PMS hell for 83 per cent of women

Men may think they suffer the brunt of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but for women it can be a painful as well as miserable, emotional blight on their lives. Over a lifetime, the average woman will spend a staggering two years enduring the symptoms of PMS.

According to a survey of over 1,000 women by dietary supplement Magnesium-OK, almost 84 per cent of women in the UK suffer from PMS. The most common symptom, affecting two-thirds of women, is hormonal mood swings that cause them to feel irritable or aggressive.

An astonishing 42 per cent said they had even started a fight or argument at that time of the month. However, for almost half of those questioned, feeling emotional and low was by far the worst PMS symptom. Some women feel so low that they resort to taking antidepressants as a long-term solution.

As male partners well know, PMS can play havoc in a relationship. While 40 per cent of women say their partner is supportive, 21 per cent say their men give them a wide berth when they have PMS and 14 per cent say their partners get angry and irritable with them. On a monthly basis, this can put undue strain on a relationship.

While partners can certainly suffer at the hands of PMS, so too can work colleagues and employers. Over half the women (56 per cent) in the study said they didn’t cope as well with the stresses of work or made more mistakes in the office when suffering PMS symptoms. One in three said she had burst into tears at work.

Rita Stoffaneller, spokesperson for Magnesium-OK, says, “PMS is often underestimated as a syndrome, but these results really go to show that it is a huge issue for many women, and one which interestingly involves emotional turmoil far more frequently than pain.
“Increased understanding of PMS is essential to help the thousands of women who are suffering in silence.”

There is no one cure for PMS. Painkillers can help relieve the pain, but they won’t do anything to relieve the emotional upset. Women with PMS are usually advised by their doctor to go on the contraceptive pill to balance hormones and for many women this treatment works well to reduce PMS, although it may not eliminate the symptoms.

Other known alleviators of PMS symptoms include regular exercise and dietary supplements to help balance hormones. Magnesium-OK boosts levels of nutrients that have been shown in research to be of benefit for premenstrual mood changes. The manufacturer also says the treatment has been shown to ease the symptoms of fluid retention, including weight gain and bloating, and premenstrual migraines. Vitamin B6 and zinc play a role in maintaining a healthy hormonal balance. 

Evidence also suggests that a nutritious diet can also help. Nutritionists recommend that you follow a generally healthy diet, eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and reasonable amounts of low-fat protein. Importantly, you should include complex carbohydrate foods to help balance sugar levels, which can go haywire during the menstrual cycle. Good sources of complex carbohydrates can be found in wholemeal bread, brown rice and other wholegrains.

Picture caption: That time of the month – feeling low is the worst symptom of PMS.

MyVillage, 18th October