What’s up, ladies? I want to talk about something most of us have to go through: Menstruation and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). According to the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle. PMS symptoms occur 1 to 2 weeks before your period starts. The symptoms usually go away after you start bleeding. PMS can affect menstruating women of any age and the effect is different for each woman.

PMS often includes both physical and emotional symptoms, such as:

• Acne
• Swollen or tender breasts
• Feeling tired
• Trouble sleeping
• Upset stomach, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
• Headache or backache
• Appetite changes or food cravings
• Joint or muscle pain
• Trouble with concentration or memory
• Tension, irritability, mood swings, or crying spells
• Anxiety or depression

If you are anything like me, you get killer PMS every single time you get your period and it definitely has a huge effect on your everyday cycle because of severe symptoms. I personally get particularly bad cases of anxiety and mood swings as well as bloating, backaches and food cravings. I believe that this affects not only myself but people around me as well. When I’m having mood swings, I tend to give attitude to my family members, boyfriend and friends when they did nothing to deserve bad treatment. My boyfriend especially has to deal with me more to try to make me feel better whenever I’m being hormonal, which makes me feel bad afterwards. When I’m in physical pain such as backaches or headaches, my sister or mom would have to go out of their way to pick up medicine for me or pick up food for me to satisfy my unusual food cravings caused by PMS. This is definitely not fair for innocent bystanders who are only trying to be nice to you.

When I’m having PMS and want to quit life because of all the pain, I start to wonder if other women go through what I go through as well. According to research, symptoms of PMS have been reported to affect as many as 90% of women of reproductive age sometime during their lives. Nearly 20% of women experience PMS; approximately 10% are affected severely. Studies indicate that 14-88% of adolescent girls have moderate-to-severe symptoms. So If you feel like you’re the only one in the world that has to go through the excruciating pain, rest assured that others know exactly how you feel.

Most importantly, what are some says to get rid of PMS?

• Sweating and Stretching: According to Dr. Gabrielle Francis, working out not only releases pain-busting endorphins but also triggers dopamine (your natural source of pleasure and satisfaction) and serotonin (a depression and anxiety fighter). And doing hip and back stretches can increase blood flow to contracted uterine, abdominal, and lower-back muscles, easing the tension that leads to cramps.
• Obesity and smoking are risk factors you should avoid: Research reveals that women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above are nearly 3 times as likely to have PMS than women who are not obese. Women who smoke cigarettes are more than twice as likely to have more severe PMS symptoms.
• Diet: Eating four to six smaller meals per day during the premenstrual period may help reduce symptoms or food cravings. One study found that women with PMS typically consume more dairy products, refined sugar, and high-sodium foods than women without PMS. Accordingly, many clinicians recommend reducing or eliminating these foods from the diet. Avoidance of salt, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, or simple carbohydrates may alleviate symptoms.
• Medication: Over-the-counter pain relievers may help reduce symptoms (such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin). Medical care of premenstrual syndrome is primarily pharmacologic and behavioral, with an emphasis on relief of symptoms.^[18] No single pharmacologic treatment is universally effective, and studies with all therapies have not produced consistent results.

There is no one cure for PMS but there are ways to reduce the pain that it causes. So next time you are suffering from cramps, try going for a run and get a sweat on, or try eating healthier foods instead of junk food.