS Using Natural Hormone Therapy?
Because it's suspected that PMS is caused by a raised level of estrogen about two weeks before a woman's monthly cycle begins, it makes sense to assume that shoring up these levels will eradicate PMS symptoms. This is the belief of Holly Anderson, founder of the leading PMS research facility in the country, The Premenstrual Syndrome Medical Clinic in Arcadia, Calif.
According to her website, "Premenstrual Syndrome is a condition of estrogen dominance-progesterone deficiency. It occurs in the two weeks before the period and goes away when the period is over. 150 emotional and physical symptoms can occur. Symptoms may include headaches, migraines, menstrual cramps, depression, irritability, fatigue, emotional outbursts, low blood sugar, rage, out of control behavior, dizziness, decreased resistance to infection and epileptic seizures. An underactive thyroid is commonly an underlying disorder that is present."
Over-the-counter progesterone creams that have "progesterone USP" printed on the label are as effective as prescription-strength progesterone and have been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of PMS, particularly the weight gain many women experience in the weeks before their cycle begins.
Tags: weeks before, blood sugar, cycle begins, irritability fatigue, Premenstrual Syndrome, that caused